1 00:00:00,440 --> 00:00:01,560 Speaker 1: Heather Duke Cla. 2 00:00:01,720 --> 00:00:05,000 Speaker 2: Now there are renewed calls for emergency service volunteers to 3 00:00:05,040 --> 00:00:07,360 Speaker 2: get ACC cover for the mental harm that they get 4 00:00:07,400 --> 00:00:10,200 Speaker 2: on the job. Apparently ninety five percent of the responders 5 00:00:10,200 --> 00:00:13,440 Speaker 2: to the Mount Mongonui landslip with volunteers, which just shows 6 00:00:13,480 --> 00:00:15,400 Speaker 2: the extent of reliance that we have on these people. 7 00:00:15,600 --> 00:00:18,479 Speaker 2: Wendy Writers, the chief executive at Land Search and Rescuing 8 00:00:18,560 --> 00:00:21,960 Speaker 2: with US, Hi, Wendy, Hi, Heather, why why don't they 9 00:00:21,960 --> 00:00:25,120 Speaker 2: get ACC cover for the mental harm? 10 00:00:25,400 --> 00:00:28,080 Speaker 1: I will just sorry correct one comment you made there. 11 00:00:28,200 --> 00:00:32,839 Speaker 1: It's ninety five percent of search and rescue workforce are volunteers, 12 00:00:32,880 --> 00:00:36,400 Speaker 1: not necessarily ninety five percent who responded to my momini okay, 13 00:00:36,720 --> 00:00:39,000 Speaker 1: But so your question, I just want to really clear 14 00:00:39,080 --> 00:00:42,960 Speaker 1: on that. So your question was why don't they? Yeah, 15 00:00:43,000 --> 00:00:45,080 Speaker 1: and I you know, and then I think that's a 16 00:00:45,080 --> 00:00:47,479 Speaker 1: excellent question. I think that's what we're really kind of 17 00:00:47,680 --> 00:00:53,160 Speaker 1: advocating for. It's historic and legislation. Volunteers under legislation are 18 00:00:53,159 --> 00:00:56,600 Speaker 1: considered to be doing a recreational activity, and the current 19 00:00:56,640 --> 00:00:59,800 Speaker 1: ACC legislation doesn't cover them for the mental harm that 20 00:00:59,800 --> 00:01:03,920 Speaker 1: they experience when actually they are providing a critical service 21 00:01:03,960 --> 00:01:05,240 Speaker 1: to the communities of New Zealands. 22 00:01:05,400 --> 00:01:08,000 Speaker 2: What proportion do you reckon of them end up with 23 00:01:08,080 --> 00:01:10,000 Speaker 2: some sort of mental harm? 24 00:01:10,200 --> 00:01:13,120 Speaker 1: If I'm not in a position to be able to 25 00:01:13,160 --> 00:01:16,840 Speaker 1: confirm exact stats, we do deal with a number on 26 00:01:16,920 --> 00:01:21,680 Speaker 1: an annual basis, and you know, it varies from from individuals, 27 00:01:21,720 --> 00:01:24,000 Speaker 1: so some for some it there's a cumulative effect. We 28 00:01:24,080 --> 00:01:27,640 Speaker 1: have land starch rescue volunteers who have been contributing for many, 29 00:01:27,640 --> 00:01:30,920 Speaker 1: many years, and for others it can be one significant 30 00:01:31,440 --> 00:01:34,760 Speaker 1: or traumatic search and rescue that triggers it for them. 31 00:01:35,080 --> 00:01:37,360 Speaker 1: So it does vary, and I think it you know, 32 00:01:37,400 --> 00:01:39,479 Speaker 1: it's just reflective of the type of work that they do. 33 00:01:40,040 --> 00:01:42,319 Speaker 2: What does cover If they were to get cover, what 34 00:01:42,319 --> 00:01:44,040 Speaker 2: would the cover look like and what would what kind 35 00:01:44,040 --> 00:01:46,080 Speaker 2: of a state would they be in to qualify for cover? 36 00:01:47,800 --> 00:01:51,920 Speaker 1: It would reflect the same cover that any paid like 37 00:01:52,040 --> 00:01:54,800 Speaker 1: you know, for example for an emergency or police who 38 00:01:54,840 --> 00:01:57,440 Speaker 1: also undertake search and rescue, it would reflect the same 39 00:01:57,720 --> 00:02:00,880 Speaker 1: as that it would mean. So we provide quite We 40 00:02:00,920 --> 00:02:04,600 Speaker 1: can provide short term support for them, We provide counseling services, 41 00:02:04,640 --> 00:02:08,120 Speaker 1: We can also provide other therapies for them, but it's 42 00:02:08,160 --> 00:02:11,640 Speaker 1: for those that have long term sort of PTSD and 43 00:02:11,680 --> 00:02:14,480 Speaker 1: it's that longer term support that we are unable to 44 00:02:14,520 --> 00:02:17,720 Speaker 1: provide in order to reintegrate them back into their lives 45 00:02:17,760 --> 00:02:18,560 Speaker 1: and the community. 46 00:02:18,800 --> 00:02:20,560 Speaker 2: I would imagine that the answer to why don't we 47 00:02:20,600 --> 00:02:22,679 Speaker 2: give them cover is because if we start giving cover 48 00:02:22,760 --> 00:02:25,160 Speaker 2: to these volunteers, we will probably end up giving cover 49 00:02:25,200 --> 00:02:28,560 Speaker 2: to all volunteers in any situation. Right, would that be 50 00:02:28,600 --> 00:02:30,320 Speaker 2: the answer? And that would just be so expensive. 51 00:02:31,320 --> 00:02:32,880 Speaker 1: And I think this is where you start to get 52 00:02:32,919 --> 00:02:36,359 Speaker 1: a distinction of different types of volunteers. So enough I 53 00:02:36,480 --> 00:02:40,200 Speaker 1: respect for landsets or rescue, they are trained, they met 54 00:02:40,200 --> 00:02:42,520 Speaker 1: a competency frame it. But what they actually do is 55 00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:47,760 Speaker 1: they respond on behalf of New Zealand government in order 56 00:02:47,800 --> 00:02:50,360 Speaker 1: to provide services to the community. So work closely with 57 00:02:50,480 --> 00:02:52,919 Speaker 1: the New Zealand Police and with Maritime New Zealand who 58 00:02:52,919 --> 00:02:55,720 Speaker 1: provide the taskings for them. So like many of our 59 00:02:55,760 --> 00:03:00,200 Speaker 1: other emergency services or emergency responder volunteers within Search Arrest you, 60 00:03:00,720 --> 00:03:04,960 Speaker 1: they're very much providing a service to New Zealanders that's 61 00:03:05,240 --> 00:03:08,679 Speaker 1: an emergency type or a response type service. So it's 62 00:03:09,200 --> 00:03:11,440 Speaker 1: a lot of New Zealand is filled. The gaps are 63 00:03:11,480 --> 00:03:13,880 Speaker 1: filled by volunteers. So I do acknowledge that we can 64 00:03:13,919 --> 00:03:16,960 Speaker 1: talk about a wider volunteer pool, which may stretch to 65 00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:20,200 Speaker 1: someone you know, supporting someone in the community with driving services. 66 00:03:20,520 --> 00:03:24,160 Speaker 1: But this is in an emergency or a search rescue situation. 67 00:03:24,360 --> 00:03:27,000 Speaker 1: It is quite a different dynamic, and I think the 68 00:03:27,120 --> 00:03:31,640 Speaker 1: challenges you have our volunteers working alongside paid staff. Although 69 00:03:31,720 --> 00:03:33,919 Speaker 1: volunteers do make up ninety five percent of the workforce, 70 00:03:33,960 --> 00:03:36,800 Speaker 1: they do alongside paid staff, and we're just seeking equity 71 00:03:37,840 --> 00:03:40,240 Speaker 1: for alongside the paid staff who are dealing with these 72 00:03:40,280 --> 00:03:43,440 Speaker 1: same search and rescue operation and the same impacts. 73 00:03:43,680 --> 00:03:45,200 Speaker 2: Wendy, thank you for your time. I appreciate it. When 74 00:03:45,200 --> 00:03:47,480 Speaker 2: do you write Land Search and Rescue Chief Executive? 75 00:03:48,000 --> 00:03:51,160 Speaker 1: For more from Heather Duplessy Allen Drive, listen live to 76 00:03:51,280 --> 00:03:54,280 Speaker 1: news talks they'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow 77 00:03:54,320 --> 00:03:56,120 Speaker 1: the podcast on iHeartRadio.