13 October 2009

National Disaster Awareness Week: Timely Reminder

Emergency organisations are encouraging Cantabrians of all ages to prepare for emergencies as part of National Disaster Awareness Week, which runs this week.

Jon Mitchell, Canterbury Emergency Management Office Manager, says most people know they should prepare and many Cantabrians are prepared but some of us have more to do.

For the coordinator of this week, National Disaster Awareness Week has taken on new meaning.  Sara McBride Steele, Communications Officer for Canterbury Emergency Management Group, was sent to Samoa last Monday to assist with disaster relief efforts.

“It is one thing to talk about disasters and quite another to have firsthand experience of a real large scale disaster.  If anything, the experience of working in Samoa has strengthened my resolve to get the word out: prepare today.  You never know when or where or how a disaster will strike and we may have no warning at all,” says Sara McBride Steele.

The Samoa tsunami and the warning of last week is a reminder that anything can happen.

“These events should encourage everyone to be ready for the next big emergency, whatever that may be.  Historically, Canterbury has experienced major earthquakes and severe storms.  Powerful tsunamis have struck our coastline and we have had massive floods.  There is no way to predict these events with 100 percent certainty so we need to be prepared for anything,” says Jon Mitchell. 

Activities for this week include:

New World South Island will promote the week in their weekly mailer and via in store point of sale.
Household “Emergency Ready” Competition:
One lucky family will win a prize package to get “emergency ready”.   Competition entries will be available online at www.cdemcanterbury.govt.nz. Entries close 20 October. 

Tsunami Planning Roadshows:
Hurunui and Waimakariri District Councils, supported by N.Z. Fire, Police, Environment Canterbury and the Canterbury Emergency Management Office are launching a new initiative to work together with communities to plan for tsunamis.

The first communities are Pines/Kairaki Beach and Beach Community Hall and Leithfield Beach.

§  Surviving an Emergency in Timaru

Timaru District Council is releasing it’s Surviving an Emergency booklet during disaster   awareness week - encouraging people to help themselves during emergencies.

     Environment Canterbury did an earthquake drill of its Christchurch buildings on Monday. 

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