Emergency plans for Waitara, Patea and Waverley

15 May 2013

Public meetings in Waitara, Patea and Waverley this month will be the first steps towards the townships helping themselves to be better prepared for emergencies.

The meetings will give residents an outline of Community Emergency Plans, and how they can be involved in preparing and maintaining them. Meeting details are:

• Waitara: Monday 20 May, 7pm, Waitara Memorial Hall.
• Patea: Thursday 23 May, 5.30pm, Hunter Shaw Building, Patea.
• Waverley: Thursday 30 May, 5.30pm, Waverley Community Centre.

“Community Emergency Plans set out what communities need to do and can do if an emergency occurs – key people to contact, what resources you can call on from within the township, identifying people who need assistance, that sort of thing,” says Senior Emergency Management Officer Shane Briggs.

“In a big emergency, emergency services may have to prioritise their resources. Some communities may be isolated for a short time, and residents will need to rely on each other. Having a Community Emergency Plan will help people focus quickly on what needs to be done, and empower them to do it.”

Community Emergency Plans are being organised by Taranaki Civil Defence Emergency Management, the New Plymouth District Council and the South Taranaki District Council. Plans are already being prepared for Oakura, Inglewood and Urenui, and others will be rolled out to communities throughout Taranaki.

The public meetings will brief residents about the types of emergencies that might be expected, and the process of preparing a Community Emergency Plan, with the aim of setting up a committee of local residents to work on developing a plan.

ENDS

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