Fire Investigation

The emergency response at the CTV building site.

Stella Cheersmith

The Fire Service was heavily involved with the rescue efforts at the CTV building site, pulling survivors from the rubble. Though the emergency responders were praised for these successful rescues, the Royal Commission of Inquiry and Coronial Inquests raised questions around the organisation of rescue teams and inadequate leadership at the site. Some of these questions focused on the deaths of five women who survived the initial collapse of the building, but were trapped beneath the rubble, unable to be reached by emergency responders. A separate report criticised executive officers for failing to set up a proper chain of command in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake.

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A member of the New Zealand Fire Service in a cherry picker spraying water at the fire burning in the collapsed Canterbury Television Building. Smoke is billowing out of the intact section of the building. Below, emergency personnel are searching the rubble for trapped people. A piece of corrugated plastic is being used to slide pieces of debris off the site.

Credit: Neil Macbeth. Source: https://quakestudies.canterbury.ac.nz/store/object/135309

  • The Star 7 March 2012 (Page 3) | "Rescue anger." - Report on the recent developments in the Royal Commission of Inquiry. Lawyer Nigel Hampton QC (representing Alec Cvetanov, whose wife died in the CTV building), alleged that the deaths of five women could have been due to inadequate action from the fire service and search and rescue. Paul Baxter, Fire Service National Commander, released a statement in response that said the rescuers had gone “above and beyond” the call of duty. Hampton urged the Royal Commission to investigate the rescue service as part of their inquiry, but it was unclear whether they had jurisdiction to undertake this.
  • The Star 19 October 2012 (Page 1-2) | "Quake report slams fire chiefs." - Outlines the review of the emergency response to the February 22 earthquake, carried out by the West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service Chief Executive and Chief Fire Officer Simon Pilling. The review found that in the first 12 hours following the earthquake, executive officers could have been better organised and more supportive of operational crews. It stated there was a “lack of clarity of roles” and a “lack of overt leadership”.
  • Christchurch Press 1 November 2012: Section A, Page 1 | "Fire officers quizzed on site control." - Details the Coronial Inquest into eight deaths at the CTV building. The inquest heard from Station Officers Alan Butcher and Stephen Warner, both of whom were at the site after the earthquake.
  • Christchurch Press 6 November 2012: Section A, Page 7 | "Fire boss admits shortcomings." - An update from the Coronial Inquest, which heard from Fire Service Assistant Area Manager Dave Burford. Burford was the senior executive officer on site at the CTV building and admitted he failed to appoint someone in command.
  • Inquest hears area commander missing in action | RNZ - This report from radio New Zealand National contains audio clips from the Coronial Inquest and the cross examination of Steve Barclay, the Acting Area Commander of the CTV site. The reporter also provides some context to the situation with the Fire Service response and discusses the confusion surrounding the chain of command.
  • The Star 9 November 2012 (Page 5) | "CTV decision regretted." - Covers the Coronial Inquest, which heard from Wellington-based Assistant National Commander Trevor Brown. Brown took control of the Fire Service in Christchurch on 23 February 2011, and his job was to assess the management resources at the CTV and PGC buildings. Though he said both sites were “well managed,” he ultimately regretted not taking command at the CTV site, as this may have “deflect[ed] a lot of the criticism that my firefighters feel is directed at them after all the work they had done”.
Smoke issuing from the collapsed Canterbury Television building on Madras Street. Fire Service personnel have gathered around the site to control the fire. In the background, excavators can be seen digging through the rubble.

Credit: Neil Macbeth. Source: https://quakestudies.canterbury.ac.nz/store/object/135279

  • Christchurch Press 6 December 2012: Section A, Page 4 | "Fire service slipped up says American expert." - Ernesto Ojeda, Captain in the Los Angeles Fire Department and disaster-response expert, gave evidence in the Coronial Inquest. Ojeda acknowledged the difficulty involved with the CTV site, owing to the complete pancake collapse of the building. He commended the first responders for their brave work, but criticised the Fire Service Executive Officers for failing to establish command at the site.
  • Christchurch Press 5 December 2012: Section A, Page 1 | "Fire Service sorry over CTV." - This article contains information on the Second Coronial Inquest, during which Operations and Training Director Paul McGill apologised on behalf of the Fire Service. He acknowledged the Fire Service had not “adequately prepared our people to cope with the demands of that situation”. Continued on Page 5.
  • Coroner rules rescuers didn't contribute to deaths at CTV | RNZ - This audio file from Radio New Zealand National provides a summary of Coroner Gordan Matenga’s report following the Coronial Inquest. This clip focuses on Matenga’s findings on the Fire Service and their actions at the CTV site during rescue efforts. While the Coroner acknowledged the bravery of those involved in the emergency response, the leadership of the Fire Service was lacking at the CTV site, considering the fact that it was the most serious building collapse across the city. Despite his critiques, Matenga ruled that poor organisation at the site did not ultimately contribute to the deaths of those who survived the initial collapse.

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