MEDIA RELEASE
 
 
Get Ready during Disaster Awareness Week

For immediate release: 13 October 2009

Bay of Plenty residents are being reminded to take the opportunity to Get Ready during this year’s Civil Defence Disaster Awareness Week, 11 to 17 October 2009.
This year’s focus is to remind individuals to be better prepared to ‘Get Ready, Get Thru’ should a civil defence emergency occur.

Greg Wilson, Bay of Plenty Civil Defence Emergency Management Group Coordinator, said the two recent tsunami warnings should have reminded people that they need to be prepared before an emergency as there can be little or no warning about when an event could occur.

“This week is the perfect week to Get Ready,” Mr Wilson said. “A number of businesses are making it as easy as possible for people to get their emergency kits ready this week, including at The Warehouse and in New World supermarkets.”
He said the Bay of Plenty Civil Defence Emergency Management (CDEM) Group members are promoting the message through a variety of local response team equipment displays in Whakatāne, and will be distributing Civil Defence Emergency Management branded yellow re-usable shopping bags in Kawerau.

“In Rotorua a number of activities will be held, such as a Survival Kit and awareness display in the Credit Union window in Central Mall Rotorua, and a ‘Kidscene’ display and Survival Kit and awareness display in the Rotorua District Council foyer.”

TV Rotorua’s ‘City News’ will profile Pauline Hitchcock, Rotorua’s Emergency Management Coordinator, talking about ‘What’s the Plan, Stan’ resource for schools and Disaster Awareness Week.  The programme airs weekdays at 5pm and 9pm
For more information about Civil Defence or how to get ready, visit www.getthru.govt.nz

ENDS.