Thread: Welcome to the volly room

I think these 2 advertising photos are symbolic of not just fire vollies but volunteering in general
(hope I haven't breach any copyright laws posting them. if so will delete them)

Can see jakesae101's new Coastguard in a similar state without vollies. Be some empty choppers without SAR crews in them. Not to mention Lifeline and other organizations

[QUOTE=sako75;333827]I think these 2 advertising photos are symbolic of not just fire vollies but volunteering in general
(hope I haven't breach any copyright laws posting them. if so will delete them)

Can see jakesae101's new Coastguard in a similar state without vollies. Be some empty choppers without SAR crews in them. Not to mention Lifeline and other organizations


Volunteers do a fantastic job, but there is always two sides to every story, if volly Fire Fighters didn't man Stations like Silverdale , Queenstown, Pukekohe and West Harbour etc the Fire Service would be forced to put in Career Staff. So in these specific cases these Vollys are actullay doing a disservice to their community....

Originally Posted by Mohawk660

Volunteers do a fantastic job, but there is always two sides to every story, if volly Fire Fighters didn't man Stations like Silverdale , Queenstown, Pukekohe and West Harbour etc the Fire Service would be forced to put in Career Staff. So in these specific cases these Vollys are actullay doing a disservice to their community....

can you please clarify what you mean "disservice to their community"

Originally Posted by smidey

can you please clarify what you mean "disservice to their community"

Sure , these stations I have mentioned have risks that warrant a Career Station ,due to the large numbers of people and property. It is not fees-able that the Fire Service have Career staff in every town in New Zealand and in smaller district towns in New Zealand the Volunteers do a great job.

However these specific stations I have mention are the minority. The Fire Service will not push out a Volunteer Station, infact the will do all they can to support Vollies.

They only way the Fire Service will put in a Career station is when the Vollies cant man it any more and negotiate with the Fire Service to take over with career staff.

So yes in my opinion Station like Queenstown, Silverdale, West Harbour and Pukekohe should be manned by career staff 24/7 but they wont because the vollies are doing it for free....

Originally Posted by Mohawk660

Sure , these stations I have mentioned have risks that warrant a Career Station ,due to the large numbers of people and property. It is not fees-able that the Fire Service have Career staff in every town in New Zealand and in smaller district towns in New Zealand the Volunteers do a great job.

However these specific stations I have mention are the minority. The Fire Service will not push out a Volunteer Station, infact the will do all they can to support Vollies.

They only way the Fire Service will put in a Career station is when the Vollies cant man it any more and negotiate with the Fire Service to take over with career staff.

So yes in my opinion Station like Queenstown, Silverdale, West Harbour and Pukekohe should be manned by career staff 24/7 but they wont because the vollies are doing it for free....

You do realise that the bigger stations with permanent crew are mainly staffed by volleys,


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Which bigger stations are you referring too ? Wellington , Christchurch, Hamilton , Dunedin, Taupo, Auckland, Whangerai, Napier, Nelson ?

Originally Posted by Mohawk660

Sure , these stations I have mentioned have risks that warrant a Career Station ,due to the large numbers of people and property. It is not fees-able that the Fire Service have Career staff in every town in New Zealand and in smaller district towns in New Zealand the Volunteers do a great job.

However these specific stations I have mention are the minority. The Fire Service will not push out a Volunteer Station, infact the will do all they can to support Vollies.

They only way the Fire Service will put in a Career station is when the Vollies cant man it any more and negotiate with the Fire Service to take over with career staff.

So yes in my opinion Station like Queenstown, Silverdale, West Harbour and Pukekohe should be manned by career staff 24/7 but they wont because the vollies are doing it for free....

what are the risks that warrant career staff over vollies?

Originally Posted by smidey

what are the risks that warrant career staff over vollies?

My understanding is the Fire Service has no policy that the will put a career staff over volly staff , it has more to do wether volly staff can man the station/appliance.

Otherwise why have places like Queenstown , Pukekohe , silverdale and west harbour not gone permanent? The population and properties warrant it.

As these places have population and properties comparable to other districts in nz that have permanent stations.

Originally Posted by Mohawk660

Sure , these stations I have mentioned have risks that warrant a Career Station ,due to the large numbers of people and property.

what do you mean by this is what i'm trying to understand?

what are the risks in those areas that warrant a career station over a volly station? just population?

Originally Posted by smidey

what do you mean by this is what i'm trying to understand?

what are the risks in those areas that warrant a career station over a volly station? just population?

As these places have population and properties comparable to other districts in nz that have permanent stations.

My understand from talking to management is that the Fire Service has no policy on career stations it has more to do with, wether vollies will or can man a station.

As the Fire Service wont pay for something if they can get it done for free.

the fire service is a chain of command, they can do what they like. they can either create a policy or just change it, it's their call.

To say the vollies are doing a disservice to their community by doing what they are sounds to me that you think it's their fault and they should know better.

It's all controlled from the top and based on what you have said the NZFS are putting costs before emergency response quality. Is that correct?

If NZFS wanted career staff on those sites they could/would make it happen when ever they want i think