Fire and Emergency's chief executive Kerry Gregory. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Fire and Emergency's (FENZ) chief executive says the organisation is working to abolish poor behaviour.
Kerry Gregory's message on social media comes after two independent reviews outlined bullying, harassment, sexism and racism in its culture.
He said the organisation's reputation was being tarnished by those acting inappropriately, and those not willing to follow FENZ's code of conduct should leave.
"My message is simple. Enough's enough.
"Our organisation's values are not just words on a page. They describe who we are and what we want to be. If you're not willing to uphold our values, be accountable for your actions and show respect for those around you, then maybe Fire and Emergency is no longer the place for you to work or volunteer."
In the video, Gregory acknowledged members who felt anxious and unsafe about going to work, saying it genuinely upsets him.
"The feedback we received was direct and difficult to hear, but it was accurate and necessary and I'm committed to doing it better.
"When I reflect on why this behaviour has continued, I believe it's because there's a sense that it's acceptable or that those responsible are untouchable and there's been a lack of trust in our organisation's ability to act."
He said it needed to stop for the safety of FENZ staff.
Gregory wanted members to hold themselves and other staff accountable.
"If you see or hear something that you feel crosses the line, whether it's hurtful, disrespectful or just doesn't sit well with you, say something. This isn't about confrontation, it's about having honest conversations."
Speaking to RNZ's Midday Report on Friday, Gregory said a lot of work had been done since the culture review in 2022 "to actually get the things in line, to give our people more tools to be able to, to deal with them".
"We've put an independent complaints management process in place, not only to raise complaints, but also to get advice on how [staff] can deal with things. And we've now just put in place our code of conduct and our managing inappropriate behaviour and conduct policy."
Gregory defended the years-long timeframe, saying culture change "takes a long time".
"It's a long journey and on the whole, you know, our people are really good - but [there are] certainly pockets that I'm seeing where it is inappropriate behaviour... I don't think there's any place in FENZ for bullying, harassment, racism, sexism, all those. And like I said, culture change takes time and it takes a whole organisation to be able to wrap behind them and actually move the culture."
He said since 2022 FENZ had "taken quite a different approach. To lead from the top, you cannot just say 'we need to change our culture'. Not everyone sees that, because the parts of the organisation that many of our people work in have a really good culture, really supportive of this… but where it's not appropriate, that's where there's no place for that in FENZ."
The video's release was not a pre-emptive move against forthcoming information that might put FENZ in a bad light, he said.
"It's just a chance to remind people and say, I need you as well. I need you to help to change the culture and, and get rid of these inappropriate behaviours… the video is not meant to be a game changer. The video is meant to be a call to action and for people to really think about their behaviour and the behaviours of others."
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