Concerns over traffic delays – Emergency response callouts
Some volunteer firefighters are concerned that they can’t get through Queenstown’s notorious traffic congestion to respond to callouts, and while the local FENZ assistant district commander says it hasn’t affected response times yet, it potentially could.
Nic McQuillan says that’s in part been due to the goodness of those volunteers who live or work close to our stations and always ensure there’s a truck on the road to a fire or accident quickly.
However, while it hasn’t affected those first response times yet, McQuillan says with the long queues of traffic and delays it well could. “It hasn’t yet, but that doesn’t mean it won’t,” he says. If the traffic is heavy, it’s causing a slower response. “And all our people have to comply with the road rules to get safely and legally to the station.
“There will be volunteers missing a response to a callout occasionally due to the traffic delays, but they just have to navigate that traffic.”
McQuillan says the traffic definitely causes concern with the entire Wakatipu Basin staffed by volunteers who need to get to a station to then respond in a fire appliance.
They’ve had situations where volunteers unable to get through traffic delays in time to respond have turned up at callouts in their own vehicles, he says. “If they’ve got the right kit at home our volunteers will sometimes turn up in their own car.” Likewise, those living close to the stations have taken on the initial extra load. “What an amazing effort and response from our people,” McQuillan says.
Once in the fire appliance volunteers can put the sirens on and proceed through and past the traffic safely, however, volunteers in private cars have to adhere to the road rules.
Local retired fire risk management officer Stu Ide is still a Frankton volunteer after 50 years of dedication to the fire service, around 25 at Frankton. “If I look out the window any time from 3.30pm and the traffic’s backed up along Frankton Road I don’t even bother trying so I let the others know it’s no use me responding,” Ide says.
Generally, most volunteers can get to the station if they’re working but for those further out Ide says it does get difficult to meet turnout requirements.
Local MP Joseph Mooney, a former volunteer firefighter, says he’s aware of the concerns. “Clearly our volunteers need to get to the fire station to respond.
“Traffic congestion has been an issue here for years. The problem is definitely growing. It was clear years ago that we needed the right mechanism to address it.”
Traffic from Queenstown to Frankton exceeded critical capacity last year with 28,000 movements a day. “While not pointing the finger, decisions have been made to approve current housing by past councils. They all knew it was coming and were all briefed that this would happen,” Mooney says. “Unfortunately, no one has protected the transport corridors for growth and land prices are now exorbitant.”
Current costings put two extra lanes on Frankton Road at $25m, in addition to the planned gondola, he says.
He’s hoping the proposed regional deal will go some way towards addressing the problem.
Meanwhile, emergency services say most motorists mostly do an excellent job of making way for emergency vehicles with lights and sirens.
Senior Sergeant Sam Oram says Police have generally seen no significant impact on their priority response times, but they’re continually monitoring demand to ensure staff and resources are deployed accordingly to ensure responses are as effective and efficient as possible.
