The professional firefighters union has slammed Fire and Emergency New Zealand’s plan to have soldiers crew appliances as industrial action heats up.
A Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fenz) spokeswoman said public safety was its top priority.
"We have requested that the New Zealand Defence Force [NZDF] be available to provide us with assistance if required during any potential escalated strike action by the New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union [NZPFU]," the spokeswoman said.
Fenz would provide NZDF personnel with training and equipment to ensure they were ready if called upon.
They would support Fenz with personnel trained in exterior fire attack to prevent the spread of fire, and to provide scene protection at motor vehicle crashes, the spokeswoman said.
The spokeswoman did not answer questions about what areas the NZDF would crew appliances in or what numbers would be deployed.
On October 4, the Otago Daily Times reported on an Official Information Act request that showed correspondence between Fenz and the NZDF.
Plans to have heavy vehicle drivers and regular soldiers crewing up to six appliances with up to a four-person crew in urban centres was averted when the NZPFU cancelled planned stoppages on September 2 and 9.
On Thursday, the NZPFU issued a notice saying stoppages would resume, four hour-long strikes to be held over the 10 days from November 4.
New Zealand Firefighters Union national secretary Wattie Watson said she did not think Fenz using NZDF personnel would be well received by the public.
Fenz had not engaged with the union about its intention to do so and the union found out about it through information requests, Ms Watson said.
"It would be fantastic if Fenz spent their time and energy putting up a reasonable offer," Ms Watson said.
For the union’s members it was the last resort to decide to engage in the one-hour stoppages, and emphasised how frustrated and undervalued they felt they were, she said.
"Fenz deciding to use other personnel, such as defence force personnel, only reinforces that disrespect," Ms Watson said.
Any trust, confidence and respect that was left between the membership and Fenz would be "completely undermined" by the move.
