National Headquarters
Level 12
80 The Terrace
PO Box 2133
Wellington
New Zealand
Phone +64 4 496 3600
29 July 2021
Mark Montgomery
By email: [FYI request #15959 email]
Dear Mark
Information Request – COVID-19 vaccine rollout for Fire and Emergency personnel
I refer to your official information request dated 2 July 2021 in which you request the following
information:
1. How many FENZ workers have received the COVID-19 vaccine?
a. Break this down by region and whether paid or volunteer.
b. Break this down by operational and administration workers.
c. Break this down by whether operational workers are medical first responders, co-
responders, or others.
2. How many doses are FENZ vaccinator contractors getting out of each vial of vaccine?
3. How many doses of vaccine have been discarded by the contractors without being offered
to other FENZ front-line staff?
4. What is the procedure for offering extra doses to eligible FENZ staff at the end of each
vaccination session?
5. What, if any, priority has been given to locations where there are MIQ
6. What is the percentage of FENZ workers in the locations where there are MIQ and / or
international airports who have received the COVID-19 vaccine?
Your request has been assessed in accordance with the provisions of the Official Information Act
1982 (“OIA”). I set out below the decisions on your request.
Questions 1 and 6
Fire and Emergency personnel are not subject to the COVID-19 Public Health Response
(Vaccinations) Order 2021 which means there is no requirement for Fire and Emergency personnel
to be vaccinated. Therefore, Fire and Emergency does not collect individual information on the
status of vaccination amongst its personnel. Consequently, your request for information
(Questions 1 and 6) is declined under section 18(g) of the OIA as the information is not held by Fire
and Emergency.
Questions 2-4
As you know, on 16 July 2021 your request for information on vaccine doses (Questions 2-4) was
transferred to the Ministry of Health under section 14(b)(ii) of the OIA as the information
requested more closely aligns with the functions of that agency.
Question 5
On 8 March 2021, Cabinet approved the sequencing framework for the COVID-19 Immunisation
Programme. Cabinet made the decision to streamline the number of workforces who would get
early access to the vaccine as New Zealand did not have community transmission cases. Fire and
Emergency frontline personnel (career and volunteer) who attend medical emergencies were
included in Group 2 of the sequencing framework. While priority has not been given to personnel
who may attend incidents at MIQ facilities, Fire and Emergency has requested additional
vaccination centres be established to increase access to the COVID-19 vaccine for these personnel.
You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this decision.
Information about how to make a complaint is availab
le at www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or
freephone 0800 802 602.
Note also that this response (with your personal details removed) may be published on the Fire
and Emergency website.
Yours sincerely
Raewyn Bleakley
Deputy Chief Executive, Office of the Chief Executive
