Fire truck breaks down at major Auckland intersection as firefighters begin strike

A fire truck has broken down at a busy Auckland intersection just as firefighters across the country began strike action today.

The appliance failed at the major Greenlane and Manukau Road intersection around the same time New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union members walked off the job for a one hour strike from midday.

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Earlier, the Union issued a statement warning about the condition of Fire and Emergency New Zealand’s ageing fleet. Moments later, the breakdown unfolded in front of traffic at the central Auckland intersection, leaving the crew unable to move the appliance or respond to incidents.

Image: Firefighters sit stranded after their appliance broke down at a busy Auckland intersection. (Courtesy of New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union)

“Strike or no strike this crew isn’t going anywhere soon,” the Union said in a social media post.

The Union says the appliance failure raises ongoing concerns about the reliability of fire trucks nationwide.

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“FENZ’s fleet of fire trucks are in such a state that this crew’s appliance couldn’t even make it through an intersection,” the Union said in the post.

The issue has already been raised with Parliament’s Governance and Administration Committee during scrutiny of Fire and Emergency.

Image: Fire and Emergency Chief Executive Kerry Gregory. In a statement firefighters were told that taking part in partial strike action will have ten percent deducted from their base salary. (Supplied / File.)

The Union also criticised Fire and Emergency Chief Executive Kerry Gregory and Deputy National Commander Megan Stiffler, claiming they failed to attend a committee appearance where questions about the fleet were expected.

The exact cause of the breakdown is not yet known. The incident left the crew stranded at the intersection as strike action began across the country.

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