The beginning of the 1980s saw great changes begin in the New Zealand Fire Service. In 1981 Fire Incident Reporting System begins, this was the pre-cursor to today’s ICAD Reporting System.

In 1984, a fire in ICI’s chemical warehouse in Auckland, caused injuries to 60 firefighters after they came into contact with chemicals. The investigation into the fire resulted in improved clothing for firefighters, a standard procedure for fireground safety, the introduction of fireground safety officers and changes to the occupational health service.

1985 saw the Fire Service purchase its first computers. Now, every one of our stations is equipped with a computer and internet access giving firefighters instant access to notifications and making the completion of incident reports quick and seamless.

In 1989, a fire in the Terwindle Rest Home in Auckland caused the deaths of six elderly residents; further fire deaths in rest homes in Fielding and Collingwood in the 1990s led to the Fire Service calling for compulsory smoke detectors and sprinklers. Fires in sprinklered homes at Sprott House (1991), Mt Wellington (1996) and Arataki (1998) prove their value.