Questions have been raised over who deploys helicopters to transport rescue teams as police apologise over a miscommunication. 

A 13-year-old girl was left clinging to a cliff in Coromandel Peninsula's Hahei for hours last year - when police mistakenly thought she was dead.

They refused to foot the bill for a chopper and a rescue crew made a nearly two-hour car journey.

The Professional Firefighters Union's Martin Campbell says there needs to be clarity. 

"In some cases, police are saying it's their call. And Fire and Emergency in the past have made that call. So there is a bit of confusion and misunderstanding."

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