The primary objectives of this study were to develop a profile of volunteers in the NZFS and to
provide direction for strategies that will nurture, enhance and expand the volunteer fire brigade
movement, including increasing the number of Maori and female volunteers.

The qualitative phase of the research consisted of focus groups with Maori urban volunteers, rural
volunteers, urban volunteers and with volunteers from other organisations. Twenty depth interviews
were also held with paid fire service personnel. Effort was made to reach a mix of personnel from first
year fire fighters to chiefs. Interviews were conducted with volunteers from both the rural and urban
divisions of the fire service. Ten depth interviews with former volunteer fire fighters

The quantitative phase of the research consisted of a telephone survey of 500 volunteer fire fighters,
including 300 urban volunteers, 150 rural volunteers, and 50 volunteers from composite brigades. A
representative sample of urban volunteers was selected from each of the eight New Zealand Fire
regions: Northland, Auckland, Bay of Plenty/Waikato, Eastern, Western, Arapawa, Transalpine,
Southern.

Overall, New Zealand’s volunteer fire fighters rate their time spent as volunteers highly, and they say
they would recommend the experience to family and friends. Volunteers are proud of the services they
fulfil as fire fighters. They value the contributions they make to their communities and the
professionalism with which they fulfil their responsibilities.

Changing responsibilities at home, work and from the fire service, however, blunt the volunteer
experience. These competing pressures are clearly the greatest threat to retaining volunteer
membership.