ABC Premium News (Australia)

NEW SOUTH WALES, Australia — The Fire Brigade Employees Union in New South Wales says individual firefighters are being sent traffic fines as they rush to life-threatening emergencies in fire trucks.

Union secretary Simon Flynn said there had been a change to the old system in the last month.

He says under the old system infringements were struck off by the brigade's chief officer and the fines were withdrawn, but that has now changed.

Mr Flynn says speeding and red light fines are being sent to individual firefighter's homes and they then have to sign statutory declarations to prove they were on their way to emergencies. He says it is a waste of time.

Mr Flynn says firefighters are now considering following road rules on the way to emergencies.

"What that would mean is fire engines leaving fire stations on their way to a house on fire and pulling up at each set of red traffic lights, which is a ludicrous situation," he said.

NSW Fire Brigade commissioner Greg Mullins says the system has not changed, but the brigade can not get fines for active fire trucks waived because the union has banned firefighters from filling out the appropriate paperwork.

"The ban is actually on their website for everyone to see," he said.

"Until the union lifts its ban, we have a major problem."

He says the union is deliberately misrepresenting the facts as part of its wage campaign.

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