Firefighters say more support
Jay Culhane once attended three suicides in one night, he’s also responded to the death of one of his colleagues.
And the Hamilton senior firefighter last year worked 600 hours overtime. ‘‘That made up 30% of my yearly wage, and I am by no means at the large end of the spectrum.’’
That’s a sample of the potentially traumatic events that firefighters are being asked to attend – without the support of their employers Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ), Culhane said.
New Zealand Professional Firefighters’
Union members went on a nationwide administrative strike at 12:01am on June 13 – demanding FENZ increase their pay, hire more firefighters, provide the proper equipment, offer health insurance to firefighters like they do for admin staff, and provide help for psychological wellbeing as well as to firefighters diagnosed with occupational cancers.
The strike came after reaching a stalemate following more than a year of bargaining.
While the strike action is largely behind the scenes, Culhane said it may have to be escalated if negotiations can’t be worked out.
One of the biggest concerns for the 37-year-old is the lack of psychological support from FENZ, especially with the repeated exposures to suicide. He would like systems in place for when staff are exposed to these incidents.
‘‘Having mandatory stand-down or mandatory supervision where they go and unload – at the moment it’s a reactive service – I’ve got to put my hand up and say ‘look I’ve got to go and talk to someone because I’m not good’.’’
Fire Service and St John signed a memorandum of understanding in 2014 – which sees them co-respond to medical incidents. It means firefighters can quite often be first on the scene.
‘‘I think a lot of guys let out a sigh of relief when they see the ambulance there first. We are trained to a slightly higher standard than a workplace first aid certificate. We do oxygen provision and the defibrillator, but that is it – not much different to what anyone off the street would get doing a workplace first aid.’’
There is also the pay issue which the union says firefighters are barely paid the adult minimum wage. ‘‘I came across from the navy and I took a $20,000 pay cut and after eight years in the fire service. [I am] not at what I was when I left the navy.’’
Culhane said there has been a noticeable drop-off of people wanting to apply due to the pay. ‘‘We are getting guys that are financially established, their families might be a bit older. The average age of a firefighter is 45, they’re highly schooled individuals, and they’re on course for $46,000 to become a firefighter.’’
He said that means the Hamilton central station often rides short – and that has been