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
Fire & Emergency New Zealand

Ashburton Vehicle Fire Operational and Health and Safety Reviews

On March 15, 2021, Fire and Emergency responded to a combine harvester fire on a farm near Ashburton. During the response to this fire, a Fire and Emergency vehicle caught fire.

This was a serious incident and, as such, Fire and Emergency undertook operational and health and safety reviews to determine areas for improvement and ensure lessons learned from the experience are shared across the organisation.

As a national emergency management organisation, our people need to be equipped and supported to respond to a very wide range of incidents, involving different terrain and often challenging circumstances. Overall, the reviews highlighted opportunities to improve how we train our people, manage our fleet, and maintain the highest level of health and safety for all our people. The reviews also identified ways we can continue to unify our organisation.

Fire and Emergency is committed to continuous improvement and an action plan to address the findings and recommendations of the reviews is being put in place to reduce the likelihood of an event like this happening again.  While this is being developed progress is already being made on a number of key focus areas.