Workshops reinforce preparedness message

The latest swarm of earthquakes in the Bay of Plenty area highlights the need to be prepared, says Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management Director John Hamilton.

"Everyone in New Zealand should be prepared by having a plan in place and this message is being reinforced in the region's schools through What's The Plan Stan workshops," he said.

Launched by the Minister of Civil Defence, the Hon Rick Barker, in April last year, What's the Plan Stan? is a school-based programme designed to educate children about disaster and emergency preparedness and is part the Ministry's national public education programme.

The Ministry's public education manager Chandrika Kumaran says the workshops are intended to support and encourage schools to use the What's the Plan Stan? resource, which has been distributed to all primary and intermediate schools.

"It helps principals and teachers fit the resource into the school's curriculum and understand better how to use the resource," she says.

The resource which includes a teacher's handbook and CD-Rom and a website was developed with the help of teachers and features Stan the lovable dog.

"Stan is well informed, he is loyal and he wants to help kids understand the disasters that can happen in New Zealand, and what they can do to be better prepared," Chandrika Kumaran says.

Another aspect of the workshops is the opportunity for attendees to meet regional and local Civil Defence Officers (CDO) and learn how emergencies would be handled in their area.

Last year workshops were run in 15 main centres and this year additional workshops have been held in Kapiti, Wanganui, Masterton, Rotorua and Whakatane. Further workshops will be run in Gisborne, Auckland, Blenheim and Timaru this month.

To find out more information about what to do in the event of an earthquake please go to www.getthru.govt.nz.

ENDS

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