MEDIA RELEASE 2 March 2009

Fire Service Rushed Alterations To Computer System Make Response Situation Worse

Jeff McCulloch, President of the Auckland Local of The New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union said today, that "the updates to the Fire Service multi million dollar computer appear to have made the situation we were complaining about worse".

McCulloch said that "alterations rushed through by Regional Manager Brian Butt, to the Computer Aided Dispatch system, after complaints voiced by the Union, have renamed the Northern Gateway toll road, State Highway 17, and the Hibiscus Coast Highway State Highway 1."
He said "we are sure this will come as somewhat of a surprise to Transit New Zealand and all the residents of the area, even Wises website has got it right, but the Fire Services multi million dollar computer system can't".

"The statements made by Regional Manager Butt to the media last week, about the safety and accuracy of the system, have been proved to be misleading to say the least." McCulloch said " We are greatly concerned that his assurances about the correct responses of appliances to both the Northern Gateway and the South Eastern Motorway are false, and our members in the Communication Centres have found out that the Northern gateway toll road has 4 different plans attached to it, and that none of the four actually match. This means that depending on which plan is used, will depend which fire engine responds and which station it will come from. We do not think the public deserve such an unprofessional service as is being provided by the Fire Service computer system, and we would ask Mr Butt Which plan is correct???"

Mr. McCulloch said " Butt's assurances about the South Eastern Motorway fall into the same category as the Northern gateway toll road, they are false. The motorway although it is divided into zones, does not have those zones sectionalised, which effectively means that the correct appliances have to be guessed at by the Comcen staff, who although they are very good, are not mind readers or clairvoyants and guesswork is not very professional".

ENDS

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