A firefighter carrying out 'hot fire training', using breathing apparatus in a burning room. Photo: Supplied/ Flickr - Eoin Kelly
Decontamination kits to guard firefighters from cancer are about to go out to hundreds of stations.
The kit is better than nothing but basic, their union says, and it will be pressuring Fire and Emergency (FENZ) to improve it.
High rates of cancer among firefighters are a global problem, and these kits are part of a FENZ carcinogen project that began in 2021 aimed at tackling the the problem. They consist of a low-pressure hose, detergent, caps and cleaning gear for breathing apparatus, and wipes and road cones to safeguard decontamination areas.
The kits are going out to 445 stations to both career and volunteer crews, along with training.
"It is very basic - it's better than not having it," said Professional Firefighters Union national secretary Wattie Watson.
"It's been downgraded probably for two reasons, one for cost, but two because FENZ insists on having a one-size-fits-all for everybody, whether career or volunteer."
Initially, the move was to bring in a more comprehensive Australian system, and it agreed to this more basic kit as it is a place to start.
FENZ said the kit had been endorsed by a working group with union reps on it.
"The kit was developed by firefighters and has since been trailed by several career and volunteer fire stations in Auckland, Palmerston North, Feilding, and Christchurch."
The kits were in addition to other decontamination gear and procedures.
Extra decontamination training, including asbestos, was set to begin next month.
"Evidence from international research shows that firefighters, fire investigators and training officers are at a higher risk of developing cancer compared to the general population," said FENZ's website about the carcinogen project.
"The evidence is clear that particulates in smoke and soot from any fire contain carcinogens and sometimes asbestos."
The union wanted the training to go beyond online tutorials, to change the "culture", Watson said.
FENZ, in a March 2023 online post with photos, said fire crews should wear breathing apparatus or at least N95 masks at a fire.
"Think about the times you were the Entry Control Officer, the BA Support Officer or pump operator standing near a firefighter who has exited the hot zone. Think about yourself as you doff your PPE around others in the recommissioning area. Think about when you put your PPE back on for re-tasking, or when you put it in a bag after you've been released from the fire ground," it counselled.
Watson said the most significant move in the project was last year's securing in collective negotiations of regular doctors' blood tests for firefighters, paid for by FENZ, which were being rolled out nationwide.
FENZ also raised the firefighters' pay. It was asked to justify to the government by May the hikes in the fire levy imposed on home insurance premiums - raised by 12.8 percent from this month and another 5 percent between 2026 and 2029.
