Waitemata - Fire and Emergency

Tomorrow, between 4.30pm and 5.30pm, members of the New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union will be stopping work for one hour.

We will continue to answer 111 fire calls. Volunteer stations in the affected cities and towns will respond, as they regularly do when there are multiple emergencies.

If you are at home, do not leave cooking unattended. Make sure you have working smoke alarms in every bedroom, hallway, and living area. If there is a fire, get out, stay out, and call 111.

If you are at work, know your building evacuation plan. If there is a fire or the fire alarm sounds, exit the building, assemble at your safe meeting place and call 111.

If you are on a job site that uses spark or heat generating tools, we ask you to refrain from using these tools during this hour.

It is important to acknowledge that this strike action will not affect the parts of the country served by our volunteers.

If you are unsure whether your area is affected, please visit https://shorturl.at/thoU5

🚒 National Volunteer Week | Te Wiki Tūao ā-Motu

This week, we recognise the dedicated volunteers of Fire and Emergency NZ who help keep our communities safe every day.
Whether responding to emergencies or supporting their communities, their commitment, skill, and community spirit make a real difference across Aotearoa.

💛 Did you know?
• Volunteers make up around 80% of our workforce
• There are nearly 600 volunteer fire brigades across Aotearoa New Zealand
• There are more than 11,800 volunteers serving their communities

To all our volunteers — thank you for your time, your courage, and your unwavering commitment. Your mahi truly matters.

🔥 Cool ash before you stash 🔥

As chimneys fire up across Waitematā to keep our whānau warm, remember: fireplace ash can stay hot enough to start a fire for days.

🪵 Before you dispose of ash:
✅ Let it cool for at least 5 days
✅ Use a metal container with a lid
✅ Keep it well away from anything that can burn
🚫 Never use plastic bins, bags, or boxes
Hot embers can reignite and cause serious fires.

👉 Cool it. Store it. Dispose of it safely.

🔥 Before you light the first fire of the season, make sure your chimney is safe, clean and ready to go.

Unseen debris in your chimney is a fire waiting to happen.

So before the temperature drops further:
🧹 Get your chimney checked and cleaned
🌲 Burn dry wood only
🏠 Keep flammable items at least 1 metre away from the fireplace.

When you see emergency crews working at an incident, whether that's a fire, motor vehicle accident, medical, please give us space and allow us to do our job - keeping our communities safe ❤️

Please remember:
✅ Keep a safe distance from the scene
✅ Step back and let crews focus on the job at hand
✅ Follow directions from emergency services
✅ Avoid stopping to watch or take photos
✅ Never fly drones near an emergency incident

Crowding scenes or flying drones can create serious safety risks and may delay emergency operations.

Help us help you by giving crews the space they need to respond safely and effectively.

Missed our Winter Warmer testing events? ❄️🔥

You can still do a quick safety check at home to make sure your electric blanket is safe to use this winter. Just follow these three simple steps (more info in the pics):

1. The easy look – check for any obvious damage
2. Take a closer look – inspect the cords and connections
3. Hotspot test – plug it in and check for any hotspots after 15 minutes

If you notice damage, frayed cords, scorch marks, hotspots, or anything unusual, stop using the blanket immediately and replace it.

A few quick checks can help keep you and your whānau warm and fire safe this winter.

A huge thank you to everyone who came along to our two Winter Warmer events ❄️🔥

This year, we expanded our free safety testing from just electric blankets to a wider range of winter warming appliances used to keep people and their homes warm during the colder months.

We were proud to partner with LecSafe NZ again this year, completing over 100!! appliance safety tests across the two events.

At our East Coast Bays event, we also had our burnt items display set up at the entrance to the library, creating lots of great conversations with members of the public about fire safety, the safe use of appliances and lithium ion batteries.

Thanks again to everyone who stopped by, asked questions, and took the time to make sure their homes are winter ready and fire safe.

‼️HAPPENING TOMORROW‼️

Getting your heaters, electric blankets, and other winter warming appliances ready for winter? ❄️

Bring them along for FREE testing and safety checks between 10am–2pm at the East Coast Bays Library!

It’s a great opportunity to make sure your appliances are safe, working properly, and ready to keep you warm this winter 🔥🧯

🔥 Keep Your Home and Family Fire Safe This Winter 🔥

Run by Fire and Emergency NZ & proudly supported by LecSafe NZ.

Do you have winter appliances you haven’t checked in a while? Bring them along for FREE electrical safety testing and enjoy peace of mind this winter.

✅ Electric blankets
✅ Heated blankets
✅ Heat pads
✅ Heaters

📅 Saturday 23 May
⏰ 10.00am – 2.00pm
📍 East Coast Bays Library – Browns Bay

This free community event is a simple way to help keep your whānau and home safe during the colder months.

Our FREE winter appliance testing event in Henderson is TOMORROW!!!

Bring along your heater, electric blanket or any small appliance that you use to heat you or your home in winter and we will test it for free.

Not sure if we will test it, flick us a message and we can let you know.

🔥 𝗙𝗥𝗘𝗘 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗦𝗮𝗳𝗲𝘁𝘆 𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘁 𝗛𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 🔥

We’re excited to bring a FREE winter appliance safety testing event to West Auckland! ❄️

Before winter really sets in, bring along your household warming appliances for a free electrical safety check.

✅Heaters
✅Electric blankets
✅Heated blankets
✅Heat pads

⚠️ Please note: this is NOT a same day service.

𝗗𝗥𝗢𝗣 𝗢𝗙𝗙 → Tue 19 May | 8am–4pm
𝗪𝗘 𝗧𝗘𝗦𝗧 → Wed 20 May
𝗖𝗢𝗟𝗟𝗘𝗖𝗧 → Thu 21 May | 8am–4pm

📍 Henderson Fire Station
90 Railside Avenue, Henderson
Access via back gate on Cranwell Street

Proudly supported by LecSafe NZ.

Help keep your home and family fire safe this winter ❄️🔥