Where does your 111 call go?

Telecom New Zealand 111 Centre

The Telecom 111 centre in Palmerston North answers over 40,000 calls a day. Telecom have the ability to trace a call back, and the number the call is coming from is displayed while the operator holds the line open. This line is held open until the operator releases it. The operator will ask which service is required, and connect you to the appropriate Communications centre, or if all three services are required, connect you to each of the services one by one.

Incident types

Structure fires
Includes all fires in buildings, except those excluded in the 'minor' catergory. Standard response is 2 pumping appliances, unless designated otherwise by regional management.

Vegetation fires
All fires in vegetation including forests, plantations, etc. Standard response is 2 pumping appliances unless deemed otherwise.

Hazardous substances
All spillage's, ruptures, explosions relating to chemicals, gases, and other fuels, considered to be a danger to people or property. Excludes fuel spills of less than 30l. A standard response is 3 pumping appliances, one, which must be a rescue tender, or 2 pumping appliances and a Hazmat appliance if it is available.

Natural Disasters
An emergency event caused by natural events. Includes floods, slips, wind damage, earthquakes, and civil defence emergencies. Usually occurs during a MIPS phase, and so the standard response will be one 1 pump to investigate.

Rescue Incidents
Includes all incidents where a rescue needs to take place. Includes all MVA's, Industrial extractions, high angle rescue, underground entrapment etc. Standard response is 1 pumping appliance and 1 or more rescue tenders, depending on location.

Light Aircraft
All calls to aircraft that are less than 18 metres in length. A standard response is 4 pumping appliances, 1 rescue tender and 1 foam tender.

Heavy Aircraft
All calls to aircraft that are over 18 metres in length. A standard response is 4 pumping appliances, 1 rescue tender and 1 foam tender.

Military Aircraft
All calls to aircraft carrying ordinance. A standard response is 4 pumping appliances, 1 rescue tender and 1 foam tender.

Ship Fires
Any fire on a ship including runabouts, fishing and commercial vessels, and large passenger ships. A standard response is 1 pump to the nearest landfall. Ships tied alongside are deemed to be a structure and are deemed as such.

Minor Events
Minor calls are small fires such as cars and trucks, caravans under tow, fires that are not a danger to people or property, investigation calls to bells or smoke alarms except at hospitals or rest homes, sinking vessels, and fuel spills of less than 30 litres. The standard response is 1 pumping appliance.

Medical Incidents
Agreements with the ambulance services to respond to medical emergencies. The standard response is 1 pumping appliance where the crew is suitably trained, or a medical co-response unit where available.

Appliance Types

The Fire Service operates several different types of appliances, and each carries different equipment, and has a different role at each incident. These are identified by the suffix of its district number. For example, a pump from Mt Wellington is known as MTWE231, as Mt Wellington's number is 23, and 1 identifies the appliance as a pump.

Appliance Suffixes
1      Pump standard pumping appliance
2      Pump standard pumping appliance
3      Pump standard pumping appliance
4      Hydraulic Elevating Monitor pumping appliance with elevating boom
5      Hydraulic Elevating Platform aerial appliance with elevating platform
6      Turntable Ladder aerial appliance with telescopoic ladder
7      Pump Rescue Tender rescue tender with pumping ability
8      Heavy Rescue Tender specialist rescue tender
9      Light Rescue Tender specialist rescue tender
10    Rural Unit rural pumping appliance (often 4WD)
11    Water Tanker fire service owned water tanker
12    Hose Layer appliance with bulk feeder hose
13    Foam Tender pump dedicated to foam production
14    Command Unitmobile communications & command point
15    Breathing Apparatus Tender mobile service & charging vehicle
16    Hazardous Materials Unit for chemical and hazsub emergencies
17    Salvage Tender carries industrial salvage equipment
18    Canteen Unit mobile field kitchen
19    Support Vehicle minibuses, cars etc.
23    Rescue Boat brigade owned for firefighting capabilities
25    Smoke Chaser 4WD utility vehicle for use on rural areas
29    Van brigade owned van
33    Medical Co-Responder vehicle dedicated to medical co-response