The mandate required firefighters to have their first vaccination by the end of yesterday, and their second jab by the end of January 14.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fenz) yesterday said 90% of personnel covered by the mandate were fully or partially vaccinated, but refused to provide information at a regional level.
National Commander Kerry Gregory said firefighters cared deeply about serving their communities and keeping people safe.
‘‘They also work among some of New Zealand’s most vulnerable communities.
‘‘By being vaccinated, and following our strict Covid protocols, they are doing their part to reduce exposure and spread of Covid-19 in the community.’’
There were two small brigades nationally that would not be able to operate as of today due to not having enough personnel.
They were Inangahua on the West Coast and Matakana Island in the Bay of Plenty.
‘‘We’re disappointed they will have to temporarily book their trucks off service, but we are determined to get them operational again.
‘‘We’ll continue to work with them and their communities to do so.
‘‘Inangahua Volunteer Fire Brigade will get support from their neighbouring stations — Reefton and Westport.’’
He said the Inangahua brigade had seven members and specialised in responding to vegetation fires as well as attending medical calls and motor vehicle crashes. On average, it attended six calls a year.
Fenz had a tactical response plan when responding to an emergency on Matakana Island.
‘‘This includes resources from across the region. This will not change.
‘‘The nearest stations to Matakana Island are Tauranga and Omokoroa. They will respond when needed.’’
