A FENZ firefighter works in breathing gear, amid smoke. Photo: Supplied/ FENZ
Parliament has rejected a petition fighting to change ACC workplace legislation to include injured volunteer firefighters.
The petition to Parliament was launched by Katherine Lamont from the Queenstown Volunteer Fire Brigade after a colleague developed PTSD and was unable to get help.
Lamont collected 36,549 signatures to fight for 12,000 volunteer firefighters who were excluded from certain ACC benefits because they were classified as non-employees.
The petition was calling for volunteer firefighters to get the same ACC coverage and benefits as their paid colleagues.
Currently volunteers were excluded from mental or gradual process injuries which could come from exposure to toxins or cancers.
Parliament's Education and Workforce Committee said it agreed volunteer firefighters offered vital services to New Zealand, but it did not want to change the legislation.
"While we are sympathetic to the petitioner's arguments, we are concerned about the precedent that extending ACC cover to volunteer firefighters might set. We do not consider it practical for all types of volunteers to be provided with ACC workplace coverage.
"We would like to take the opportunity to express our heartfelt gratitude to all those who volunteer for this important and challenging work."
Lamont said this is not the answer they wanted, but she was not giving up.
"While the committee ultimately declined to recommend legislative change, their own report acknowledges what volunteers and communities already know: volunteer firefighters are essential, they face the same dangers as paid firefighters, and they deserve better support."
In a submission to the committee Lamont laid out just how important volunteers were.
"Volunteers make up 86 percent of the front-line workforce of Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ). These people are often first responders in emergencies.
"In New Zealand in 2023, volunteer firefighters responded to callouts
for 70 percent of motor vehicle accidents, 71 percent of medical emergencies, 81 percent of vegetation fires."
Peter Ottley. Photo: Kavinda Herath / Southland Times
She said volunteers were on call all hours of the day and never expected anything in return.
Peter Ottley served as chief firefighter in Kingston for 13 years, but had been unable work after developing severe PTSD following a horrific bus accident a year ago. His family was under a huge amount of financial stress.
"I stepped up to help my community, and when I became mentally injured, I expected at least the same level of support a full-time firefighter would receive.
"Instead, we're left unsure about what our future looks like. No volunteer should ever be placed in that position."
The committee's report highlighted the estimated cost of providing equitable cover for FENZ volunteers at $244,533 per year, or roughly $20 per volunteer firefighter annually.
"Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and ACC consider this to be a fairly minor cost increase. However, they said there are fairness concerns around where this funding could come from."
Labour and the Greens were open to extending ACC coverage.
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