Red Cross continues support in Greymouth

20 November 2010

Media Release

Last night, at the request of police, New Zealand Red Cross set up a welfare centre at the Red Cross First Aid training centre, 100 Tainui Road, Greymouth, to assist families involved in the Pike River mining incident.

The centre, staffed by Red Cross volunteers from the Greymouth Response and Hokitika Welfare teams, working alongside Civil Defence, has been open all night providing several families with food, shelter and support.

The Hokitika Welfare Team caravan is now being used to set up a catering facility at the location near the mine where families are gathering, to offer further assistance.

Members of the Christchurch Response Team with additional welfare equipment (camp stretchers, BBQ, etc) departed at 6am to provide support. It is likely they will support both the welfare centre and the caravan.

Further members of the Christchurch team are on standby, as is the Nelson Response Team, many of whom are the same people who responded immediately after the Canterbury earthquake in early September.

New Zealand Red Cross Emergency Management teams are set up around the country to respond in times of crisis.

All are volunteers with Welfare teams trained in basic first aid and welfare while Response teams are further trained in triage and casualty handling skills.

ENDS

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