page_title: Fire and Emergency New Zealand
section_title: Roles and functions
hierarchical_section_title: Fire and Emergency New Zealand / Roles and functions
caption_attribution_description: English: (from left) PAPA348, PAPA344 and PAPA347 parked up for a morning photoshoot.
context_page_description: Fire and Emergency New Zealand is New Zealand's main firefighting and emergency services body.
  Fire and Emergency was formally established on 1 July 2017, after the New Zealand Fire Service, the National Rural Fire Authority, and 38 rural fire districts and territorial authorities amalgamated to form one new organisation. It has nationwide responsibility for fire safety, firefighting, hazardous substance incident response, vehicle extrication and urban search and rescue.
context_section_description: The main functions of Fire and Emergency are those where it has responsibility to respond, and has lead responsibility in a multi-agency emergency. These include:
  firefighting
  fire safety and prevention
  Hazardous Materials (HAZMAT) – The containment of a hazardous substance and decontamination of an environment or persons affected by a hazardous substance.
  vehicle extrication – Extrication of entrapped persons in the aftermath of a motor vehicle accident
  urban search and rescue (USAR) – Fire and Emergency NZ is the lead agency for New Zealand USAR operations (Civil Defence & Emergency Management Act 2002) They also manage three USAR Task Force level teams, providing communications and resources. Being the lead agency, Fire and Emergency NZ also coordinates the 17 NZ Response Teams which also provide light USAR support. Paid career FENZ firefighters have a baseline level of training in USAR techniques and make up the vast majority of the actual USAR team members.
  Fire and Emergency also has a number of additional functions which it may assist in, but not at the compromise of its main functions. These are typically functions where another agency has lead responsibility in a multi-agency emergency. These additional function include:
  medical first response – Responding to medical emergencies in smaller communities where there is no local ambulance service, as well as in the main centres when an ambulance is unavailable or will be significantly delayed in attending an incident.
  medical co-response – Co-responding with ambulance services to "Code Purple" emergencies (e.g. cardiac and respiratory arrest)
  rescue (high angle line, confined spaces, swift water, etc.) – Rescue from the side of buildings; dangerous terrain (cliff/rock faces, etc.)
  natural disaster response – Addressing the problems caused by heavy rain and high winds (lifted roofing, power lines and trees down onto properties or across roadways, flooding)
  Fire and Emergency's jurisdiction covers the majority of New Zealand's land mass. The Department of Conservation and the New Zealand Defence Force are responsible for fire services covering the land under their control. Industry fire brigades provide fire services to certain facilities such as major airports and industrial plants. Fire and Emergency provides mutual assistance to these brigades.
caption: Papatoetoe Fire Station appliances line up for a morning photoshoot.
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