National Headquarters
Fire and Emergency New Zealand
National Headquarters
Spark Central, Level 7
42-52 Willis Street
Wellington Central
Wellington 6011
Phone +64 4 496 3600
7 May 2023
M. Gilmour
By email
: [FYI request #22399 email]
Tēnā koe M. Gilmour
Information Request – Fire and Emergency New Zealand policy on members of the public
photographing fire operations in public.
Thank you for your request dated 6 April 2023, asking for any Fire and Emergency New Zealand
policy, legal advice, internal documents, or other material that would shed light on whether a
firefighter ordering someone to stop taking photos of the scene of an incident and asking to delete
any photos taken is a legal or valid request on behalf of a firefighter.
Fire and Emergency does not have any policies, legal advice, or documents regarding members of
the public taking photographs. Your request is therefore refused under section 18(e) of the OIA, as
the information does not exist.
However, as authorised persons under the Fire and Emergency New Zealand Act 2017, firefighters
have the power to make directions or requests of a member of the public where that person’s
presence or action, including by taking photographs, is contributing to the emergency or creating
danger.
You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this decision.
Information about how to make a complaint is available
at www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or
freephone 0800 802 602.
Nāku noa nā
Julia McCook-Weir
Manager, Information Requests