By Keith Perry
The whistleblowing firefighter who criticised community fire safety teams has paid a high price for speaking out.
As he predicted, Station Officer Ian Graham has been relieved of his command for publicising what he says were a series of bungles at a house fire where a fire engine became
stuck in a manhole.
Regional fire chief Rod Nightingale recommended that Mr Graham be withdrawn from full operational command duties, saying his "suitability for a command position" was in question.
It was also made clear that officialdom took a dim view of Mr Graham's going public.
Mr Graham attended a disciplinary hearing yesterday and was told later of the decision.
He is adamant he will not accept his punishment. If he is prevented from taking command of a truck when he turns up to work today and demoted to regular fireman, he will go home and take redundancy.
But the no-nonsense Scot who joined the New Zealand Fire Service 30 years ago has no regrets.
From his Lower Hutt home, Mr Graham, aged 51, said: "I spoke out because I felt these community fire safety teams were putting lives at risk. Now the Fire Service has shot the messenger.
"I have not done anything wrong. What would have been wrong is if I kept my report in my pocket and a child died in a house fire three months from now."
The firefighter enraged his bosses by saying a community team handled a house fire so poorly that the building was gutted when it could have been saved.
The Petone fire engine was driven into a manhole and damaged at the scene. Community firemen then tackled the blaze from outside the house.
Mr Graham's team eventually put out the fire, fighting it from inside the building.
He said he was reduced to tears yesterday by a telephone call from an elderly woman thanking him for speaking out.
Mr Graham discussed his decision to go public with his wife, Marilyn, a nurse, and children Phillippa, 19, and Justin, 16.
A scrawled note from his daughter yesterday said: "I am proud of you, Dad."
