Interest in CD preparedness

INTEREST is high as Manawatu District’s Emergency Management Officer, Ross Brannigan, continues to deliver presentations on Civil Defence preparedness at home and in the workplace to community organisations throughout the region.

Neighbourhood Support groups and community committees have been among those to grasp an opportunity in the past few weeks to hear Mr Brannigan outline current emergency management arrangements and structures and to discuss any local Civil Defence issues.

“We are looking at how individuals can do their bit to help the community as a whole get through a disastrous event, like Christchurch,” said Mr Brannigan. “The more people that have some level of preparedness for the first three days of an emergency, the easier it is for the community to get through.”

Mr Brannigan said Manawatu District faced most natural hazards and was vulnerable to earthquakes, flooding, tsunami, tornados and storm and wind events.

“Christchurch showed how vital it is for people to be prepared and have necessary items on hand like food and water, radio with batteries, torches, an ability to cook without power, first aid kit, and all the supplies they would need if isolated in their homes.

“You may not be able to just duck out to the corner dairy. Things that we take for granted every day may not be available as the result of an emergency event.”

He said the media would relay messages to the community, predominantly by radio, so it was important to have a battery-powered radio, with spare batteries, on hand.

“Civil Defence Emergency Management is everyone’s responsibility, not just for those at the ministry or within local and regional councils. Everyone has a role in play.

“Christchurch showed there are hazards in our landscape that we don’t know about – the recent earthquake was on an unknown fault. Have we got a similar fault lying under the Manawatu that we don’t know about?”

Mr Brannigan said areas of the Manawatu District are likely to be prone to liquefaction, and given events like those in Christchurch, those areas could be in “exactly the same boat”.

“People are now more conscious of emergency management processes, although the messages of preparedness have been the same for years. They are no different.”

Civil Defence "Are You Prepared" booklets are available at the Manawatu District Council office in Manchester Street, Feilding, with further information available at www.getthru.govt.nz

Mr Brannign said the Emergency Management sector urged the community to seek that information and "get prepared" if it hadn't already.