Auckland fire response hindered by broken big-ladder trucks

Firefighters battling a large blaze at Van Lier Nurseries in Kumeū overnight had to call in a replacement aerial appliance from Hamilton. Photo / Hayden Woodward

The plague of breakdowns in Auckland’s firefighting ladder trucks has struck again – this time at an overnight fire in Kumeū.

Sixty-four firefighters in 16 fire engines attended the warehouse blaze at Van Lier Nurseries.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand shift manager Paul Radden told RNZ that neither of Auckland’s heavy aerial appliances was functional, and a big-ladder truck was borrowed this week from Wellington.

But that broke down last night at Kumeū, so one from Hamilton was called in.

RNZ understands the fire was at a nursery that specialises in roses and supplies florists.

The warehouse was today being monitored for hot spots.

Firefighters were trapped above the flames at a huge industrial fire at Abilities on Auckland's North Shore in April. Photo / Dean Purcell

In April, a big-ladder truck broke down just as firefighters were suspended above flames at a recycling plant in Auckland.

Fire and Emergency had been working on a strategy to replace the fleet.

In April, it told RNZ it was investing as much as it could afford in new trucks, as well as developing a “fleet asset management plan”. But that management plan was years overdue.

The agency had replaced about 300 vehicles, mostly utes and small trucks, since it was set up in 2017, but the Professional Firefighters’ Union said it had not kept ahead of the curve, not planned properly and held on to trucks too long.

The problems were compounded and sparked legal action, when – under an earlier programme – Fire and Emergency ordered chassis and body builds separately, then discovered a design fault with the body build.

The Government knocked back some of the funding rise the agency sought last year. Most of its $700 million or so funding comes from levies on insurance premiums.