Download PDF: Issue 54 - New Zealand Fire Service

Conference Notes
Encouraging a team
approach to fire safety
A core Fire Service goal is to actively promote and coordinate fire safety in New Zealand.
To support this, a large part of our strategy focuses on fire risk management.
All staff, not just those in Fire Safety, have a part to play
in helping New Zealanders become more fire-safe.
Recently members of the National Community Safety
Group headed out into the regions to discuss the progress
that’s been made to introduce the fire risk management
approach to their work and gather feedback.
Alan Merry, Principal Advisor Fire Risk Management,
headed up the visiting team and came back from the first
round of discussions, full of enthusiasm and ideas.
He told those at the Fire Risk Management conference
“we had a lot to talk about, and there was some terrific
feedback which gave us insights into the challenges and
Alan Merry talks risk reduction
with a Warehouse representative.
10 Issue No. 54
successes being experienced by staff around the county.
Invitations were sent to a wide range of staff for each of
the workshops held in the regions and we still have two
workshops to go in Eastern and Northland.”
Some of the feedback covered problems with training in
the fire risk management material and messages. There
are also some inconsistencies in the way relevant
legislation is being interpreted.
“We also had a lot of interest from staff wanting to take
part in national initiatives and project groups and also
picked up some terrific ideas from people who had been
incorporating fire risk management in their work.”
A full report of the results of the workshops will be
written up over the next month or so and then staff
from outside of NHQ will be brought in to help determine
the next steps.