Flags and banners pose a safety risk at callouts, claim the Civil Aviation Authority. Photo: Supplied
Firefighters arrived in trucks adorned with union flags to a suspected plane fire, days after Civil Aviation Authority warnings they posed safety risks at airports.
On Friday, Fire and Emergency NZ told crews that the CAA had raised concerns over loose items, such as flags or banners, but they had to be told again, as they arrived at Christchurch airport for an emergency callout on Sunday.
Industrial action by the paid firefighters' union - the NZPFU - started this winter, after FENZ made a pay offer of 5.1 percent over three years in June.
Flight NZ5804 from Christchurch to Tauranga - an ATR-72 - was on the taxiway, when it reported an aircraft system indication alert that an engine was on fire.
About 70 people were on board, but no fire was found.
FENZ said the CAA warned of the potential hazard, because of the risk flags and banners could blow off and become a hazard on the tarmac.
"We communicated to our frontline leadership on Friday that fire trucks should remove flags and banners to assist safety," said a spokesperson. "There was no delay to the response to Christchurch Airport, because the trucks had to wait at one of the airport gates in any case, before proceeding onto the operational area, so any items that hadn't already been removed would have been taken off there."
FENZ said crews were reminded to remove flags from their trucks for safety reasons, before entering the airport.
The NZPFU said they were happy to comply with the directive, as safety was important.
The union said management had issued instructions that firefighters should wear FENZ t-shirts to carry out fire safety duties, including installing smoke alarms and school visits.
Volunteer firefighters say t-shirts emblazoned with 'Dire Emergency' have been worn by paid firefighters turning up to other jobs, including heart attack victims.
The union said it had not been made aware of any problems with them.
"We respect the New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union's right to take industrial action," it said. "We expect union members to act or present themselves appropriately at incidents."
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