Volunteer Brigade Leader development and review process

Fire and Emergency is working to provide a better environment and experience for all of its people. One way we’ll achieve this is by building processes and learning opportunities to ensure people leaders have what they need to lead effectively. 

Volunteer Brigade Leaders give up their time freely. So, we’re establishing a system and consistent processes that will better support and develop our Volunteer Brigade Leaders to be successful and will allow for more structured succession planning and changes of leadership, when required. These processes are based on our organisation values and volunteerism principles.

We are introducing a five-year term for all newly appointed Volunteer Brigade Leader appointments (from August 2024), with a right of renewal.

Roles included are Volunteer Chief Fire Officers, Deputy Chief Fire Officers, Controllers, Deputy Controllers, Brigade OIC, and Brigade 2IC.

If the leader is meeting brigade leadership expectations, they want to stay in that role and their brigade is functioning well, they will have the right to renew towards the end of each five-year term.

The renewal process will begin at least six months before the end of the five-year term and can be repeated for multiple consecutive terms.

This work is part of Fire and Emergency’s response to the recommendations in the Te Kawa Mataaho | Public Service Commission 2022 Review, which were accepted in full by the Fire and Emergency New Zealand Board.

It takes its lead from the intent of recommendation six, which states: “All new Chief Fire Officer appointments should be for a term of five years, with rights of renewal. Renewal should be subject to a review that considers past performance including role modelling the desired culture, leadership and people management.” 

Proposals for your feedback – 30 April - 26 May 2024

We are consulting on the proposed processes to support this change, including:

• selection criteria that focus on strong and effective leadership skills being the only essential criteria for our Volunteer Brigade Leaders    
• the approach and tools to enable Volunteer Brigade Leaders to work with their Group Manager to access annual support and development plans tailored to their individual needs
• how renewal/non-renewal will work, including that any Volunteer Brigade Leader not renewing (either by choice or necessity) will be given the opportunity to take on another role in the brigade. Any non-renewal decisions would be made by the District Manager in consultation with the Group Manager and People (HR) Business Partner.

Read the proposals and information about providing your feedback.

This approach will ensure Volunteer Brigade Leaders have the appropriate support mechanisms in place and access to learning and development opportunities, in areas they would like to focus on, for a defined period without any expectation for them to remain in the role indefinitely.  

By providing Group Managers with the tools and training to help them support and develop Volunteer Brigade Leaders, we’ll have stronger brigades, and our communities will benefit too. Volunteer Brigade Leaders will also gain skills that will benefit them in roles outside of Fire and Emergency.

The proposed changes would not remove a Volunteer Brigade Leader’s autonomy to lead their brigade.

We’re also proposing that existing Volunteer Brigade Leaders can choose to opt into the five-year term and annual support and development plan. We believe it would be unfair for existing Volunteer Brigade Leaders if we were to change the conditions they were appointed under, but we hope they see the benefit of the support and development they would receive by accepting this opportunity.

Paid roles aren’t included in the five-year term because the employment of paid staff is subject to the Employment Relations Act, and the majority of staff in these roles are employed in permanent positions.

We welcome your feedback on these proposals to help us finalise the approach and processes.