Christchurch’s only high-reach ladder truck is currently out of service for scheduled maintenance, raising concerns about the city’s emergency response capabilities.
The New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union has criticised Fire and Emergency New Zealand for failing to provide adequate cover during this period.
A recent NZPFU Facebook post stated, “Instead of providing a proper replacement, FENZ has left Christchurch with nothing more than a ute, short-crewed at that.”
The union also highlighted that the city’s 17m ladder truck is operating with just one firefighter in the back, leaving both specialist aerial trucks under-resourced.
“This wasn’t an emergency breakdown. It was programmed, routine maintenance. FENZ had every opportunity to plan and provide cover, but once again, they failed,” the post added.
The union said that in emergencies like fires or earthquakes, a ute cannot perform critical tasks such as rescuing people from multi-storey buildings or fighting fires from above, saying, “Christchurch deserves better.”
In a statement to Chris Lynch Media, Michael Stewart, the Christchurch Local Secretary, says the impact of no trucker ladder “significantly compromises” Christchurch.
“Our service providers work hard to stay ahead of potential issues, but routine maintenance means Christchurch loses access to a unique and critical capability.
“Without the Bronto (ladder) in service, we can no longer work at height above our Fire truck’s ladders limits – the Bronto provides a working height of around 32 metres.
“The AS ladder 464 (4-person pitch) only reaches about 13 meters up. The others reach 9 meters up.”
Mr Stewart said smaller ladders carried on fire trucks cannot replicate this versatility or reach.
“FENZ often describes us as “dynamic,” and we are — but dynamism does not substitute for the absence of the specialised capability that this Bronto provides.
“Without it, Christchurch’s firefighting and rescue response is significantly compromised.”
In response, a FENZ spokesperson told Chris Lynch Media that Canterbury has 130 firefighting trucks, part of a national fleet of approximately 1,300, including 29 high-reach aerial trucks.
“All our standard urban fire trucks have ladders, which can be used for rescues, not just the trucks we classify as ‘aerial’ trucks,” the spokesperson said.
They confirmed the high-reach ladder truck is undergoing planned maintenance but remains available for emergency use, as it is left in an operational state overnight.
“Our fleet is well maintained, safe, certified, and legally compliant,” they added.
The spokesperson also addressed staffing challenges, noting that winter illnesses, training, and leave have impacted crew availability.
FENZ mitigates this through overtime, callbacks, and resource reallocation to prioritize community safety. “
“Our officers are trained to be agile, making tactical decisions with the resources available to respond to changing and multiple incidents,” they said.
