Our 3-Step Escape Plan

  • First Escape Route
  • Second Escape Route
  • Meeting Place
Notes

Use this space to note any additional information about your escape plan, i.e. who will assist

Your checklist

  • Get low

    Smoke is poisonous and more deadly than flames.

    If you breathe smoke for more than a few breaths it can kill you.

  • Be fast

    A house fire can kill you in less than three minutes.

    Don't spend time trying to save possessions.

  • Close doors

    A closed door buys you time.

    It slows down the spread of fire, giving you more time to get to safety.

  • Get out - stay out!

    People have died by going back into a fire.

    Don't leave the meeting place to go back inside for any reason.

Call emergency services as soon as you are out and safe. Ask for FIRE.

Clearly state your address and let the operator know it anyone is still inside or has not made it to the safe meeting place.

Emergency call 111 Emergency text 111

What we do

The Fire and Emergency New Zealand Act 2017 combined urban and rural fire services into a single, integrated fire and emergency services organisation – Fire and Emergency – with a mandate to provide a wide range of services for communities.

The Act provides the framework under which we operate and sets out our: principal objectives, main function and additional functions.

Principal objectives

  • Reducing the incidence of unwanted fires and the associated risk to life and property.
  • Protecting and preserving life, and preventing or limiting injury, damage to property, land and the environment.

Main functions

  • Promoting fire safety (including guidance on the safe use of fire as a land management tool) and firefighting.
  • Delivering fire prevention, response and suppression services.
  • Stabilising and rendering safe incidents involving hazardous substances.
  • Protecting the safety of persons and property endangered by incidents involving hazardous substances.
  • Rescuing trapped people as a result of transport accidents or other incidents.
  • Undertaking urban search and rescue.

Additional functions

The Fire and Emergency New Zealand Act 2017(external link) includes the following additional functions we may do if we have capability and capacity, and provided this does not affect our ability to carry out our main functions. 

  • Promoting safe handling, labelling, signage, storage and transportation of hazardous substances.
  • Performing other rescues.
  • Providing assistance at transport incidents.

Responding to:

  • medical emergencies
  • maritime incidents
  • weather events, natural hazard events and disasters
  • incidents where substances present a risk to people, property or the environment
  • any other situation where we can assist.

Statement of Intent

Our Statement of Intent [PDF, 4.9 MB] (SOI) sets out our plans for where we are heading and why, and how our performance will be measured, over the next four years. It outlines how the activities we undertake and services we provide contributes to a safer environment for all New Zealanders through:

  • Reducing the likelihood of unwanted fires
  • Reducing consequences from emergencies, and
  • Helping build resilient communities.

Statement of Performance Expectations

Our Statement of Performance Expectations (SPE) [PDF, 9.7 MB] provides an outline of our strategic intentions and priorities, and should be read in conjunction with the 2020-24 Statement of Intent (SOI).

At the end of the 2023/24 financial year, our performance was reported to Parliament in the 2023/24 Annual Report [PDF, 6.8 MB].

In this section

  • Our structure

    Understand the Executive Leadership Team (ELT) and The Board of Fire and Emergency New Zealand.

  • Our story

    New Zealand's first volunteer fire services were founded in the 1850s. Since then, firefighting in New Zealand has evolved in line with international standards into the mix of paid full-time, paid on-call and volunteer responders that make up Fire and Emergency New Zealand today.