Volunteer firefighters want a fair go: recognition and support
As I reflect on my 32 years as a volunteer firefighter, the reasons behind my commitment remain unwavering. Why do I volunteer? It’s simple: to get that fire truck out the door and help someone in need.
Like my nearly 12,000 volunteer firefighting colleagues, I’m driven by a desire to serve my community. At the end of each day, we know the vast majority of firefighters are volunteers. Without us, that fire truck won’t be there when you need it most.
We’re the backbone of New Zealand’s emergency services – without volunteer firefighters, our whole emergency response system would collapse. We make up 86% of the country’s frontline firefighters and are the first responders to most emergencies across 93% New Zealand.
We bring experience from all walks of life – we’re farmers, teachers, tradespeople and, in my case, sales managers.
Some of the best experiences of my life have been as a volunteer – whether it’s the feeling you get when you help someone out of a tough spot, the opportunities to go outside your comfort zone, or the amazing friendships you gain along the way. Signing up as a volunteer in 1992 was one of the best things I’ve done.
But beneath our dedication lies a growing frustration: the lack of proper support and acknowledgment for the traumatic aspects of our work.
We’re highly skilled but not highly valued.
Our equipment’s old, some of our brigades have uniforms in disrepair and/ or run-down facilities. There is no parity.
In Tairāwhiti our repeated calls to have a second truck manned full-time have fallen on deaf ears.
We don’t get the same ACC cover as career firefighters, despite often working alongside them at the same accidents, emergencies and fires. I’ve seen some horrible stuff. Nothing prepares you for an accident scene where children have been hurt, or worse.
It angers me that ACC does not provide the same level of support to volunteers as it does for career firefighters. This disparity is making me and some of my volunteer colleagues consider whether or not we continue as volunteer firefighters. I am concerned for the future of volunteer fire brigades if something doesn’t change.
We know these issues aren’t going to fix themselves overnight, but having a plan to make things better, and communicating that plan, would help us feel valued.
If I could change things tomorrow,
I’d invite decision-makers to walk in our boots and to spend time on the frontline to understand our challenges. Perhaps then, they’d see beyond rhetoric. Politicians blame funding, but inaction isn’t an option. There’s too much at stake.
According to a just-released United Fire Brigades’ Association’s report, Hidden in Plain Sight, volunteer firefighters provide taxpayers and the government with savings of $823 million a year. This means $823m is freed up for the government to invest in hospitals, schools and other key services.
We’re not asking to be paid – that’s not why we do it. But we are asking to be valued and to be given the resources and support we need to protect our communities. Given the size of our contribution, I think it’s a pretty small ask.
Karl Scragg is senior station officer with the Manutūkē Volunteer Fire Brigade.