Dear Fire and Emergency New Zealand,

With regard to Group Manager positions throughout New Zealand:
1. How many Group Manager positions were filled at the time of the 'stand up' of the new FENZ structure, Sept 2021?
2. How many Group Manager positions remained unfilled at that time?
3. At the time of 'stand up', how many Group Managers came from an urban fire background?
4. At the time of 'stand up', how many Group Managers came from a rural fire background?
5. Since 'stand up' how many Group Manager positions in total have been vacated for any reason, including secondment, resignation, or retirement?
6. How many Group Manager (GM) positions have been filled or will be filled by seconded employees, or are in the process of being filled by such?
7. Which Districts have or are about to, or have made offers or other arrangements, for seconded employees to fill GM positions?
8. How many employees seconded, or about to be seconded, to Group Manager positions had applied for a Group Manager position during either the redeployment or recruitment rounds of the restructure process?
9. How many of these employees seconded to a GM position (or about to be seconded, or have arrangements in place) were not successful at application or interview during the redeployment or recruitment rounds of the restructure process?
10. How many employees seconded to a GM position (or about to be seconded, or arrangements are proposed for their secondment) were deemed 'not suitable', or did not meet the suitability requirements, for a GM role at application or interview during the redeployment or recruitment rounds of the restructure process?
11. Which Districts have employees seconded into GM position(s) (or who are about to be, or who have been), who were previously unsuccessful or deemed to be 'not suitable' for the GM position during the redeployment or recruitment rounds of the restructure process?
12. How many of these employees who had applied for a GM position during the redeployment or recruitment rounds of the restructure process, who are now seconded (or about to be) into GM roles, did not pass CORE during the initial selection process in 2021?
13. Is passing CORE still a requirement of selection to a GM position, permanent or seconded?
14. Of the vacancies identified in question 5 above, how many were filled by employees from an urban fire background and how many from a rural fire background. How many were filled by persons external to FENZ?

For any GM positions filled following the 'stand up' of the new structure (Sept 2021), using a merit-based or best-suited selection process involving interviews, please provide the interview questions.

Yours faithfully,

A Whittle