Dear Fire and Emergency New Zealand,

The independent review of the 2017 incident stated that “A fundamental learning from the Port Hills fires was that interoperability is essential for emergency services” and “A single incident management system, well-rehearsed and practiced, is critical to the success of Fire and Emergency New Zealand”.

You have advised that the Coordinated Incident Management System (CIMS) was not implemented for the Port Hills 2024 fire (Your Ref 154670). Somewhat incredibly, you also advised that “that incomplete IAPs were drafted only as a precaution should direct suppression of the incident last longer than 48 hours and a larger Incident Management Team be required”.

Under the provisions of the Official Information Act I request the following additional information:

1. A copy of the relevant section of FENZ’s national Command and Control documentation that prescribes when a single incident management system will be implemented. In particular, how this decision is based upon elapsed time (48 hours) and not predicted fire development, forecasted fire weather, fire behavior, values at risk, multi-agency response required, etc.

2. Advise what single incident management system FENZ implemented within the first 48 hours of the 2024 Port Hills fire and provide copies of the plans that this system produced as would be required to brief and task resources. Eg, SITREP, Objectives, IMT Structure, Strategies, Tasks, Resources and Assignments, Communications Plan, Medical Plan, Safety Plan, Fire Weather, Fire Ground Maps, etc.

3. Advise what single incident management system FENZ implemented after the first 48 hours of the 2024 Port Hills fire and provide copies of the plans that this system produced for the next 5 Operational Periods to brief and task resources as in 2 above.

Yours faithfully,

Alan Thompson

Dear Official Information Requests,

I lodged a request for information on the 10th October.

Twenty working days later you advised "This letter is to advise that Fire and Emergency needs to extend the timeframe of our response to your request by 10 working days, pursuant to section 15A(1)(b) of the OIA, as consultations necessary to make a decision on the request are such that a proper response to the request cannot reasonably be made within the original time limit. For this reason, you can expect to receive our response no later than 22 November 2024. We will endeavour to respond sooner than this date if possible".

(a) It is difficult to understand why FENZ cannot provide a simple piece of information within 20 working days let alone you extension to 30 working days without concluding that this is a deliberate action to frustrate a request under the Official Information Act. Regrettably, it further supports the conclusion that the earlier (and false) information provided on this matter was a deliberate action.

(b) Notwithstanding the above, your 10 day extension has now passed and you have failed to provide your response by the 22nd Nov as per your undertaking.

I request you further advice as to when I can expect to receive your response and refer you to your obligations under the Official Information Act.

Yours sincerely,
Alan Thompson