About 2000 firefighters have stepped away from their stations for an hour-long strike.

Between 11am and midday Friday, members of the Professional Firefighters Union are at major traffic intersections, picketing to demand better working conditions from Fire and Emergency NZ.

Have you been affected by the strike? Email newstips@stuff.co.nz

Fire and Emergency has assured it will continue to answer 111 calls.

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“However, we do ask the public in urban areas, primarily served by career firefighters, to remain extra vigilant during this strike hour,” deputy national commander Brendan Nally said.

Better pay, increased staffing levels, better firefighting equipment and increased mental health support are among the union’s demands.

The strike comes as emergency services in parts of New Zealand are being kept busy with stormy weather, with severe weather warnings in place across most central, upper and western regions.

The one-hour strike is the first of its kind in New Zealand and will impede on the fire service’s ability to respond to medical events and less serious incidents, such as fire alarm activations where there is no evidence of a fire, small rubbish fires, animal rescues and for traffic management.

Auckland-based secretary for the union Martin Campbell said adverse weather conditions would not impact plans.

“The strike is still going full steam ahead.”

When asked if firefighters would still attend incidents, for example, where people were trapped in flood waters, Campbell said: “During the strike, career firefighters will not be at their fire stations, so they will not be deployed to anything”.

The union’s Wellington president Clark Townsley said members would remain at jobs they were attending at 11am.

“No one would leave a person half cut out of a car.”

Many rural areas, especially in the South Island, are staffed entirely by volunteer firefighters who will not be striking.

Nally previously said contingency plans were in place to enable Fire and Emergency to attend call-outs, but would not elaborate on those.

He warned: “With fewer firefighters and 111 communication centre dispatchers than usual, our responses may be delayed.”

People should check their smoke alarms are working, have an evacuation plan in place and only call 111 for fire if there was a genuine emergency, he said.

“Volunteers in urban areas will respond from their own stations in their own trucks to help as they do regularly when there are multiple emergencies at one time.”

He said it was disappointing the union was going ahead with the strike, as Fire and Emergency had asked to take the matter to the Employment Relations Authority for facilitated bargaining and to call off the strike in the meantime.

“We and the [union] have been bargaining in good faith for more than 12 months for a new collective agreement.”

However, mediation had “broken down” and the two organisations were at a stalemate.

Auckland union president Terry Bird said Fire and Emergency had not listened and the strike was a last resort.

He thought there would have been some “genuine dialogue” to forge an agreement and prevent the strike, however the strike was the “only tool we’ve been left with”.

“[Fire and Emergency] have been rolling the dice with firefighters’ safety every day and today they’re rolling the dice of the public’s safety.

“We really didn’t think we’d have to [strike].”

Morale was high among the 40 firefighters gathered at the Auckland City Fire Station on Friday morning, however firefighters were serious about their mission.

“We’re here for people on their worst days. We need to have the best equipment available [and] the best trained staff to be there for them,” Ringo Harwood, a firefighter of 50 years, said.

At 11am, the station doors went up to the sound of bells and the firefighters exited.

Passing cars and ambulances honked their support.

In Invercargill, about 60 career firefighters were joined by members of the public as they walked off the job.

Station manager Aaron Ramsey said the decision to strike was not taken lightly.

Union members took part in a partial strike in June, when they refused to undertake certain administration duties. Further strikes are planned for August 26, September 2 and 9.