NZ's busiest fire station closed after asbestos found

Auckland's busiest fire station has been forced to close after asbestos was found in the building, needing emergency decontamination.

Asbestos is a fibre that was once used frequently in construction. However, it can cause disastrous health effects, including lung scarring, asbestosis and cancer.

This afternoon, workers in hazmat suits descended on the station, decontaminating the building and its machines inside.

It now means Auckland Central is without fire crews, with trucks from other stations needing to cover the entire city.

According to the New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union's Martin Campbell, the closure came after workers drilled a hole through a concrete wall, releasing dust particles onto the first floor.

That dust was tested and came back positive for asbestos.

"It turns the station into a hazard zone," Campbell told 1News.

"It means those guys who live and work on that floor could have potentially spread the dust to places like the mess hall or other bedrooms.

"Everyone's really pissed off."

Campbell said he was frustrated, as asbestos had previously been found in the building.

“Because of the age of the station and the fact that Fire and Emergency know that asbestos is already present in the building, it comes as no surprise.”

It had previously been found in the building’s basement, Campbell said.

“Did they tell the contractor that there was asbestos and warn them of the danger?

“What mitigating factors were considered?”

Campbell said there’s going to be increased pressure on Auckland’s emergency services as the decontamination process takes place.

“Unfortunately, the Parnell crew are co-located with the Auckland city crew because their station has been demolished.

“As of right now, tonight, Auckland has no heavy aerial fire trucks; Auckland has no hazardous substance or command utilities because the Otara unit is also broken down.”

He said some “serious questions” surrounding preparation need to be asked.

Vaughan Mackereth, FENZ District Manager said the incident will be investigated through FENZ's health and safety processes.

"While contractors were undertaking core drilling work at Auckland Central Fire Station today, asbestos was found in testing samples taken from the walls," Mackereth confirmed.

"The safety and welfare of our people is always a priority. Therefore, Auckland Central Fire Station will close overnight while work is being done to assess the extent of any potential contamination and for the premises to be commercially deep cleaned."

He stressed that firefighters will be available as needed despite the incident.

"Although firefighters won't be based at Auckland Central Station tonight, we want to assure the public we have 24 career fire stations available in Auckland. If you need us, we will be there," he said.

"We already have plans in place to cater to unexpected situations, and we are working through further contingency planning to ensure we have the necessary resources available to respond if they are required."