Emergency & Civil Defence Services
United Future's Emergency Services policy unifies the emergency services on a policy and funding level, yet enables them to keep their distinct individual roles.
United Future's position is to:
- abolish the Fire Service Commission and the present Ministry of Civil Defence and replace them with a Fire and Emergency Services Authority, responsible to a Minister, to remove the present ambiguous relationship between Fire and Rescue Services and the Department of Internal Affairs.
- increase staffing levels at Police Communications Centres to ensure that 111 calls are responded to promptly and effectively, and consider returning them to control at the regional level to utilise local knowledge.
- establish a dedicated non-emergency phone line to deal with petty crime, operated at the local level.
- ensure that ambulance and air rescue services are maintained at a level that does not compromise public safety