Emergency Management & Civil Defence
Aim of the Civil Defence Emergency Management Organisation
Emergency Home Survival Kit
Emergency Centres
Rural Fire in the South Waikato
Disasters in New Zealand
Current Status:
Normal
Latest News:
Nothing to report.
Aim of the Civil Defence Emergency Management Organisation
Emergency Management is all about people helping people. It is all of us working together to take care of our community's needs in an emergency event. If there is an emergency, everyone needs to be self-reliant and prepared to survive in their own homes for up to three days without assistance, other than from their neighbours.
In an emergency, Civil Defence Emergency Management co-ordinates a wide range of groups and agencies to:
- Help prevent loss of life.
- Help the injured and relieve distress.
- Help return the community to normal.
The South Waikato Civil Defence Emergency Management is there to help people in an emergency event. The South Waikato District Council and the Police, Fire and Ambulance services may not be able to manage the situation on their own. The Civil Defence Emergency Management network is able to bring together extra resources to help these services cope.
An emergency could occur at any time in the South Waikato District. Possible emergencies include:
- Floods
- Storms/high winds
- Hazardous chemical spills (industrial/transport accident)
- Loss of water or power supply
- Earthquakes
- Volcanic eruptions
- External threats, including events of extra-terrestrial, global or overseas events which have an impact on New Zealand.
Emergency Home Survival Kit
You must be prepared for emergencies and be a survivor. Basic survival kit items should include:
- A torch with spare batteries or light sticks.
- A transistor radio and spare batteries. (There is a radio in your car).
- A First Aid kit.
- Tinned food for two to three days for you and your pets.
- A can opener.
- Bottled water.
- A box of matches or lighter.
- Toilet paper.
- Remember tinned items, water and batteries need to be checked and changed every six months.
- Getaway kit
This kit should also include:
- Legal documents and important papers: birth, marriage and insurance certificates; passports; family photos etc.
- Any special medical or dietary needs: prescription glasses, asthma inhaler, hearing aid, prescription drugs.
- Toiletries and baby needs.
- Feminine needs.
- Also take warm clothing and bedding.
- Wear warm clothes and strong footwear.
- List of relations' and close friends' addresses and phone numbers.
- Blankets and sleeping bags.
Lastly, don't forget your pets!
Emergency Centres
South Waikato Emergency Centres may be established at most primary schools or halls:
SECTOR WARDEN POSTS
TOKOROA
Cosmopolitan Club
Balmoral Drive
TOKOROA
Tokoroa Club
Chambers Street
TOKOROA
PUTARURU
North Sector Putaruru College
South Sector Putaruru Full Primary School
TIRAU
Tirau Primary School
WARDEN POSTS
TOKOROA
Squash Club - Parkdale East Street Tokoroa
Tokoroa Club - Chambers Street Tokoroa
Anglican Church - Baberton Street Tokoroa
Amisfield School - Moffat Road Tokoroa
Strathmore School - Strathmore Drive Tokoroa
Tainui Full Primary School - Tainui Street Tokoroa
David Henry School - Thompson Street Tokoroa
Tokoroa Intermediate School - Elizabeth Drive Tokoroa
Central School - Clyde Street Tokoroa
North School - Paroanui Road Tokoroa
Tokoroa Club - Chambers Street Tokoroa
Samoan Hall - Giles Street Tokoroa
Pacific Island Church (PIPC) - Cnr Kelso Street and Mangakino Road Tokoroa
PUTARURU
South Sector - Putaruru Full Primary School Kennedy Drive Putaruru
North Sector - Putaruru College Junction Street Putaruru
Central Sector - St Mary's School Catholic School McKenzie Street
TIRAU
Ward Headquarters - Tirau Primary School
RURAL SOUTH WAIKATO DISTRICT
Kuranui School - Waiomou Road South Okoroire
Okoroire Hall - Okoroire Road
Puketurua Hall - Puketurua
Lichfield School - Lichfield Road
Te Waotu School - Waotu Road
Kinleith Nursery Athol - Old Taupo Road Tokoroa
Upper Atiamuri School - State H/Way 30 Atiamuti
COMMUNITY WELFARE CENTRES
Main Welfare Centres:
A large area and buildings where full welfare services are made available.
TOKOROA
Papa O Te Aroha Marae, the Memorial Sports ground and the Sports Clubs in the Sports ground.
Phone 8868883
Mossop Road - Tokoroa
Alternate Main Welfare Centre
Apostolic Church
Phone 8864970
Thompson St - Maraetai Road - Tokoroa
Tokoroa High School
Phone 8866109
Billah Street - Tokoroa
Forest View High School
Phone 8865219
Baird Road - Tokoroa
PUTARURU
Putaruru College
Phone 8838323
Fax 8838354
Junction St - Putaruru
Alternate Main Welfare Centre
Putaruru Full Primary School
Phone 8837166
Fax 8837226
Kennedy Drive - Putaruru
TIRAU
Tirau Primary School
Phone 8831653
State Highway 1 - Tirau
ASSEMBLY CENTRES
These are emergency rallying points where basic aspects of welfare are available. The sites can be pre planned or selected at the time according to conditions. These are centres based on Warden Posts, Schools, Halls, Caravan Parks and Y.M.C.A.'s.
Rural fire in the South Waikato
The South Waikato District Council is a Rural Fire Authority and is responsible for ensuring the Forest and Rural Fires Act 1977 is being complied with in the South Waikato District.
The Council has appointed a Principal Rural Fire Officer who is responsible for ensuring that the necessary management functions are in place. This includes actions to reduce the risk and severity of fire, and monitoring the fire danger on a daily basis during the fire season. Other key tasks include ensuring preparedness by having available a means of fire suppression to efficiently and effectively manage rural fires.
Agreements are in place to use the New Zealand Fire Service and other fire suppression providers if required, and to have an aerial fire fighting capacity through the use of helicopters and monsoon buckets and fixed wing aircraft.
The Forest and Rural Fires Act 1977 requires Rural Fire Authorities to have an operational fire plan. The South Waikato District Rural Fire Authority is responsible for reviewing and updating the Rural Fire Plan Part One (Operational) every year. The Rural Fire Plan Part Two is a statement of fire control policy, chain of command and procedures by a Rural Fire Authority.
Click here to go to the current Rural Fire Plan document.
Disasters in New Zealand
Disasters can be classified into three separate boxes: geological, meteorological or technological.
Geological threats include events like earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides, tsunamis, shoreline erosion. This type of disaster is associated with New Zealand's location on an active margin of the Pacific and Indian-Australian crust plates, or with land instability.
Meteorological threats include events like storms, tornadoes, river and coastal flooding and heat waves which represent the extremes of New Zealand's weather conditions.
Technological threats include events associated with human activities which lead to disaster, like accidents involving hazardous materials, failure or structures, major transportation accidents etc.