Marine search and rescue exercise planned

Central District Police will be running a marine search and rescue exercise approximately 3 to 5 nautical miles off the Oakura Coast on Sunday 24 March 2013.

Weather permitting, the exercise will kick off at around 12.30pm and conclude at about 3pm.

Sergeant Bill Nicholson Police SAR Coordinator for the Central District says: "Boaties operating in the New Plymouth and Cape Egmont areas can expect to hear some radio activity on marine channels 61, 84, and 6."

The scenario will be based on a sinking runabout with four people on board.

Those taking part will include Taranaki Police Search and Rescue, Coastguard units from New Plymouth and South Taranaki, Cape Egmont Sea Rescue, the Department of Conservation, and Taranaki Surf Life Saving.

Taranaki Coastguard Air patrol based at New Plymouth and the Rescue Coordination Centre NZ (RCCNZ) will also be involved.

"The exercise will provide an opportunity for the various SAR assets to work together and test out practised search and rescue procedures and techniques."
ends

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On Failures Of Care For Those With Mental Disabilities

Hard to imagine a more disturbing insight into the treatment of the vulnerable than the Health Ministry report on Te Roopu Taurima o Manukau. The Ministry has found that the country’s only kaupapa Maori intellectual disability residential care provider has been “seriously dysfunctional.”

The ministry says the business has failed to recruit and retain quality staff – and says the kaimahi (caregivers) that have been employed are seriously unsuitable for the job, lacking basic knowledge. But Te Roopu Taurima o Manukau doesn’t get all the blame. The report says there’s a significant gap under disability laws to ensure there’s oversight by qualified clinical professionals. More>>