It's that time of year again.
This Sunday we all put our clocks back one hour. Remember "Spring forward, Fall back".
The Fire Service would like to remind you to change your smoke alarm batteries, or get a couple of smoke alarms if you haven't got any - contact the Fire Service if cost is going to be a problem.
And while you are thinking about keeping your family safe, it's a good time to check your emergency supplies.
Check that you can find all of your survival items, and make sure that they work. You don't need to keep them all in a special kit, I've got mine all over the house!
Check that your household plan is up to date, and everyone knows what to do. Has anyone on your emergency contacts list changed phone numbers, or moved house?
Check that your long-life food hasn't gone past its expiry date. Have a look for swelling, dents or rust on tins, as they are signs that the contents may not be good anymore. I write the date I bought canned food on the top, so I know to use the oldest tins first.
Have a look at your emergency water supply. If it's gone a bit green or has floaties, give the bottle a good clean out, and refill or replace it, and store a few more for good measure. You can never have too much. Don't forget you can pick up 10L water containers from the council office, for just $5 each.
Showing posts with label be prepared. Show all posts
Showing posts with label be prepared. Show all posts
Monday, March 26, 2012
Friday, March 2, 2012
150km/h winds tonight!
The MetService has issued a Severe Weather Warning for heavy rain as well as severe gales for tonight and tomorrow.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/6512127/Weather-bomb-forecast-widened
In the 17 hours from 10pm Friday (tonight), we can expect 100 to 120mm of rain, and from about 4am to 4pm Saturday (tomorrow) we can expect damaging south to southeast winds with gusts up to 150km/h!
Rough seas and heavy swells may cause erosion and storm surge inundation in some coastal areas. Conditions should ease later on Saturday as the low moves away to the east.
Winds of this strength can be quite damaging to loose structures, and make driving very hazardous - I'd expect the road over the Rimutakas to be closed due to the wind strength. Powerlines may be damaged, so there may be outages.
Please make sure that any outdoor furniture, rubbish bins and trampolines etc, are well secured, and take extreme care if you have to drive anywhere.
Check the drains around your house, and on the street, and make sure they are clear. The simple act of clearing away rubbish or leaves may help prevent flooding when the rain arrives.
Call the council 237 5089 about flooded drains, call 111 if there is anything really dangerous happening.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/6512127/Weather-bomb-forecast-widened
In the 17 hours from 10pm Friday (tonight), we can expect 100 to 120mm of rain, and from about 4am to 4pm Saturday (tomorrow) we can expect damaging south to southeast winds with gusts up to 150km/h!
Rough seas and heavy swells may cause erosion and storm surge inundation in some coastal areas. Conditions should ease later on Saturday as the low moves away to the east.
Winds of this strength can be quite damaging to loose structures, and make driving very hazardous - I'd expect the road over the Rimutakas to be closed due to the wind strength. Powerlines may be damaged, so there may be outages.
Please make sure that any outdoor furniture, rubbish bins and trampolines etc, are well secured, and take extreme care if you have to drive anywhere.
Check the drains around your house, and on the street, and make sure they are clear. The simple act of clearing away rubbish or leaves may help prevent flooding when the rain arrives.
Call the council 237 5089 about flooded drains, call 111 if there is anything really dangerous happening.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
February 22 - One year on
I wasn't there, so I can't give a personal view of the actual Canterbury quake of February 22nd 2011. I have friends and family who lived through the quakes, and some came through it better than others, but the general concensus was that it sucked big time. I can't give justice to the enormity of it without having lived through it, so I'm not going to try. I'm sure there will be plenty of stories in the media about people's personal experiences.
For myself, this time last year I was attending an Emergency Management conference at the Amora Hotel in Wellington, along with many of the Emergency Management Officers from around the country. Many of the Canterbury Emergency Management staff were at the conference to present on their experiences of the September quake.
We had listened to a presentation from Dr Kelvin Berryman from GNS Science about the first quake. I vividly remember him saying that it was remarkable how well the majority of buildings in Christchurch had come through, but he wouldn't want to roll the dice again.
We'd just stepped out for lunch when phones started ringing just after 12:51, and then almost every phone in the room went off with a Geonet notification of a 6.3 quake right under Christchurch. There were hurried conversations and more phone calls, and people started leaving. The conference staff looked a bit sad as their entire conference walked out the door. Conferenz has very kindly rescheduled it for next week, now new and improved with even more lessons learned!
The Canterbury staff headed straight to the airport to get the first flight able to land at Christchurch Airport, and many of us headed straight to the National Crisis Management Centre under the Beehive - "The Bunker" was up and running, and fully staffed within about 30 minutes of the quake. I had worked there after the September quake, but had come in on about Day 3, this time I was there from the get go - at the turning on the computers and opening up a new incident file stage.
It was quite a different experience , but quickly settled into the routine of not having much idea what was going on in the world anywhere other than in Canterbury, and going left to the ladies room, when I should have gone right, or was it the other way round? The NCMC is arranged in a ring in the basement of the Beehive, so either way worked. Finding the exit after a night shift is the tricky part, despite it being well signposted.
There were some quite hard moments - many staff had friends or family in Canterbury, and it wasn't uncommon to find people taking a moment in a quiet space to deal with their emotions.
People in Canterbury all know where they were at 12:51 on Tuesday 22 February 2011 - my Facebook newsfeed is full of the oddest things my Christchurch friends remember about the morning before the quake, where they were at the time, and the things they did immediately after. For some (me too), the week after seems to be a bit of a blur, but the day itself was crystal clear.
Do you remember where you were that day, when you found out what had happened? You might have been at home, at work, out and about, at school. If you think back, if it had happened here, at that time, how would you have coped? Did you have a plan for how to get your family in contact and reunited? Did you have enough water and food and other survival items stored at home to help you through at least a few days?
And how about now, one year later? Now that you've had a chance to see just what a disaster of that scale can do to a city, what it does to people, and how people coped and helped each other, have you taken some steps to improve how prepared your family is?
We're interested in finding the most prepared family, business and school in Porirua, so tell us your story!
For myself, this time last year I was attending an Emergency Management conference at the Amora Hotel in Wellington, along with many of the Emergency Management Officers from around the country. Many of the Canterbury Emergency Management staff were at the conference to present on their experiences of the September quake.
We had listened to a presentation from Dr Kelvin Berryman from GNS Science about the first quake. I vividly remember him saying that it was remarkable how well the majority of buildings in Christchurch had come through, but he wouldn't want to roll the dice again.
We'd just stepped out for lunch when phones started ringing just after 12:51, and then almost every phone in the room went off with a Geonet notification of a 6.3 quake right under Christchurch. There were hurried conversations and more phone calls, and people started leaving. The conference staff looked a bit sad as their entire conference walked out the door. Conferenz has very kindly rescheduled it for next week, now new and improved with even more lessons learned!
The Canterbury staff headed straight to the airport to get the first flight able to land at Christchurch Airport, and many of us headed straight to the National Crisis Management Centre under the Beehive - "The Bunker" was up and running, and fully staffed within about 30 minutes of the quake. I had worked there after the September quake, but had come in on about Day 3, this time I was there from the get go - at the turning on the computers and opening up a new incident file stage.
It was quite a different experience , but quickly settled into the routine of not having much idea what was going on in the world anywhere other than in Canterbury, and going left to the ladies room, when I should have gone right, or was it the other way round? The NCMC is arranged in a ring in the basement of the Beehive, so either way worked. Finding the exit after a night shift is the tricky part, despite it being well signposted.
There were some quite hard moments - many staff had friends or family in Canterbury, and it wasn't uncommon to find people taking a moment in a quiet space to deal with their emotions.
People in Canterbury all know where they were at 12:51 on Tuesday 22 February 2011 - my Facebook newsfeed is full of the oddest things my Christchurch friends remember about the morning before the quake, where they were at the time, and the things they did immediately after. For some (me too), the week after seems to be a bit of a blur, but the day itself was crystal clear.
Do you remember where you were that day, when you found out what had happened? You might have been at home, at work, out and about, at school. If you think back, if it had happened here, at that time, how would you have coped? Did you have a plan for how to get your family in contact and reunited? Did you have enough water and food and other survival items stored at home to help you through at least a few days?
And how about now, one year later? Now that you've had a chance to see just what a disaster of that scale can do to a city, what it does to people, and how people coped and helped each other, have you taken some steps to improve how prepared your family is?
We're interested in finding the most prepared family, business and school in Porirua, so tell us your story!
Monday, November 28, 2011
Thumbs up to Rangikura School
Oops, forgot to publish this last Monday!
The Emergency Management Office team spent last Friday (18 November) working with the Year 7 & 8(?) kids at Rangikura School.
They were divided into three groups, one for each part of the day, and then each of those groups was divided into three teams of about ten students each. Each team went to a different area to learn about something new for half and hour before moving to the next area. The teams learned about:
The Emergency Management Office team spent last Friday (18 November) working with the Year 7 & 8(?) kids at Rangikura School.
They were divided into three groups, one for each part of the day, and then each of those groups was divided into three teams of about ten students each. Each team went to a different area to learn about something new for half and hour before moving to the next area. The teams learned about:
- Storing water for emergencies - how much you need, where you could find water, and how the 25,000L rainwater collection tank at their school works, and how to make the water safe for drinking.
- Sanitation - how to make an emergency toilet, and keep clean and healthy during an emergency, and also a bit of basic first aid.
- Making emergency shelters - given a large plastic tarp & some ropes, what kinds of shelters could you make? Floors, walls, sun shades, roof repairs, tents, privacy areas - they were quite creative!
The weather was great (if a little windy), then "nek minnit" a random hail storm came through to give the kids an idea of just how quickly the weather could turn. It certainly gave them a bit of urgency for getting their shelter up!
The kids were awesome, and apparently didn't stop talking about it for quite some time!
If you are interested in having the Emergency Management team come to talk to your school, please get in touch.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Preparing for the rugby
International Disaster Reduction Day is recognised every year on the second Wednesday of October - and that's today!
Normally Emergency Management Officers and their volunteers around the country would be promoting Get Ready Week, but there's apparently some ball game happening that's distracted most of the population, and well, Canterbury is probably just a wee bit sick of disasters by now, so we're taking it easy.
I do, however, want take the time to make sure that those of you who are fanatical about the rugby are well prepared for this weekend's very important games.
There are games on both Saturday and Sunday night. You may well be too hungover to get to the shops until Monday, and some of you may even have taken a day of annual leave for recovery, so make sure you have stocked up on all the necessary supplies for watching the games at home.
You're going to want plenty of refreshments - you don't want to run out at a very important moment, and have nothing left to celebrate our victory over Australia. You're effectively going to need three days' worth of drinks to cover the whole weekend - make sure you also have something non-alcoholic, so the whole family can enjoy the party, and you'll probably want a fair bit of water to properly rehydrate after all that cheering.
Make sure you have plenty of food - something easy to prepare for dinner, that doesn't take too much effort away from your pre-match activities. A barbecue would be great if the weather cooperates. Make sure you've got a spare full gas bottle - it's so embarrassing if you run out! You'll need some snack food to sustain you, and then perhaps a few tins of baked beans for the mornings, when everything else seems like far too much effort. Don't drink and fry!
Make sure you've got enough grub for everyone, including your mates who won't be driving home after the match and are crashing on your couch for the night. Dig out your spare blankets for them.
Right, so you've got the food and drink sorted. It's Sunday night - All Blacks vs Wallabies. You're all settled in, and the haka gave you all goosebumps. And the TV goes black as power goes out across the entire city - NOOOOO! What a disaster!
But wait, you've got a transistor radio in the cupboard, along with some spare batteries, it's next to the lantern. You grab them all out, get some light going, pop the fresh batteries in the radio and tune in to 1503AM - Radio Sport for the live broadcast of our inevitable victory. Go All Blacks!
It's not an ideal situation, but at least it's not complete disaster, all thanks to a bit of preparedness.
Normally Emergency Management Officers and their volunteers around the country would be promoting Get Ready Week, but there's apparently some ball game happening that's distracted most of the population, and well, Canterbury is probably just a wee bit sick of disasters by now, so we're taking it easy.
I do, however, want take the time to make sure that those of you who are fanatical about the rugby are well prepared for this weekend's very important games.
There are games on both Saturday and Sunday night. You may well be too hungover to get to the shops until Monday, and some of you may even have taken a day of annual leave for recovery, so make sure you have stocked up on all the necessary supplies for watching the games at home.
You're going to want plenty of refreshments - you don't want to run out at a very important moment, and have nothing left to celebrate our victory over Australia. You're effectively going to need three days' worth of drinks to cover the whole weekend - make sure you also have something non-alcoholic, so the whole family can enjoy the party, and you'll probably want a fair bit of water to properly rehydrate after all that cheering.
Make sure you have plenty of food - something easy to prepare for dinner, that doesn't take too much effort away from your pre-match activities. A barbecue would be great if the weather cooperates. Make sure you've got a spare full gas bottle - it's so embarrassing if you run out! You'll need some snack food to sustain you, and then perhaps a few tins of baked beans for the mornings, when everything else seems like far too much effort. Don't drink and fry!
Make sure you've got enough grub for everyone, including your mates who won't be driving home after the match and are crashing on your couch for the night. Dig out your spare blankets for them.
Right, so you've got the food and drink sorted. It's Sunday night - All Blacks vs Wallabies. You're all settled in, and the haka gave you all goosebumps. And the TV goes black as power goes out across the entire city - NOOOOO! What a disaster!
But wait, you've got a transistor radio in the cupboard, along with some spare batteries, it's next to the lantern. You grab them all out, get some light going, pop the fresh batteries in the radio and tune in to 1503AM - Radio Sport for the live broadcast of our inevitable victory. Go All Blacks!
It's not an ideal situation, but at least it's not complete disaster, all thanks to a bit of preparedness.
Monday, September 5, 2011
One year on
One year ago today I had toothache that kept me awake most of the night. One year ago today I sat in the silent, shaking dark with growning panic. One year ago today my cat was hiding under my bed, petrified. One year ago today I actually used my Civil Defence training. With the usual strangeness of time it seems both long ago and far too recent.
- Jennifer Jacobs, Christchurch
4th September 2010 - 4: 35am
For people in Canterbury the earth shifted beneath them, literally, and everything changed.
For some people it was a dry run of what was to come in February, but for others that first shake was enough to tear their lives apart. It was a miracle that no one died in that quake (the timing meant that most people were at home in their beds), but people no longer felt safe in their own homes (some were forced to abandon their houses due to the physical damage), familiar places were broken and no longer familiar, workplaces closed, sometimes forever, livelihoods lost or drastically altered.
What was "normal" became something very different to what you or I would consider to be normal. Moata's blog on Stuff has some brilliant insights on this, and the comments are enlightening, and quite touching. http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/blogs/moatas-blog-idle/5554131/Happy-anniversary-baby
Things changed for the rest of the country too. There was a certain degree of "What the..? Christchurch?! But Wellington is supposed to get the Big One..." and then the sudden realisation for many people that, yes, it could happen any where, any time. And we live in Porirua, the Wellington Fault is just over there, why aren't you prepared already?!
Sales of bottled water and water containers around the country sky-rocketed. I know some of our local stores sold out as people actually started to think about their emergency supplies, and stocked up.
The phone on my desk started ringing near-constantly with community-conscious groups asking us to come out and talk to them about preparedness, or individuals asking about the best ways to store water or create an emergency toilet. It's one of the things we're here to do, so keep those calls coming.
Some of our council staff were deployed to Canterbury to help with building inspections and repairs to the sewage, drainage & water networks. We also had staff helping at the National Crisis Management Centre coordinating the national response.
Response agencies around the country stretched their own local resources to send staff & volunteers to ease the burden of those local people who had continued to provide response services to the public, despite being just as affected as those they were helping.
Lessons were learned about things that worked in theory, but weren't so good in practice, proven systems proved themselves yet again. Some of the wrinkles were ironed out of plans which had never been fully tested, and almost everyone had some handy gem of wisdom to pass on to help others get through the next event - which unfortunately came all too soon on February 22nd.
What have you learned from Canterbury's misfortune? Is there some handy tip that friends or family in Canterbury have passed on to you? Have you taken extra steps to prepare your family as as result of the Canterbury earthquakes?
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Snow! Everywhere!
In case you hadn't noticed, it's snowing! It's snowing right down to sea level too, so all our roads are covered in the stuff, which can make driving pretty hazardous. The best recommendation I can make for today is STAY HOME!
You don't need to go out driving today, you've got plenty of food in the cupboard, because you're all prepared for days like this - not that we ever expected snow like this in Porirua... but this is exactly the kind of unexpected event that you should prepare for!
Stay home, stay warm. You should also be prepared for power cuts, as heavy snow like this damages power lines - I've already had one power cut here.
If you absolutely have to drive somewhere, take it very slowly, and carefully. You're not going to get anything like normal traction or control.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Rug up this weekend - Cold snap on the way!
The MetService has issued a Special Weather Advisory for much of the country.
Another exceptionally cold outbreak, like the one on late July (or worse) is on the way. It's expected to reach the lower North Island on Sunday night. There'll be bitterly cold south to southwest gales, and probably snow too. Monday won't be much better either.
It's pretty likely that the Rimutaka Hill Road will be closed, so I wouldn't book any meetings over the hill for Monday, and if you are planning any long journeys, you might want to chuck some water and food, and a sleeping bag into the car, just in case you get stuck.
You may want to take pity on the pets and not kick them out of the house that night, and if you're in our rural areas, you'll want to make sure that any new-born livestock are well looked after.
So rug up folks, and take care of yourselves this weekend!
Another exceptionally cold outbreak, like the one on late July (or worse) is on the way. It's expected to reach the lower North Island on Sunday night. There'll be bitterly cold south to southwest gales, and probably snow too. Monday won't be much better either.
It's pretty likely that the Rimutaka Hill Road will be closed, so I wouldn't book any meetings over the hill for Monday, and if you are planning any long journeys, you might want to chuck some water and food, and a sleeping bag into the car, just in case you get stuck.
You may want to take pity on the pets and not kick them out of the house that night, and if you're in our rural areas, you'll want to make sure that any new-born livestock are well looked after.
So rug up folks, and take care of yourselves this weekend!
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
75% prepared
Awesome work, guys!
According to the latest Annual Residents' Survey of 400 Porirua residents, 75% of you have stored food & water and have a household plan for an emergency. The last time the survey was done, we only recorded 56%. What changed your mind?
While I'd love to claim the credit, I know a significant proportion of it to be a direct result of the Canterbury earthquakes. It's sad, but true, that it takes a disaster to spur us into action. I wish it didn't.
There's hardly anyone that I know that doesn't have friends or family in Canterbury, and when it's friends and family telling you the things they've experienced, and what they've had to do to get through, it really makes you realise that it could happen to you too. Especially since the Wellington region was always the place waiting for the Big One - the Canterbury quakes came out of the blue.
Have you changed your attitude towards preparing for emergencies as a result of the Canterbury quakes, or is there something else which made you decide to get ready?
Are you one of those 75% who are prepared? If not, why not?
While we don't want to be having more disasters, if there are other things that have got you thinking and preparing, please let us know!
According to the latest Annual Residents' Survey of 400 Porirua residents, 75% of you have stored food & water and have a household plan for an emergency. The last time the survey was done, we only recorded 56%. What changed your mind?
While I'd love to claim the credit, I know a significant proportion of it to be a direct result of the Canterbury earthquakes. It's sad, but true, that it takes a disaster to spur us into action. I wish it didn't.
There's hardly anyone that I know that doesn't have friends or family in Canterbury, and when it's friends and family telling you the things they've experienced, and what they've had to do to get through, it really makes you realise that it could happen to you too. Especially since the Wellington region was always the place waiting for the Big One - the Canterbury quakes came out of the blue.
Have you changed your attitude towards preparing for emergencies as a result of the Canterbury quakes, or is there something else which made you decide to get ready?
Are you one of those 75% who are prepared? If not, why not?
While we don't want to be having more disasters, if there are other things that have got you thinking and preparing, please let us know!
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
It's Easy - in Chinese!
It's Easy - Get prepared for an emergency - now available in Chinese!
We know that English is not always the first language that people speak in our region, but we want everyone to know just how easy it is to prepare for an emergency, so our award-winning preparedness booklet has been translated into Chinese.
Hopefully this will be just the first other language we translate it into, with more languages to come in the future.
We know that English is not always the first language that people speak in our region, but we want everyone to know just how easy it is to prepare for an emergency, so our award-winning preparedness booklet has been translated into Chinese.
Hopefully this will be just the first other language we translate it into, with more languages to come in the future.
Image links to the pdf (960kb)
Friday, June 3, 2011
Enjoy Queen's Birthday Weekend
If you are heading out of town for the long weekend, remember to take extra care on the roads. Don't forget, if you get caught driving 5km over the speed limit, you will get a ticket!
The weather looks like it's going to be pretty variable around the country - hopefully it's nice where you're going, but keep an eye on the forecast.
And finally, take survival items for the kids and you on the journey... food, games, drink, blankets (especially for the Desert Road), music and lots of patience.
The weather looks like it's going to be pretty variable around the country - hopefully it's nice where you're going, but keep an eye on the forecast.
And finally, take survival items for the kids and you on the journey... food, games, drink, blankets (especially for the Desert Road), music and lots of patience.
Friday, March 4, 2011
A new builidng would be nice!
"The people in charge of organising the response to a civil emergency in Porirua are based in buildings that might not be useable after an earthquake. "
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/christchurch-earthquake/4730026/Wellington-disaster-centres-on-shaky-ground
It's true, we don't have a purpose-built building designed to withstand an earthquake like the one that struck Christchurch (mind you, a peak ground accelleration of 2.2 times gravity is more than even the current building code allows for). We can dream of working out of an indestructable building, but the ratepayers have to indicate that this is important enough that they are willing to bear the cost.
The fact that our building may be unusable is one of the reasons why we have a completely portable system - we can work out of a marquee in the middle of a paddock if we have to.
All of our two-way radios come in robust suitcases and each run from a charged battery that will last for up to 24 hours, or they can be plugged into a generators, or run off a car battery, or use the 9V plug in the car.
Our laptops are also stored in similar suitcases, so we can pull then from the rubble if we have to, they will run off their batteries until we get the generator going. Staff can also bring in their own laptops and connect if required.
The new Emergency Management Information System runs over the internet, so when we lose access to land-based broadband we can either switch to mobile broadband, or plug in our satellite unit, which also gives us phone capability through Voice Over IP (VOIP).
And of course if all technology fails, paper & pencils will still get the job done!
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/christchurch-earthquake/4730026/Wellington-disaster-centres-on-shaky-ground
It's true, we don't have a purpose-built building designed to withstand an earthquake like the one that struck Christchurch (mind you, a peak ground accelleration of 2.2 times gravity is more than even the current building code allows for). We can dream of working out of an indestructable building, but the ratepayers have to indicate that this is important enough that they are willing to bear the cost.
The fact that our building may be unusable is one of the reasons why we have a completely portable system - we can work out of a marquee in the middle of a paddock if we have to.
All of our two-way radios come in robust suitcases and each run from a charged battery that will last for up to 24 hours, or they can be plugged into a generators, or run off a car battery, or use the 9V plug in the car.
Our laptops are also stored in similar suitcases, so we can pull then from the rubble if we have to, they will run off their batteries until we get the generator going. Staff can also bring in their own laptops and connect if required.
The new Emergency Management Information System runs over the internet, so when we lose access to land-based broadband we can either switch to mobile broadband, or plug in our satellite unit, which also gives us phone capability through Voice Over IP (VOIP).
And of course if all technology fails, paper & pencils will still get the job done!
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
It’s easy to make a household emergency plan
Latest media release from the Wellington Region...
Recent tragic events in Christchurch should reinforce to all of us the benefits in having a household emergency plan, Wellington Region Civil Defence Emergency Management Chairperson Jenny Rowan said today.
“An effective household emergency plan only takes a few minutes to prepare and can take a lot of stress out of the period that follows a natural disaster or major household emergency,” Jenny Rowan said.
“It’s important that families or flatmates prepare these plans together so that everybody knows what to do and where things like survival items are located.
“The Wellington Region CDEM Group has prepared an award winning 12 step guide booklet called It’s Easy. Copies of these are available for free at all city, district and regional council offices throughout the region and can be downloaded online at www.getprepared.co.nz
“Households should also regularly add emergency items to weekly shopping lists and make sure they have enough water stored to last three days. That helps spread the cost of these across the year and also ensures that items with an expiry date are regularly replaced.
“Being well prepared for an emergency is easy. All that’s needed is a commitment to making a plan,” Jenny Rowan said.
Recent tragic events in Christchurch should reinforce to all of us the benefits in having a household emergency plan, Wellington Region Civil Defence Emergency Management Chairperson Jenny Rowan said today.
“An effective household emergency plan only takes a few minutes to prepare and can take a lot of stress out of the period that follows a natural disaster or major household emergency,” Jenny Rowan said.
“It’s important that families or flatmates prepare these plans together so that everybody knows what to do and where things like survival items are located.
“The Wellington Region CDEM Group has prepared an award winning 12 step guide booklet called It’s Easy. Copies of these are available for free at all city, district and regional council offices throughout the region and can be downloaded online at www.getprepared.co.nz
“Households should also regularly add emergency items to weekly shopping lists and make sure they have enough water stored to last three days. That helps spread the cost of these across the year and also ensures that items with an expiry date are regularly replaced.
“Being well prepared for an emergency is easy. All that’s needed is a commitment to making a plan,” Jenny Rowan said.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Get Ready Week 2010 - Tsunami special
October 10-16 is Get Ready Week.
It used to be called Disaster Awareness Week, but it's important to not just be aware of diasters, you actually have to do something about preparing for them! Get Ready to help you Get Thru.
The Wellington region's theme for this year's Get Ready Week is tsunami - it was timely after the Chilean tsunami, and the national Exercise Tangaroa next week on October 20th is also based on a distant-source tsunami - these were all planned out well before the quake in Canterbury - I guess earthquake will be the theme again next year?
If you get the Kapi-Mana News in Porirua & Tawa, you'll receive a copy of "It's Easy - Know your tsunami zone" (or you can download the 737kb pdf by clicking on the link) in with the paper today.
Have a look at where you live, work, play & holiday in the region. If you'd like more detail, contact the city council for the area you are interested in. Porirua's tsunami evacuation zone maps can be found here - http://www.pcc.govt.nz/A-Z-Services/Emergency-Management/Tsunami-Evacuation-Zones
There will be ads on the TV & radio during the week, keep your eyes & ears peeled for them.
It used to be called Disaster Awareness Week, but it's important to not just be aware of diasters, you actually have to do something about preparing for them! Get Ready to help you Get Thru.
The Wellington region's theme for this year's Get Ready Week is tsunami - it was timely after the Chilean tsunami, and the national Exercise Tangaroa next week on October 20th is also based on a distant-source tsunami - these were all planned out well before the quake in Canterbury - I guess earthquake will be the theme again next year?
If you get the Kapi-Mana News in Porirua & Tawa, you'll receive a copy of "It's Easy - Know your tsunami zone" (or you can download the 737kb pdf by clicking on the link) in with the paper today.
Have a look at where you live, work, play & holiday in the region. If you'd like more detail, contact the city council for the area you are interested in. Porirua's tsunami evacuation zone maps can be found here - http://www.pcc.govt.nz/A-Z-Services/Emergency-Management/Tsunami-Evacuation-Zones
There will be ads on the TV & radio during the week, keep your eyes & ears peeled for them.
Friday, October 8, 2010
Northerly then southerly gales
Time to be blown this way, then that. Here's the latest from the MetService:
Severe Weather Warning - Northerly gales tonight
Northerly gales are forecast from this evening through to dawn on Saturday. The strongest winds are expected between about 10pm Friday and 4am Saturday, when severe gale gusts of 120 km/h are likely in exposed places.
Winds of this strength have the potential to damage trees, powerlines and insecure structures and make driving hazardous, especially for high sided vehicles and motorcycles.
Special Weather Advisory - Cold southerly gales for Sunday & Monday
Strong, cold south to southwest winds are also expected from Sunday afternoon to Monday evening. These cold winds are expected to reach gale force for a time near the coast and especially about Banks Peninsula, coastal Marlborough, Wellington and coastal Wairarapa. Snowfall amounts in these areas are expected to be modest, but could affect higher roads above 300 metres in Canterbury and eastern Marlborough and above 500 metres over central and southern parts of the North Island. This includes the Rimutaka Hill road and many of the roads leading through the Central Plateau.
So if you are planning on driving over to the Wairarapa on Sunday, or up the centre of the North Island, you should be packing some extra gear, just in case you get stuck, like folks did this time last year on the Napier/Taupo Rd - http://poriruaemo.blogspot.com/2009/10/one-month-into-spring.html
Severe Weather Warning - Northerly gales tonight
Northerly gales are forecast from this evening through to dawn on Saturday. The strongest winds are expected between about 10pm Friday and 4am Saturday, when severe gale gusts of 120 km/h are likely in exposed places.
Winds of this strength have the potential to damage trees, powerlines and insecure structures and make driving hazardous, especially for high sided vehicles and motorcycles.
Special Weather Advisory - Cold southerly gales for Sunday & Monday
Strong, cold south to southwest winds are also expected from Sunday afternoon to Monday evening. These cold winds are expected to reach gale force for a time near the coast and especially about Banks Peninsula, coastal Marlborough, Wellington and coastal Wairarapa. Snowfall amounts in these areas are expected to be modest, but could affect higher roads above 300 metres in Canterbury and eastern Marlborough and above 500 metres over central and southern parts of the North Island. This includes the Rimutaka Hill road and many of the roads leading through the Central Plateau.
So if you are planning on driving over to the Wairarapa on Sunday, or up the centre of the North Island, you should be packing some extra gear, just in case you get stuck, like folks did this time last year on the Napier/Taupo Rd - http://poriruaemo.blogspot.com/2009/10/one-month-into-spring.html
Friday, October 1, 2010
Award-winning guide to preparing for an emergency
I have to say that our public education group in the Wellington Region is awesome!
“This group identified a need for a handy, easy to read and understand guide for emergency preparedness and then produced it. They’ve done a tremendous job.
“Natural disasters can strike without warning anywhere at any time. The need for emergency preparation has been spectacularly highlighted recently by the Canterbury earthquake and also by floods in various parts of the country. It’s clear that the more preparation people make for an emergency, the more likely they are to get through it and that’s where the ‘It’s Easy’ booklet can help,” Rian Van Schalkwyk says.
Copies of the award-winning “It’s Easy” booklet are available from Council offices throughout the greater Wellington region and online at http://www.getprepared.co.nz/.
Here's a media release about some of our work.
Emergency preparedness document wins international award
A guide outlining easy step-by-step instructions for how to prepare for an emergency, published by the Wellington Region Emergency Management Group, has won the International Association of Emergency Managers 2010 Global Public Awareness Award.
A guide outlining easy step-by-step instructions for how to prepare for an emergency, published by the Wellington Region Emergency Management Group, has won the International Association of Emergency Managers 2010 Global Public Awareness Award.
The “It’s Easy” booklet was published in June 2010. The initial print run of 37,000 copies has been nearly exhausted.
“We’ve received positive feedback from householders and our local Emergency Management offices about the ‘It’s Easy’ booklet. But we’re really rapt and proud to get international recognition from an organisation with the standing that the International Association of Emergency Managers has,” Wellington Region Emergency Management Group Controller Rian van Schalkwyk says.
“Production of the booklet was a real team effort from the greater Wellington region Civil Defence Emergency Management public education group.
“This group identified a need for a handy, easy to read and understand guide for emergency preparedness and then produced it. They’ve done a tremendous job.
“Natural disasters can strike without warning anywhere at any time. The need for emergency preparation has been spectacularly highlighted recently by the Canterbury earthquake and also by floods in various parts of the country. It’s clear that the more preparation people make for an emergency, the more likely they are to get through it and that’s where the ‘It’s Easy’ booklet can help,” Rian Van Schalkwyk says.
Copies of the award-winning “It’s Easy” booklet are available from Council offices throughout the greater Wellington region and online at http://www.getprepared.co.nz/.
Friday, August 20, 2010
Emergency planning advice for the deaf
From the Ministry
A good way for everyone to get prepared is to use our region's fabulous planning guide - called "It's Easy - Get Prepared for an Emergency" - which you can download here.
Civil Defence Minister John Carter has today launched a DVD designed to give potentially life-saving advice on emergency planning to the deaf and hearing impaired.
"Deaf Aotearoa has collaborated with the Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management to produce this valuable resource," Mr Carter said.
It is estimated that about 10 percent of New Zealand's population have hearing difficulties of some degree. Information is provided in New Zealand Sign Language and is also captioned.
"Public education is essential to ensure New Zealand is resilient to the number of natural hazards we are vulnerable to including earthquakes, tsunami, volcanic activity and weather related emergencies," Mr Carter said.
Disability Issues Minister Tariana Turia said she welcomed the initiative and that it was important to include everyone in safety messages, including people with disabilities.
"This DVD encourages those who are deaf or have significant hearing impairment to plan ahead for their specific requirements in an emergency. It focuses on developing an emergency plan with friends, family and neighbours," Mrs Turia said.
"It also provides valuable advice to those who may be caring for someone with a hearing impairment, encouraging them to plan ahead and build a support network to help in an emergency."
"We all need to be prepared and know what to do when disaster strikes," Mr Carter said.
"The message is simple. All individuals and communities have a responsibility to look after themselves and their loved ones for at least three days, possibly more, until help can get to them.
"This resource is part of a wider public education programme that includes the Get Ready Get Thru website, radio and television advertising, brochures and the What's the Plan Stan? education resource for primary schools.
"The best way to get through an emergency event is to be prepared, and I can't stress that enough."
A good way for everyone to get prepared is to use our region's fabulous planning guide - called "It's Easy - Get Prepared for an Emergency" - which you can download here.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
WEMO using Twitter for emergency alerts
So our cousins down the road at WEMO are using Twitter as an emergency text alert system (see the media release below). I think it's a great idea, but I have a few queries before I set Porirua on the same path.
We currently have Readynet in place for businesses, schools, care facilities, community groups, etc. in Porirua. While primarily a planning tool allowing you to formulate an emergency plan for your site/group that can be shared with the 111 call centres and the Emergency Management Office, it has an email and text alert function too, but Readynet is not set up to cater for individuals, unless they are part of a wider group like Neighbourhood Support. (For more info on Readynet go to http://www.readynetinfo.co.nz/)
I currently use Twitter as a way of pointing people in the direction of this blog - it automatically tweets with a link to the new post whenever I do something here. It would be pretty easy to switch off the auto-forward, and use Twitter solely for emergency updates. But... what counts as an emergency?
What threshhold would we set? What is it you'd like to be alerted to with a text message at potentially odd hours?
Things like Grays Rd closing due to flooding? Slips on Paekakarki Hill Rd or other roads in the area? Severe Weather warnings? Gas leaks? Major traffic accidents? Flooding like we had at the end of May? Or super big things, like tsunami warnings?
I can imagine that it would have been quite useful during the Whitireia Park fire as a way of letting subscibers from the area know where to evacuate to, and which streets could return home at what time, but if you didn't live in that area it might have been annoying to get a text at midnight about something that didn't affect you in the slightest.
What are your thoughts? Post them in the comments here or on the Facebook page as I'm quite keen to find out, and don't forget to sign up to WEMO's alerts if you live or work in Wellington, or just want to be nosey.
From the Wellington City Council media release - 27 July 2010
We currently have Readynet in place for businesses, schools, care facilities, community groups, etc. in Porirua. While primarily a planning tool allowing you to formulate an emergency plan for your site/group that can be shared with the 111 call centres and the Emergency Management Office, it has an email and text alert function too, but Readynet is not set up to cater for individuals, unless they are part of a wider group like Neighbourhood Support. (For more info on Readynet go to http://www.readynetinfo.co.nz/)
I currently use Twitter as a way of pointing people in the direction of this blog - it automatically tweets with a link to the new post whenever I do something here. It would be pretty easy to switch off the auto-forward, and use Twitter solely for emergency updates. But... what counts as an emergency?
What threshhold would we set? What is it you'd like to be alerted to with a text message at potentially odd hours?
Things like Grays Rd closing due to flooding? Slips on Paekakarki Hill Rd or other roads in the area? Severe Weather warnings? Gas leaks? Major traffic accidents? Flooding like we had at the end of May? Or super big things, like tsunami warnings?
I can imagine that it would have been quite useful during the Whitireia Park fire as a way of letting subscibers from the area know where to evacuate to, and which streets could return home at what time, but if you didn't live in that area it might have been annoying to get a text at midnight about something that didn't affect you in the slightest.
What are your thoughts? Post them in the comments here or on the Facebook page as I'm quite keen to find out, and don't forget to sign up to WEMO's alerts if you live or work in Wellington, or just want to be nosey.
From the Wellington City Council media release - 27 July 2010
Sign up to emergency alerts on your mobile
The Wellington Emergency Management Office (WEMO) has a new text alert system which can help warn people about a major emergency like an approaching tsunami.
The Twitter-based service is free, however signing up will cost four texts at the standard rate.
Wellington City Council’s Emergency Preparedness Manager, Fred Mecoy, says signing up to receive the alerts is easy to do and it could ultimately save lives.
“The ability to deliver timely warnings and alerts through mobile phones will help ensure Wellingtonians have the information they need to protect themselves and their families prior to disasters and emergencies.
“We will send three to four test messages a year to ensure the service is working and any other message will be a genuine alert."
Fred says if you already have a Twitter account, signing up for WEMO text alerts is easy.
“Just follow @wemonz and allow tweets from WEMO to be sent to your mobile. If you are not a Twitterer all you have to do is text the word ‘start’ to 8987, wait for a reply and then text ‘signup’, text a unique username, then text ‘follow WemoNZ’.”
Fred is also encouraging users to then forward the alert on to their networks.
“The use of social networking media such as Twitter means emergency notification will be able to ‘go viral’.
“However we also realise the fragility of the cellphone network and, in particular, the possibility that it may become overloaded, which is why the emergency text alert system will be just one tool of many that WEMO will use to raise the alarm.”
For more information on text alerts, phone 460 0650, email wemo@wcc.govt.nz or visit Wellington.govt.nz
Sign up for text alerts – it’s easy!*
(If you already receive ‘Tweets’ to your mobile phone, go to step 5)
1. Text the word ‘start’ to 8987 (wait for a reply after each text sent)
2. Reply with the word ‘signup’
3. Think of a unique username. (You won’t need to remember it again, so you could use your name followed by some random characters, eg ‘Kelly495hgim’)
4. Reply with your chosen username (if you are already on Twitter, use your existing username, and it will ask you for your password)
5. Send/reply the words ‘follow wemonz’ to 8987.
*Please note it does not currently work on the 2 Degrees network.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Drive safely!
Looking at the weather radar, there's a big patch of quite heavy downpour kind of rain heading our way, just in time for the commute home.
Please take extra care on the roads, adjust your speed and following distances for the conditions, get your wipers going full speed, and make sure your headlights are on. Expect other drivers to do unexpected things, but make sure you are nice and predictable, and use your indicators early. I'm not exactly sure what happens to people's brains when they go driving in the rain, but my observations tell me it's not good!
We don't want to give the fire, police & ambulance services any more work than they need - especially in the rain - that would just be terribly inconsiderate! So for their sakes, and yours, drive safely.
And if you encounter problems with surface flooding or blocked drains, or slips closing roads and such like, contact the council (24hr ph 04-237-5089). We can't fix it, if we don't know about it!
EDIT: And it all passed by off our coast, making me look like a wally...
Please take extra care on the roads, adjust your speed and following distances for the conditions, get your wipers going full speed, and make sure your headlights are on. Expect other drivers to do unexpected things, but make sure you are nice and predictable, and use your indicators early. I'm not exactly sure what happens to people's brains when they go driving in the rain, but my observations tell me it's not good!
We don't want to give the fire, police & ambulance services any more work than they need - especially in the rain - that would just be terribly inconsiderate! So for their sakes, and yours, drive safely.
And if you encounter problems with surface flooding or blocked drains, or slips closing roads and such like, contact the council (24hr ph 04-237-5089). We can't fix it, if we don't know about it!
EDIT: And it all passed by off our coast, making me look like a wally...
Friday, July 9, 2010
Power cut in Porirua
From Stuff: http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/3900044/Power-cut-to-4500-Wellington-homes
Hopefully everyone had had their dinner by then? If not, I hope you were prepared and had another method of cooking available to you, like a gas cooker. It's not just the big disasters where you need to make use of your survival items.
Power was cut to around 4500 homes in the Mana area, north of Wellington last
night. Power went out about 8.30pm in Paremata, Titahi Bay and Mana,
Plimmerton. The fault was traced to a substation in Mana, a Wellington
Electricity spokesman said. Power was restored to all homes by 9.10pm, after
the electricity supply was re-routed by technicians. The cause of the power cut
was still being investigated tonight. A 9:05pm train between Paraparaumu and
Wellington was replaced by buses due to the power cut.
Hopefully everyone had had their dinner by then? If not, I hope you were prepared and had another method of cooking available to you, like a gas cooker. It's not just the big disasters where you need to make use of your survival items.
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