Kelvyn sits down with Finlay Smith, a five-year independent advocate, to expose what he uncovered inside Fire and Emergency New Zealand — and why New Zealanders should be deeply concerned.
On the day this video was recorded, Kelvyn and Finlay visited three frontline fire stations: Mangere, Papatoetoe, and Onehunga — speaking directly with crews on the ground.
It’s very clear our Firefighters don’t want to be on strike, they want to respond to New Zealander’s 111 calls with confidence – they are passionate, dedicated and take their jobs very seriously.
This conversation covers: • Fire trucks and critical equipment that don’t work
- Firefighters sent to medical emergencies without medical training
- Crews forced to stand by while people die waiting for ambulances
- PTSD, suicides, cancers, and long-term trauma
- Unsafe stations (mould, asbestos, degraded facilities)
- Communities paying more while frontline capability declines
Finlay’s involvement began after media coverage — including from The New Zealand Herald — framed firefighters as “greedy.” What he found on the ground told a very different story.
The discussion also revisits the 1995 Citizens-Initiated Referendum, where 87.82% of voters rejected cuts to professional firefighters — a public decision later ignored as “non-binding.”
With $750 million a year flowing into the system, this raises serious questions about governance, accountability, and public safety.
Kelvyn calls for:
- A forensic audit of Fire and Emergency NZ.
- Transparency around procurement and spending.
- Political accountability — including criticism of Brooke van Velden.
📩 Firefighters & whistleblowers: [email protected]
(Facts and evidence only. Off-the-record respected.)
This isn’t about party politics.
It’s about community safety, frontline workers, and lives that depend on a system that must work.
