PSA national secretary Fleur Fitzsimons says the cuts are "short sighted" and will "impact FENZ's ability to deal with emergencies and prevent future emergencies." Photo: RNZ
The Public Service Association (PSA) says the government must step in to stop Fire and Emergency's (FENZ) new proposal to cut almost 170 jobs.
FENZ is circulating its restructure proposal to its staff this afternoon but told RNZ it would not release it publicly.
It previously promised not to cut frontline firefighter or comms centre jobs
But thePSA said the proposal amounted to decimating the agency's front line support staff and would undermine firefighting in a bid to save $70m a year.
"The government must step in and stop these short-sighted cuts - FENZ is telling its workers to do more with less, which will impact FENZ's ability to deal with emergencies and prevent future emergencies," said national secretary Fleur Fitzsimons in a statement on Wednesday afternoon.
The proposal included cutting 46 roles in the Operational Response branch central, as well as four wildfire specialists at a time when Tongariro had been hit by such a fire, the PSA said.
It was also proposing to cut 45 roles in the prevention branch that worked to reduce risk and harm before emergencies occur, Fitzsimons said.
RNZ has not seen a copy of the change proposal.
It has previously reported an internal document quoting FENZ as trying to save $50m a year for three years.
'We must adapt' - FENZ CEO
FENZ chief executive Kerry Gregory said there would be a net loss of about 140 positions, and about 700 roles would be affected in some way.
"This proposal is about ensuring we are best positioned to deliver a modern and responsive emergency service," he said in a statement on Wednesday afternoon, after the proposal document went out to staff.
"Communities' needs are changing, and technology, both the tools we use and those that can create new risks, is advancing at pace. To meet these changes, we must adapt and become more adaptable."
No structural changes will be made until next year, around March or April.
"I acknowledge this is difficult for the teams and individuals impacted," Gregory said.
"We are committed to constructively working through their feedback to ensure we get the best outcome."
The PSA union said the consultation period of two weeks was too short, and other union pressure was going on FENZ to extend it.
FENZ said the proposal was the culmination of merging 40 organisations in 2017 to create a national service, and built on work begun in 2023.
The agency's revenue from insurance levies was almost $800m in the last financial year, and $41m from other sources - a small slice of that is direct government funding.
RNZ on Wednesday previewed the cuts proposal, with FENZ chief executive Kerry Gregory telling staff, "This change is looking at the whole organisation and how we operate, but frontline firefighters and ComCen call takers will not be losing their jobs as part of these proposals."
The PSA said the government was deliberately allowing the underfunding of FENZ.
The Minister of Internal Affairs that oversees FENZ, Brooke van Velden, said she had been clear from day one about her expectations around spending and providing value for the New Zealanders who fund the services through insurance levies.
FENZ had to spend "wisely" and be careful with the money they got from households and businesses.
"I have asked Fire and Emergency to identify $60 million in savings over the current levy period to find more efficient ways to deliver services."
That target represented a commitment to operational efficiency while maintaining front-line emergency response capabilities nationwide, she said.
"I regularly meet with the chief executive and chair to track progress on the savings plan and ensure Fire and Emergency continues to deliver the emergency services New Zealanders rely on while being accountable for every dollar they spend."
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