Urban fire response to be slower at midday as paid firefighters strike for an hour
Fire and Emergency will rely on volunteers during the union’s sixth one-hour walkout, and is asking the public to avoid fire risks, check smoke alarms, and evacuate early if a fire starts.
Fire and Emergency is warning of slower response times in cities and larger towns at midday today as New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union members strike for an hour.
Deputy National Commander Megan Stiffler said the organisation will continue to answer 111 calls and respond but will dispatch volunteer crews from further away in affected areas. “Every time the paid firefighters strike they put people’s safety at risk,” she said.
People and businesses were urged to be “on the alert with fire safety,” including checking smoke alarms and escape plans, avoiding activities that could start a fire, evacuating early if a fire breaks out, and calling 111 once out.
Stiffler said the strike would not affect most of the country, with more than 11,800 volunteers across nearly 600 stations responding as usual.
Today’s action is the sixth one-hour strike by NZPFU members. The Employment Relations Authority has set new dates for independent facilitation in Christchurch on 26 and 27 January 2026, which Fire and Emergency says is the best path to agreement.
This article was originally written by AI. You can view the original source here.