Figures released by Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fenz) under the Official Information Act show there were four instances when frontline staff worked more than 100 hours in a week over the year from May 31, 2021.
On another 20 occasions, firefighters worked between 90 and 100 hours per week.
The numbers pertain to Fenz’s Te Kei district, which encompasses stations in Otago and Southland.
On 143 occasions, firefighters worked between 80 and 90-hour long weeks, while on 479 occasions firefighters worked between 70 and 80 hours and on 842 occasions worked between 60 and 70 hours.
The figures also showed the numbers of firefighters available to work each week varied significantly, with between 108 and 128 total firefighters available in any given week.
Lower numbers of firefighters might have been available on any given day.
Numbers given for the start of each week indicate a snapshot of staffing levels across the year.
At the start of any given week there were between 89 and 119 available.
The number of staff assigned to each station at the start of any given week could fluctuate.
For instance, Dunedin City Station was staffed by only 18 frontline staff on April 18, 2022, compared with a high of 28 staff recorded twice.
Lookout Point Station had a low of 10 staff on July 27, 2021, compared with a high of 17 staff recorded twice.
Kingswell station in Invercargill found itself with three staff on May 9, 2022, compared with a one-time high of eight staff on August 30, 2021.
Frontline staff, from firefighters up to the rank of senior station officer, averaged 18.9 hours of overtime per week.
Firefighters began limited industrial action on June 13 after talks broke down between Fenz and the The New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union.
The two parties have since returned to mediation, but industrial action continues.
The NZPFU has called for better pay, more staff and better support for workplace injuries, while Fenz has refused to acknowledge the union’s claim staffing levels are in crisis.
