Internal report finds major flaws in firefighter training

A 2025 internal report by Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ), the national fire and emergency service, found major flaws in firefighter training. RNZ has published details of the report.

The report found that training was often outdated and disjointed. It said courses did not teach recruits what they needed and were unsafe for learners. It also stated that the mindsets and behaviours of trainers do not promote courses as safe learning environments.

The report stated that trainers use beasting, an old military-style approach in which they belittle learners who fail to meet the required standard.

FENZ launched a training reset in response to the report. It said the reset would be short and aim to improve safety. The reset is confined to new recruits and volunteers. It does not extend to more than 1000 professional firefighters.

Joe Stanley, who works at the Rotorua national training centre running officer development, said he blocked extending the reset to professional firefighters. He said, "We're going down the wrong path." Stanley is also national president of the Professional Firefighters Union.

FENZ did not share the report with firefighters or with the Minister of Internal Affairs, Brooke van Velden. Van Velden said she was not made aware of the 2025 report. She understood it to be an internal working document.

FENZ told RNZ that it does not condone or tolerate the beasting behaviour described in the report, and that beasting is not part of its training.

The claim about beasting is disputed. Stanley rejected it, saying, "That's wrong. I've never seen any beasting."

Bill Butzbach, head of the United Fire Brigades Association, said the association knew of one beasting case in the last two years. That case involved a volunteer recruit and verbal rather than physical belittling. Butzbach said one instructor was censured over the case, and the association was satisfied with the outcome.