Reminder: SMS - Internet Explorer is unsupported from today

Internet Explorer is now unsupported by Microsoft (as of 15 June). Microsoft have replaced Internet Explorer with Microsoft Edge, promising a faster, more secure and more modern web browsing experience.

One of Fire and Emergency’s biggest and most widely used applications – SMS – is currently only compatible with Internet Explorer. There are plans to address this progressively in the future, but these plans involve big change and significant cost, and will take some time to develop and get just right.

While this work is being undertaken, SMS can be accessed via Microsoft Edge.

Most personnel, including those accessing the network on Fire and Emergency devices, will not have to change anything due to Edge being installed on Fire and Emergency devices in such a way that makes it compatible with SMS.

However, any personnel or volunteers wanting to access SMS from personal devices (for example your personal computer) after today (15 June) will have to do so either via Microsoft Edge or the Fire and Emergency “Citrix desktop”.

ICT strongly recommends doing this via the Citrix desktop, as this requires a one-time setup. Accessing SMS via Edge from a personal device will require you to complete an initial 11-step setup, with steps 8-11 needing to be repeated every 30 days.

To access SMS via the Citrix desktop please see the following instructions.

Citrix

1. Access the ICT User Guide at Portal > ICT user guide
2. Navigate to page 21, titled “Access your Citrix desktop from home”
3. Follow the instructions to download and install Citrix
4. From your preferred web browser, navigate to secure.fireandemergency.nz
5. Log in with your FENZ credentials (you will be prompted to authenticate with Multi Factor Authentication)
6. Click on Production Desktop
7. Open SMS from the desktop

If you would like to access SMS via Edge from your personal device, you should follow the instructions below. 

Don’t have Microsoft Edge?

1. Go to the following website: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/edge(external link)(external link)
2. Click “Download Edge”
3. Follow the prompts on the website until Edge is installed on your device

Now have, or already have, Microsoft Edge installed?

While SMS will appear to work initially without applying these settings, pop up windows and other functionality will freeze the application. Please apply the following:

Unfortunately, Microsoft Edge only remembers this setting for 30 days. Steps 8-11 will need to be repeated every 30 days.

At this time, SMS cannot be accessed from Google Chrome or other browsers, so one of the solutions above must be applied when accessing SMS from your home device to ensure you can still access SMS after 15 June (this does not apply to a Fire and Emergency supplied device or accessing it from the Fire and Emergency network).

If you have difficulties downloading Edge or Citrix, our ICT Service Desk is here to assist you. Please email them on ict.support@fireandemergency.nz or call them on 0800 374 843 (option 1) if you require support.

We will continue to keep you updated on future SMS development.