Firefighters’ union claims short staffing

ELEVEN fire stations were closed or had ‘‘dangerously low’’ staff shortages around Auckland yesterday, the firefighters’ union says.

On the North Shore alone, the Birkenhead station could not staff a fire truck, and stations at East Coast Bays and Albany were short-staffed. Glen Eden was also shortstaffed.

Over the past week, the Titirangi community has been ‘‘left unprotected for several days’’, according to the NZ Professional Firefighters Union.

Auckland was placed in a ‘‘restricted fire season’’ on January 10, amid hot and dry conditions.

Martin Campbell, secretary of the Northern and Auckland Local union branches, said communities were vulnerable and volunteer firefighters would have to pick up the slack.

Campbell said the following stations were either closed yesterday or had dangerously low staffing levels: St Heliers, Parnell, Ellerslie, Mt Roskill,

Glen Eden, East Coast Bays, Birkenhead, Albany, Howick, O¯ ta¯ huhu and O¯ tara.

Professional firefighters manage 26 fire stations around Auckland at all hours. With 11 of them down for one day, the union is concerned for public safety.

But Fire and Emergency says its ability to get to incidents across Auckland has not been affected and the reasons for the staffing levels were rostered leave and trucks being serviced.