A historic change will be made when the NZ Fire Service ends and Fire and Emergency NZ takes its place.
The Fire and Emergency New Zealand Act, to be introduced on July 1, brings together the New Zealand Fire Service, the National Rural Fire Authority, 12 enlarged rural fire districts and 26 territorial authority rural fire authorities. The 41-year-old Fire Services Act will be scrapped.
The legislation establishes a new organisation, Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ), and sets out frameworks for dealing with the wider range of situations firefighters attend, including hazardous substance call outs, medical emergencies and car crashes, many of which were not covered by original legislation.
The Government approved extra funding of $303 million over four years from 2016/17 to create Fenz. The amalgamation will result in one of the country's largest organisations, with 14,100 people involved.
Assistant area commander for Whangarei and Kaipara Graeme Quensell said although it was a major change for the service, for members of the public needing help it remained a simple 111 call.
"There will be no change to the level or quality of service provided by the organisation."
Quensell said the changes were an "exciting opportunity" for firefighters and their communities and the extra funding for rural areas would better support volunteers, while local communities would still be able to have their say through new boards.
Presentations have been done to most volunteers brigades around Northland.
Volunteer support officer Linda Jarrett said the rural firefighters and volunteer brigades already had a close link in Northland and under Fenz that ability to work together would be strengthened.
"It will create a stronger more robust relationship under one identity. The volunteers are excited about it.''
To mark the occasion in Whangarei there will be a parade of appliances from the Bank St Station through town and back to the station where the fire service flag will be lowered for the last time.
The man behind the event, former Whangarei Senior Firefighter Roy Brickell, now a fire risk management officer, said it was important to mark such a significant change in the fire service.
"It's an historic moment and no doubt there will be some reflection when that flag is lowered for the last time," Mr Brickell said.
The parade will start at 1pm this Saturday, July 1.
The procession will do a loop from Bank St, down to Port Rd across Te Matau A Pohe bridge, along Riverside Dr, up Dent St and back to the Bank St station.