Source: Radio New Zealand
The fire engine involved in the crash was a what is known as a pump rescue tender (file image). RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
The Professional Firefighters Union says there will be delays extracting anyone who may become trapped in a vehicle in Auckland’s central city, after a fire truck was damaged in a crash.
Police were called at 9.38am on Sunday morning to the intersection of Hobson Street and Victoria Street West. Minor injuries were reported, and the truck was towed away.
Fire and Emergency’s (FENZ) northern communications shift manager Ryan Geen told RNZ the crash occurred while a local crew was responding to a fire call under lights and sirens.
“While they’re on the way, they’ve had an incident involving another vehicle,” he said.
Union representative Toby Kerr explained the truck involved was known as a pump rescue tender, which carried gear like the jaws of life, which was used to extract trapped people after accidents.
The truck had been a relief vehicle itself, and there wasn’t another available to replace it.
The nearest truck carrying extraction gear would now be responding to accidents in the central city from Avondale or Takapuna, Kerr said, which would “certainly cause a delay to any response in the city”.
Firefighters earlier told RNZ that they no longer have confidence in their ageing vehicle fleet, and fear it could let them down in life or death situations.
FENZ responds
FENZ Assistant Commander Barry Thomas said there were several other pump rescue tender fire trucks available for dispatch to central Auckland.
Nobody in the engine was injured in the crash, but it had to be towed to a service provider for repairs, Thomas said.
“Until it returns to service, five other pump rescue tenders from other parts of Auckland are available to be dispatched to any incidents requiring a specialist rescue response, with the Avondale and Takapuna appliances being the closest.”
FENZ was working to find a replacement fire truck as quickly as possible, he said.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
