13 Main Road,
Franz Josef Glacier
Franz Josef has a community station that is also used as a base for search and rescue. The Station has no set hours. A police presence is constantly within the district. That district is managed from Nelson, as part of the Tasman / West Coast district.
Franz Josef Police Station is manned by two officers at various times of the day/night. It is NOT a 24 hour station. If you call the station phone or 105, a call taker will assist you with your query, take your complaint/report and advise.
If you have an emergency where there is immediate risk to property or person, please call 111.
Police Communications will advise with relevant information and locations.
The Franz Josef Police are often out and about. If you see them, say hello, they are a friendly crew and happy to discuss any issues or queries you may have. Remember: We live in a beautiful and safe part of the world, please help us keep it that way.
A message from our local community policing team.
To ensure you enjoy your stay in South Westland, please respect the area in which we live and work.
As your trip here has involved travelling long distances, make sure you take plenty of time to rest and take in the beautiful scenery and activities our area has to offer.
As State Highway 6 is the only road in and out of South Westland, please take the time to familiarize yourself with the New Zealand road rules.
Franz Josef Chief Fire Officer Mike Charles
To enquire about learning new skills, making new friends and making a real difference to our community ask a local volunteer about joining or call the West Coast office on 03 768 0898 to find out if being a volunteer is right for you!
Residents and visitors sometimes hear the Franz Josef fire siren howling over town as the local fire fighters respond to an emergency. Many fire stations on the West Coast still use a siren to muster their brigade members.
To our volunteer fire fighters, the sound of the siren invokes a spike of adrenaline, prompting us to stop what we are doing and rush to the fire station. Somebody needs our help, urgently.
To many locals, the sound is a clear and reassuring message: “We are on our way”. To tourists, it may be less clear; is it a tsunami warning? An earthquake, or an air raid? And to some people (such as parents of sleeping babies) a loud fire siren is the last thing they want to hear.
These days, we don’t just rely on a siren. Many of us carry pagers, and even more of us have an app on our cell phones to alert us to a fire callout. Technology moves on, and we move with it.
The Franz Josef fire siren only sounds between 7am and 7pm, any day of the week. It will only sound for three cycles before it shuts off (about 60 seconds).
You can be assured that even without a 24/7 fire siren, our fire fighters will get the message to respond.
That is, as long as we have fire fighters available to respond! All South Westland’s fire brigades are looking for more volunteers, and Franz Josef Volunteer Fire Brigade is no exception.
Join the Franz Josef St John volunteer team
The Franz Josef community has a dedicated St John volunteer team that is looking to increase their numbers. Emergency ambulance service volunteers provide a 24hr response to 111 calls and urgent first aid, working closely with local, rural primary care providers.
StJ’s volunteers receive comprehensive training to handle all sorts of emergency medical situations, ensuring they can provide excellent care and support throughout a patient’s journey from the initial 111 call to their destination.
As a volunteer with St John, you’ll acquire new skills, forge lifelong friendships, and contribute to delivering essential health and community services.
If you would like the satisfaction of making a meaningful difference in the Franz Josef community by joining StJ as a volunteer ambulance officer, please contact Edward Ross, StJ West Coast Group Operations Manager – Emergency Ambulance Service, on 027 800 6218.
Alternatively, you can visit https://careers.smartrecruiters.com/HatoHoneStJohn/volunteer and view the Ambulance & Events section.
You may see them displaying the “proud employer” mark. Employers play a part in supporting firefighters to attend emergencies inside and outside of work hours.
It’s not only volunteer fire fighters, but our family and friends who are interrupted when
there’s a fire call. These people are our support crew who make volunteering possible.
Donations don’t usually go towards our response capability (FENZ provides everything we need to respond). Our fundraising supports the fun side of being a fire fighter: it might help us to attend competitions, hold social events, or recognise our volunteers’ achievements.
Fire brigades are only as strong as the community they serve. Almost anybody can become a volunteer fire fighter, if they are willing to learn new skills, meet new people and make their community a safer place! Ask a local fire fighter or call the West Coast office on 03 768 0898.
The devastation of an emergency can break even the strongest of hearts. We have welfare programs to support our people and their whānau, but the best thing is to never be needed in the first place!
If we all do our part to prevent emergencies, our communities – and our fire brigades – will be better off.
