Seek wellbeing support

Your GP

Your GP is usually the first port of call when you’re having a tough time, either physically or mentally.

Peer support

Peer Supporters are volunteers, who give up their own time to support their colleagues and who understand the work and stress it may cause.

Peer Support can be accessed via ComCen or through your local peer support team member.

See Who to contact > Region contacts for support.

Counselling

Counselling is a short term, solution focused, conversation designed to help you address immediate concerns such as personal and work-related stress, change management, relationship problems, budgeting support, managing conflict and much more.   

Fire and Emergency will fund a limited number of counselling sessions for you, your spouse or other immediate family through our national provider Vitae. You can view a list of Vitae’s services here(external link).

Fire and Emergency provides this service free to you. 

Vitae

To book an appointment call 0508 664 981 or complete the Counselling referral form at vitae.co.nz > Counselling referral(external link) .

Note:

• Your identity and details will be kept confidential.
• The first three sessions are paid for by Fire and Emergency New Zealand. The provider can request, in confidence, that we fund additional sessions when further help is required.
• Contact the National SHW Manager if you have any problems accessing the service.

Safe@Work

You can seek psychological wellbeing support via the Safe@Work system. This will offer the option of accessing follow up support, or for reporting purposes only

Professional psychological support

For other or longer-term psychological support, you can access Clinical Psychologists and other health professionals through your Region SHW Advisor, Welfare Officer, or through the Injury Management Unit.

Chaplaincy support

Chaplains are here to support you by providing a listening ear. They bring a spiritual approach, focusing on providing guidance and advice.

Comcen - K13 Code

The purpose of the K13 code is to track incidents that are (or have the potential to be) traumatic, distressing or may be infectious to our personnel.

Traumatic events are subjective by nature, meaning what is traumatic for one firefighter may not be traumatic for another. So it is important for crews to have post-incident discussions to decide whether to send a K13. If in doubt, err on the side of caution and put in a K13.

A K13 should be transmitted by the Officer in Charge (OIC) after any incident that was or had the potential to be traumatic, distressing or infectious.  This can be done in combination with a K41, or separately when an incident has not resulted in a fatality but has or could have caused distress to any member of the crew.

The K13 code is for tracking purposes only. If you need support following the incident, contact any of the providers on this page.

Safe@Work

You can report psychological wellbeing support via the Safe@Work(external link) system.

Contact the New Zealand Firefighters’ Welfare Society on 0800 653 473 or your local representative(external link).

See firefighters.org.nz(external link) for the list of reps, membership and benefit information.

Help with an employment relationship problem

Contact a union representative, a manager, HR Manager, Community Law Centre, the Citizens Advice Bureau or a lawyer. See How do I: Raise and resolve employment relationship problem.

Help with a volunteer issue

See How do I: Respond to bullying and harassment.

For advice, counselling and support, use any of the support services listed above.

Note: We have a complaints process while we work towards a permanent solution.

Find out more: Current process for bullying and harassment complaints.