Every year since the early nineties, the United Nations organises a World Disaster Reduction Campaign, which culminates on International Disaster Reduction Day, the second Wednesday of October. In New Zealand, the Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management working in collaboration with Civil Defence Emergency Management Groups around the country, has promoted Disaster Awareness Week, a week of activities aimed at raising awareness of hazards and the need to be prepared. In 2010 the week has been renamed “Get Ready Week”, as we seek to move beyond creating awareness to encouraging people to take action to “Get Ready”.

The purpose of Get Ready Week is to have a heightened period of activity to get across key CDEM messages to the general public. The plan is to have an intensive national mass media advertising campaign to promote the key messages, with CDEM Groups encouraged to undertake local and regional activities for their communities. The focus during the week is on encouraging individuals to take action to be better prepared to deal with disasters when they happen.

Planned national media activities
The national theme will continue to be the generic "Get Ready Get Thru" and it is up to CDEM Groups to focus on specific aspects such as water, schools, businesses etc. As in previous years there will be an intensive national mass media campaign on television and radio reinforced by activities to support CDEM Groups.

Radio and television advertising
An intensive two-week campaign will run from 3-16 October on television and radio. Details of programmes and times will be posted closer to the time when schedules are available from the networks.

Support from retailers
During the week we will be undertaking activities to encourage people to think about having an emergency plan and survival items. Getting the message across to our communities is always a challenge. Support from retailers to remind people to stock up on the essential items is certainly a big plus. We are absolutely delighted to have support again this year from The Warehouse Group. We encourage CDEM staff at the councils around the country to take advantage of the support offered by retailers to maximise the opportunities.

The Warehouse will encourage their stores to be supportive of requests from their local council civil defence staff to explore instore promotional opportunities. Please note that the ability of the store to accommodate your request will vary with the stores and is dependent on space availability. We would encourage you to contact your local store owner/ manager soonest possible and discuss options that would work for both parties. This could include space to have your civil defence displays or material or even to have staff on site at agreed times to encourage shoppers to get prepared.

CDEM Group Activities for the Week
Please send in your information on planned activities for the week. Email us at emergency.management@dia.govt.nz

Manawatu-Wanganui

We are developing a Tsunami Display for our air shelter. This will circulate around the group in the week leading up to and the week of Get Ready. The outside of the air shelter will have Tsunami information. On the inside there will be displays of core survival information and "Tsunami - When Minutes Count" video playing.

We will have a new “Are You Prepared” Booklet that covers the entire group for handouts.We will also look at a competition with a beach theme give-away.

The display is scheduled to be in Levin 5-7 Oct, Fielding 8 Oct, Ruapehu 12 or 13 Oct, Dannevirke 14 Oct, Wanganui 15 Oct.
For further information contact anniep@ruapehudc.govt.nz

Auckland
Rodney District Council

• Internal Civil Defence displays and awareness
• Civil Defence display stands manned by external volunteers outside Warehouse or New World
• Advertising in existing Schools 'Playground' magazine (this booklet is distributed throughout Rodney and North Shore Schools)
• Focus on volcanoes throughout Rodney district

• Inland Revenue Staff Training for 560 staff at the Manukau Office
• 10th October – ‘Ambury Farm Day’ manned Civil Defence display - free information (35,000 visited last year)
• Manned displays at the Warehouse every day that week
• 8th October - Age Concerns bi-annual ‘International Day Of The Older Person’ event at the Botanic Gardens - a manned display all day