FENZ & NZ Professional Firefighters Union At Loggerheads Over Future Of 36-year-Old Fire Truck In Christchurch.

The NZ Professional Firefighters Union believes a 36-year-old "South Island Spare" is unsafe. It could play a crucial role handling a 2023’s fatal Loafer's Lodge style blaze.

The South Island Spare, which has not been used since 2020.

The NZ Professional Firefighters Union believes a 36-year-old Bronto appliance known as the South Island Spare is unsafe. With a 32-meter ladder, the Spare could play a crucial role handling a 2023’s Loafers Lodge style-blaze. That fire claimed the lives of three New Zealanders.

Loafer’s Lodge, Wellington (Source: Newshub)

Should any one of 4 pivotal frontline trucks be out of action, the Spare is meant to take its place. But despite FENZ spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on the truck, the Spare has been out of action since September 2020, thus leaving the South Island without backup for multi-story fires.

FENZ has been unable to detail “the date of breakdowns and length of time the appliance was out of action”. Nor could it provide “detailed records of the exact periods the appliance was being serviced, certified or repaired and when it was available for operational use”.

Keeping the 36-year-old truck in order has not come cheap. The 2012 assessment that happened during an overhaul between 2011 and 2013 that cost FENZ $607,675. Up to 29 January 2024, FENZ had spent $874,129.95 on the truck. That includes $53,216.95 spent between 1 November 2021 and 29 January this year.

A local NZPFU member wrote “The union has consulted with industry experts from across New Zealand, including Board members from the New Zealand elevated work platform association.” FENZ did not respond to this comment.

On 5 March, FENZ played down the importance of the Spare, telling the NZR -

“It should be noted this is a relief appliance, so would normally only be called upon when other aerial/ladder trucks in the South Island are out of action (e.g. for maintenance).”

Christchurch Central Fire Station.

An insider has said the Spare could not respond to 60 percent of callouts, because it can’t turn corners and couldn’t operate on roads with a high camber.

FENZ responded to these claims -

“We do not agree with the claim the relief aerial in question could not respond to 60 per cent of call outs. As above, the vehicle is maintained in a fully operational state. It is a big truck, roughly equivalent to a sixteen- pallet curtain side truck and can turn corners.”  

The insider also claimed that in Wellington, recent testing on a 16-year-old appliance had already revealed cracks in the boom section that could have been there for 6 years.

NZPFU representative Aaron McKay standing alongside a Bronto Skylift (not the South Island Spare).

FENZ responded -

“You mention In Wellington, recent testing on a 16-year-old appliance has already revealed cracks in the boom section that could have been there for 6 years. We would need you to provide further detail so we can check for accuracy.”

The NZPFU says the Spare needs a stability test and is overdue by two years for a major 10-year assessment. FENZ responded -

“We have not refused to carry out a stability test and we have not refused to carry out a ten-year service.”

Instead the Spare is being put through an annual inspection that costs $180 and takes just two hours to complete. FENZ made no comment on this aspect of the article. The insider questions how the 36-year-old Spare is being passed.

The union says both Bronto, the Australian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities (AFAC) recommends that sky-lift vehicles have a 10-year test. The insider believes FENZ is not compliant, whereas FENZ believes the AFAC “guidelines are not rules, they are guidelines”.

The union says Bronto, the Finish manufacturer recommends a 10-year test. The NZR is waiting on the NZFPU to provide proof of this. FENZ says Bronto should be contacted to “establish what was needed”.

That leads onto the ongoing costs of looking after the Spare while it sits idle.

Keeping the 36-year-old truck in order has not come cheap. The 2012 assessment that happened during an overhaul between 2011 and 2013 that cost FENZ $607,675. Up to 29 January 2024, FENZ had spent $874,129.95 on the truck. That includes $53,216.95 spent between 1 November 2021 and 29 January this year.

To make matters worse, all four frontline vehicles are at end-of-life. FENZ ordered 5 new aerial appliances on 14 July 2023.

The spend forms part of FENZ’s push to modernise the aging fleet. It says in 2017, it “inherited an aging fleet from more than forty fire-fighting organisations.”

“It will take significant investment, to improve and replenish the main assets Fire and Emergency has.”

It is “aiming for the delivery of the first appliance to Fire and Emergency in Quarter 1 of 2025, with the last appliance being delivered by Q3 2025. The expected implementation (training) for this first appliance is to occur in Quarter 2 of 2025.”

All 5 trucks could be 1 to 3 years away from being fully operational.

Yesterday, FENZ confirmed one of the new 32-meter Bronto Skylift trucks will be located in Christchurch.

In the meantime, fire crews will have to make do with the current fleet and hope that none of them break down during that time.

As for the South Island Spare, FENZ claims “we have been maintaining it in a legally compliant, fully operational state in case it was ever called upon”.

FENZ has been unable to detail “the date of breakdowns and length of time the appliance was out of action”. Nor could it provide “detailed records of the exact periods the appliance was being serviced, certified or repaired and when it was available for operational use”.

On 5 March, FENZ confirmed its stance, adding that “Fire and Emergency and the NZPFU have a different view on what the operational requirements are.”

In November last year, the issue of the Spare’s future came to a head.