SkyCity Convention Centre fire: FENZ rejects claim aerial firefighting fleet 'in tatters'

Tuesday, 29 October 2019

Smoke pours into the damaged SkyCity convention centre from above before a flare up takes hold of the collapsed ceiling on Thursday. (First published in October, 2019)

Fire and Emergency NZ has fired back at claims its Auckland aerial fleet is 'in tatters', saying more of the trucks would not have changed the outcome of the SkyCity convention centre blaze.

Stuff reported on Tuesday a comment by a well-placed source that the aerial fleet was in tatters.

The fire could have had a much different outcome if more were available, the source said.

Assistant commander Dave Woon has paid tribute to the hard work and bravery of those manning aerial appliances for long shifts in trying conditions.

Late on Tuesday afternoon, FENZ regional manager Ron Devlin hit back at the comments.

**READ MORE:

A firefighter braves the cold and the wind while manning an aerial appliance on day two of the SkyCIty Convention Centre blaze.

* SkyCity Convention Centre fire: How firefighters fought and managed the Auckland blaze

* Inside SkyCity Convention Centre fire: latest images show scale of damage from Auckland blaze

* Full heavy aerial appliance fleet unavailable to fight SkyCity fire

* SkyCity evacuation: Staff 'initially told they had to use annual leave'**

'Our aerial fleet is not in tatters as has been wrongly claimed.

A firefighter and a station officer survey the blaze on the roof during the SkyCity convention centre fire.

'The fire at SkyCity Convention Centre was in the cavity under the roof and could not be reached by aerial appliances. Having more aerials there sooner would not have changed the outcome.'

A heavy aerial appliance arrived at the scene within 10 minutes of being dispatched after it was requested by the first crew on the scene, Devlin said.

Aerial appliances blast water onto the roof of the convention centre during the long battle against the relentless flames.

The source told Stuff the aerial shortage was so acute aerial fire engines were not automatically assigned to first-alarm building fires in the city.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the source said the newest aerial unit – a truck with a tall ladder, like a cherry picker – was under repair due to cracks in the chassis at the time of the SkyCity Convention Centre fire.

He also said the only aerial engine immediately available when the SkyCity blaze erupted was a 23-year-old turntable ladder.

Combined with the difficulty of accessing the roof fire through the labyrinthine construction site, that meant a 'massive delay' in getting water onto the fire, the source said.

'There could have been a much different outcome.'

FENZ fires back

Devlin said heavy aerial appliances were removed from the initial callout to private fire alarm activations in Auckland City last year.

'A significant proportion of these types of incidents are proven to be false alarms where the aerial appliance is not required.

'Over the past five years the Auckland heavy aerials have been used just over 1 per cent of the 6000 times they have been called out.'

If the officer in charge decided they were needed then they would always be dispatched, Devlin said.

One heavy aerial, a 32m Bronto Skylift, had been at the manufacturer's New Zealand service agent since March while the manufacturer fixed what Devlin described as a 'design fault under warranty'.

It had been replaced by a relief heavy aerial, he said.