What we do

The New Zealand Fire Service (NZFS) is a Crown Entity constituted under the Fire Service Act 1975. The Organisation’s mission is to reduce the incidence and consequence of fire and to provide a professional response to other emergencies. The NZFS delivers on its mission through a unique workforce that is comprised of 2,100 employees and approximately 7500 urban volunteers deployed across 436 fire stations, three communications centres and a management/support structure that has its headquarters based in Wellington.

We interpret being a good employer as applying equally to our volunteers as it does to our career staff. We do more than fighting fires, we attend motor vehicle accidents, weather emergencies, rescue trapped people and respond to medical emergencies. Increasingly, our people are involved in delivering public safety and fire prevention messages directly into the communities in which they live and work. One of our core Human Resource objectives is to develop a workforce that is ‘reflective of and responsive to the community’. Being a good employer makes us a better Fire Service by driving us towards greater fairness, equity and diversity.

Leadership and Accountability

Our governance body, the NZFS Commission and our Chief Executive take being a good employer seriously. They give priority to the annual EEO Programme and report extensively on the programme’s achievements through the Annual Report. EEO is integrated into our HR Strategy Plans and is reflected in our Values (Serving our Communities, Skill, Adaptability, Integrity and Comradeship). We have management objectives to become a more diverse organisation. The Commission reviews these annually. In 2005, we developed a diversity index that provides us with an overall measure and tracking capability for diversity.

Recruitment and Selection

We have clear goals to develop a more diverse workforce and have systematically reviewed our selection process to remove barriers that may preclude groups such as women, Mäori and Pacific Peoples. We have heavily promoted the Fire Service as a career option to these target groups and worked with other agencies such as polytechnics on candidate preparation programmes that assist potential candidates to come up to the high physical and other standards demanded of a firefighter. We hold open days at Fire Stations that enable prospective candidates to test themselves against the selection criteria. We have active support groups for women, Maori and Pacific People firefighters. Staff with special language or cultural skills are recognised as a valuable asset in our community education and prevention programmes.

Promotion, Transfer and Termination

Our promotion and transfer policies are open and can be challenged by our staff if they have concerns over the fairness of any decision. In approving transfers between similar roles, we place importance and priority on addressing family or personal issues. We monitor our resignations closely and have systematic exit interview processes.

Training and Development

We have a clear training and progression system that provides transparent and equitable development opportunities for our operational personnel. We monitor satisfaction and equity of access to training and development through our attitude survey. Induction and initial training provides all our people with an introduction to EEO and the Treaty. Our operational staff have a guided marae visit as part of their initial 11 weeks training.  

 

Workplace Participation and Organisation

EEO is directed and overseen by a representative panel of senior managers, employees from target groups and our unions and associations. We rotate membership of the EEO Steering Group frequently to provide opportunities for participation. Although staff strongly support the existing roster systems, we are committed to exploring with our Union ways in which greater flexibility can be introduced. Our existing IT systems provide opportunities for many of our staff to access our network from home and in some cases work from home. A project is presently underway to enable remote access for all volunteers and career staff to information and critical I.T. applications from home or, in the case of volunteers, from their normal place of work. These changes will enable our people to better fit their Fire Service commitments around their other personal priorities.

There are well-established consultative processes through our unions and associations directly to our people by way of an annual attitude survey and the opportunity to comment personally on all draft personnel policies. Our Intranet is central to open and transparent communication and two-way dialogue. All personnel can pose a question or query directly to the Chief Executive through our “Rumour Mill” and receive either a personal/confidential reply or an open response.

Pay and Conditions

We have comprehensive staff support systems that include EAP, Industrial Chaplains and Critical Incident Stress Management interventions. We survey our people through the annual attitude survey and monitor stress levels closely. There are flexible leave arrangements that provide options for extended sick leave, leave without pay and payments on return from parental leave. We case manage injuries and long term sick leave internally and often provide treatment and rehabilitation over and above pay minimums available by regulation, particularly around social needs. Pay structures and processes are transparent and in most cases result from collective bargaining. Childcare is under review at present through research commissioned late last year.

Harassment and Bullying

We have begun to focus on issues of harassment and bullying more closely. A workshop on harassment and bullying has been held with our Senior Management Team and unions/associations. There is a commitment to a new policy framework and complaint process. We intend to introduce a measure of harassment and bullying into our attitude survey from 2006.

Health and Safety

There is major commitment to health and safety across the organisation. This is reflected in our early adoption of the ACC Accredited Employer Partnership Programme in 2000 and our achievement of Tertiary status since 2004. Employees are totally involved in health and safety from local stations through to the National Health and Safety Committee. The NZFS was an early adopter of debriefing and defusing through our Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) teams who are drawn from frontline staff. We have particular requirements around pregnancy and firefighting given the special health risks that are involved. There are regular health screening programmes running across the organisation together with injury prevention initiatives and fitness programmes delivered through in-house gyms. We have invested in medical research into cancer and mortality rates amongst firefighters and have shared this research with other fire services internationally.

We provide our people with Hep B and flu vaccinations and take a lead role in national and local disaster preparedness.

Contact

Vincent Arbuckle
Director of Human Resources
New Zealand Fire Service
• Tel: 04-496-3610
• Fax: 04-472-5203
• Email: vince.arbuckle@fire.org.nz  

  

 

 

Back to 'What is a 'good employer'?'

Back to the Crown Entities Guidance index page