New Zealand Firefighters Welfare Society

When Isaia Piho joined the New Zealand Firefighters Welfare Society (NZFFWS), it was because he cared for people and wanted to support others in their time of need.

“The reason I joined is because it was about people and I want to help people. It was such an easy choice back then to join the Society,” he says.

But what he didn’t realise was that he would be the one needing the support.

When Piho, a firefighter from Dunedin, was diagnosed with early stages of stomach cancer, it was decided that he would need to have his entire stomach removed. There was not the capacity in the Dunedin health system for the operation, so he was sent to Auckland Hospital for the surgery.

Away from the support of family and friends (“as my family live in Dunedin, they couldn’t be with me the whole time”) he started to descend into melancholy.

“I remember I was lying in bed in hospital in Auckland, post-surgery, realising I couldn’t do things for myself. I was starting to go into a bit of a low. I had a real sense of helplessness.”

But one morning, he woke to find a representative of NZFFWS by his bedside. This would prove to be a turning point in Piho’s recovery.

“Darryl Johnson [from NZFFWS ] was there by my bed. He had brought a basket of goodies, which is always well received! We had a chat for a wee bit and through the conversation I started to feel connected again to the firefighters. “I had wanted to keep things private, hadn’t reached out to many people, but he was there. My family couldn’t be there with me the whole time, because they were in Dunedin, but the welfare society were [able to support me].”

Isaia Piho a firefighter from Dunedin, diagnosed with stomach cancer.

Piho’s story is a moving illustration of the sort of good work the NZFFWS has been undertaking for their membership for over 30 years.

Set up in the mid-1980s to benefit everyone working in the NZ fire services (both professional and volunteer firefighters) the society offers members a wide range of services, including health care, and promotion of general wellbeing.

New Zealand Firefighters Welfare Society was established at a time when there was very little in the way of support for firefighters who may be dealing with physical, emotional or financial hardship.

Chairman Keith Nixon (who was made a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his work with NZFFWS last year) recalls that firefighters were: “pretty much left to fend for ourselves”.

But that “take care of yourself and your mates” system wasn’t working – and it became evident that firefighters needed some form of formal support network.

“I remember attending many union meetings in which people discussed the various issues they were having. It became very clear that we needed a society of firefighters, for firefighters, who could help people when they needed help,” he says.

Nixon says that there had been ongoing discussions over the years between firefighters and those in the rail and postal services, around the welfare societies they had in place. The national New Zealand Fire Service was only established in 1975, so it was relatively new when these discussions were taking place. It was obvious that New Zealand’s firefighters would benefit greatly from a similar society to that of the rail and postal services.

So, in the early 1980s members of the then Central Regions Fire Brigades Union put a remit to the union conference to look at setting up a welfare fund for its members. And at this conference, a committee was g to do just that.

After many meetings, a committee was charged with setting up a welfare fund under the then employment act and the union rules. The early membership fees were just 20c a week (a figure matched by the union).

But there were problems. At the time, there were three unions in the country, and this meant that members of the Central Regions Fire Brigades Union welfare fund who shifted around the country could not remain a member.

There was also great demand for such a society from other parts of the country. The Board of the Central Regions Fire Brigades Union decided to look at ways to facilitate NZ-wide membership.

After legal advice, it was decided to form a Welfare Society under the Friendly Societies Act, which would allow any member of the Fire Service to join the Society. The New Zealand Firefighters Welfare Society was registered on September 1987.

Keith Nixon Chairman New Zealand Firefighters Welfare Society.

While the social, cultural and political landscape has changed almost beyond recognition since those early days, the NZFFWS has remained a constant in the lives of New Zealand firefighters.

Stephen Clarke from NZFFWS says there is a multi-tiered support system in place for all members of the society, and there are a huge range of benefits.

“We can provide money for everything from glasses and hearing aids, to counselling, medical related travel, and baby hampers. We also offer a funeral grant of $3000 to help cover costs for those who have lost someone.”

A network of volunteers act as the “eyes and ears” of the society. It’s these people who make sure that members get help when they need it. They work in congestion with our office team and regional reps to deliver the best support possible.

“This could be anything from hospital visits, to picking up people from the airport to take them to appointments when they are out of town. People may have to visit a sick family member out of town, and we can help accommodation costs. There are so many things that we can help with.”

Members of the NZFFWS are also entitled to discounts from a raft of suppliers, including the likes of Noel Leeming and Dulux, plus there are seven family homes in key holiday locations around the country that can be used by members for just $90 a night.

The Healthcare 99 mutual fund is another component of the membership system. Available to all members, Healthcare 99 offers four plans at highly competitive rates (Plan A provides coverage in and out of hospital; Plan A1 offers 75% of Plan A coverage; Plan B provides coverage only in hospital; and Plan B1 offers 75% of Plan B coverage).

Since its launch in 1999, Healthcare 99 has paid out over $17,000,000 in medical welfare assistance to the members and their families. It is not an insurance policy, rather it is a mutual fund that is owned by the members.

The society has 3000 members, most of them paid firefighters. But volunteer firefighters are also eligible for membership, although there is limited awareness about NZFFWS amongst the brigades.

Jenna Collings is a Taurangabased firefighter who represents the society in that region. She says that because the training for volunteer firefighters is brief and intense, there often isn’t the time to talk them through the benefits of NZFFWS membership.

“Volunteers are eligible for full membership, but as they have minimal time with training, and we are restricted due to our staffing capacity, many do not know about this.”

She says that the volunteer component of the fire service is viewed no differently from the career firefighters when it comes to NZFFWS membership.

“They are just the same as a paid officer in our eyes,” says Collings. “If you are a society member, you get the same benefits. We are just one. Care about everyone, all firefighters, the same.”

Campbell Wheeler, a senior firefighter with the Alexander brigade, reiterates Collings message.

“Volunteers are the majority [when it comes to firefighters in New Zealand] and yet the minority in NZFFWS . I really encourage all volunteers to seek info on the

society: we are just as important as career guys. NZ Firefighters Welfare Society is like an insurance policy if you get in trouble.”

Collings continues by saying that NZFFWS has the capacity to help far more New Zealand firefighters and their families. It’s just a matter of people joining up and asking for help when it is needed.

“It’s hard for us to know little Jimmy down the road is sick, if no one has told us,” she says.

Collings believes that the main benefit of the society is the huge peace of mind you have knowing that you are helping other firefighters. And then there’s the knowledge that they will be there when times are dramatic or hard in your own life.

“We will be there for the birth of a child; if you are sick, we will look after you: if you break a leg and can’t mow your lawns, we will be there as well.”

Nixon agrees with Collings. “The importance of the society lies in the way in which firefighters are able to look out for other firefighters.”

While Nixon believes that the fire service has improved “100 per cent” since the day of NZFFWS ’ inception in the 1980s, he’s convinced that it is still a vital resource for all of New Zealand’s firefighters.

“When things go wrong, which they can, it’s great for people to know that they have the support of the society.”