For decades, volunteer firefighters have selflessly put their lives on the line for our communities.

They respond to fires, crashes, and medical emergencies with the same dedication as their career counterparts. And yet, when they need support, the Government turns its back on them.

The glaring inequity of Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) rules means that while volunteer firefighters are covered for physical injuries sustained in the line of duty, they receive no compensation for work-related illnesses or conditions caused by the relentless physical and emotional toll of their service. Why? Because they’re unpaid.

In the eyes of the ACC, volunteer firefighting is classified as a “leisure” activity. I kid you not. Almost a past time, like gardening or playing social sport. This isn't just outdated. It’s absurd.

Consider this: That 86% of all firefighters in New Zealand are volunteers, including those right across the Ashburton District, as we have recognised and praised in our special feature on pages 19 to 32.

Those individuals are the backbone of our emergency response system, the first to arrive at accidents, fires, and medical emergencies.

In Ashburton, as in so many districts and regions, the fire service would be non-existent without them. Yet ACC insists that, because they don’t earn a taxable wage, they’re not entitled to full coverage. Meanwhile, their paid colleagues, who do the exact same work, are fully protected. Go figure. It is an indefensible double standard.

Take Hinds’ volunteer firefighter Dave Kingsbury who, after 44 years' service, and after putting his body through gruelling and often dangerous situations, he finds himself without the same level of ACC support as a career firefighter. How is that fair?

The argument that ACC has a “limited budget” does not hold up when volunteers save the country more than $820 million annually in emergency response services. If anything, the Government should be investing in their well-being, not leaving them out in the cold.

The push for change has been met with political indifference. Successive governments have dismissed calls to reform the ACC system, arguing that granting full coverage to volunteer firefighters would set a precedent for all volunteers, making it too costly. But that’s a flimsy excuse. The argument isn’t about extending ACC to every volunteer role. It’s about recognising the unique risks that emergency service volunteers face.

Matt Doocey, the only ACC Minister to show genuine interest in correcting this injustice, was reshuffled out of the portfolio earlier this year. Since then, silence. The Government cannot keep ignoring this issue while relying so heavily on volunteers to hold together our emergency response network.

Thankfully, the fight is gaining momentum. Queenstown firefighter Katherine Lamont’s petition to Parliament, demanding that volunteer firefighters receive the same ACC benefits as their paid counterparts, has already gathered more than 15,000 signatures. The United Fire Brigades Association, which represents over 12,000 volunteer firefighters, has thrown its full support behind the movement.

The message is clear. This is not just a petition. It’s a demand for fairness.

If the Government continues to dismiss the call for change, it risks not only failing these brave men and women but also jeopardising the future of volunteer firefighting.

How many will continue to serve when they know their sacrifice will not be met with even the most basic protections?

The onus is on the Government to act now to ensure volunteer firefighters receive the recognition and support they so clearly deserve. The time for polite indifference is over. The time for change is here.

by Daryl Holden