Fire and Emergency’s goal is to be a place where people feel they belong, and supported and empowered to thrive, so we can better serve our communities and each other. We believe people thrive and feel they belong in an environment that is safe, positive, and inclusive. 

The majority of our people’s experiences in our organisation have been good, and we want to build on that. However, others have experienced harm. We want our organisation to be a place where all people feel they belong and are safe. Achieving this goal will take all of us working together and it will take some time, but we are making good progress. 

Eke Taumata

The Eke Taumata programme is supporting Fire and Emergency to improve the experience and culture for its people. 

It was initially established to implement the 20 recommendations from the Te Kawa Mataaho | Public Service Commission review into Fire and Emergency’s culture and complaints handling practices.  You can find the full review and recommendations(external link) on Te Kawa Mataaho’s website. 

To ensure everyone experiences a safe, positive and inclusive environment over the longer term, we are doing a lot more than just delivering the review’s recommendations. We’re focused on supporting people to maintain the improvements we’ve already introduced, and on identifying and progressing other actions we need to take.   

Four pillars (pou) are guiding this mahi:   

  • Building trust and increasing opportunities for engagement and influence   
  • Strengthening our people leadership capability    
  • Providing a safe, positive and inclusive environment   
  • Raising the bar on acceptable standards of conduct and behaviour.   

This work is a priority for Fire and Emergency’s Executive Leadership Team and Board.   

About the name "Eke Taumata"

“Eke Taumata” is abbreviated from 'Kia eke ki ngātaumata' – to aspire to a greater level. 'Eke' in our context means to climb or embark upon. 'Taumata' refers to a pinnacle or higher level. So together the words describe our journey to our desired or improved state.  

Contact the Eke Taumata Programme team

Please email us at eketaumata@fireandemergency.nz

More detail about Eke Taumata initiatives

Code of Conduct and related policies

Te Tikanga Whanonga | our Code of Conduct is a key foundation of our work to create a safe, positive and inclusive environment for all Fire and Emergency people. It…

We've changed how we manage complaints

We’ve changed the way we manage complaints - from initial enquiries through to resolution. Issue, issues, complaint, complain, complaints, concern, concerns, concerned, support, kāpehu, kapehu, investigate, investigation, coaching, SpeakSafe, Speak…

Recruitment Review

At Fire and Emergency New Zealand, we are committed to attracting and selecting the best people to join our organisation. As part of this, we are undertaking a review of…

Mastering Difficult Conversations

Creating a culture that is safe, positive and inclusive starts with our leaders. Difficult conversations are an inevitable part of leadership, and navigating them successfully is crucial for maintaining strong,…

Diversity & Inclusion

We are working to increasingly reflect the diversity of the wider New Zealand population in our workforce.