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Public alerting seminars reminder
Learning from earthquakes: NZSEE seminars
South Island Emergency Management Officers conference
Topo50 maps exchange
Earthquake exercise rocks Community Board conference
Dunedin City civil defence EXPOsed
Hawke's Bay inter-agency communications group
Red Cross Response Teams train in Dannevirke
Rotorua exhibits at community fun day
CDEM Professional Development
CDEM Research
Regional hazard management group meeting
Changes at EMANZ
IAEM members can now access FEMA online certification
Print version
E-Bulletin - April 2009
Director's Message - John Hamilton
Even though the exact nature of the arrangements that will be adopted for governance in the Auckland region have yet to be finalised, local government groupings in other regions have indicated they too might consider changes. The CDEM Act of 2002 is specific about the roles and responsibilities of local authorities for the delivery of civil defence emergency management in their areas. It is instructional to read Section 12 and Section 17 and to then consider how well those provisions are being met. The Act expects territorial authorities to play critical roles in their areas for risk management, readiness (including public awareness), and maintaining an ability to respond to and manage adverse effects of emergencies. The arrangements that are developed for Auckland are expected to be tested against the provisions of the CDEM Act to ensure that the needs of communities are not overlooked. While the arrangements may well look different from what we have used in the past, I am confident they will serve Auckland communities well.
But the arrangements alone, whatever they are, are never going to be enough. In the last few weeks another example, this time the deadly earthquake in central Italy, has occurred that serves to highlight the interdependencies that exist in emergency management between individuals and communities, local councils and central government in planning and readiness - most emphatically during the response phase. We know we could face a similar situation to that experienced in Italy. How would we fare? We might well have in place arrangements and an approach to CDEM that are well regarded internationally, but it is the implementation and actions taken under the framework, that make the difference to communities and their ability to cope with a disaster.
The CDEM sector in New Zealand draws on extraordinary levels of willingness, commitment and skill from fulltime staff and volunteers. The communities we serve will benefit from our reflection on, and understanding of the arrangements and how well-placed we are. They will benefit from the effort we put in well before any emergency occurs that helps to reduce the risks and improve readiness. Our communities will benefit from the training and the planning that prepares those likely to be involved in the response and recovery, when it comes. We hold the key and we can make the difference!
John Hamilton
Director
Public alerting seminars reminder
In the March issue of e-Bulletin we announced the next series of regional seminars held under the Tsunami Risk Management Programme. This round of seminars is planned for the end of April and early May 2009 to examine the results of public alerting options surveyed last year. These studies focussed on the use of telecommunications-based technology for public alerting conducted by the New Zealand Centre for Advanced Engineering and an assessment of the wider range of public alerting options, including the development of an options selection tool, conducted by GNS Science.
Seminar dates and venues
28 April 2009: Auckland (1000-1300 at Mt Smart Stadium, Beasley Ave lounge)
29 April 2009: Tauranga (1000-1300 at Mt Maunganui Cosmopolitan Club)
30 April 2009: Palmerston North (1000-1300 at the RSA in Broadway Ave)
6 May 2009: Nelson (1000-1300 at Nelson City Council)
7 May 2009: Christchurch (1030-1330 at Environment Canterbury)
8 May 2009: Balclutha (1000-1300 at Balclutha District Council)
Attendance is recommended for all members of CDEM Groups and their stakeholders (Group committee members, CEG committee members) along with members of the various Group committees (WAG, Lifelines, Readiness and Response), emergency management officers and other stakeholders such as district/regional planners, health planners etc. For more information, contact David Coetzee.
Learning from earthquakes: NZSEE seminars
Last year an earthquake, large by world standards, occurred in the Wenchuan County of the Sichuan Province of China. Severe damage was spread over an area of 30,000 square km. It displaced over 5 million people and killed more than 70,000. In Novembers 2008, a New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering (NZSEE) team of five visited the area observing the effects of and the recovery from the earthquake. The NZSEE is holding a series of seminars throughout the country to present their findings.
Download a flyer detailing dates and venues (PDF)
Photo: The Wenchuan earthquake impacted many towns and cities, such as Beichuan, a town that was totally evacuated following devastation by the earthquake impacts, including shaking, fault rupture, land slides, debris flow, and flooding from breaching of a landslide dam.
South Island Emergency Management Officers Conference
The South Island Emergency Management Officers conference is to be held in Ashburton, Wednesday 22 and Thursday 23 July. The theme of the conference is building community resiliency with a key focus on the current government's vision for civil defence emergency management. Unlike previous conferences there will be no field trip this year.
Download the registration form (PDF)
Topo50 maps exchange
As mentioned in the last issue of Impact, Land Information New Zealand is updating all of the 1:50,000 and 1:250,000 maps for New Zealand, rendering existing NZMS maps obsolete. From September all emergency services will be using the new maps, so CDEM offices across New Zealand will need to ensure they have updated their maps.
You can order replacement maps, free of charge through Tane Woodley at MCDEM by e-mailing the order form to him by 30 April 2009.
A map index is available online. Order forms have been sent to the CDEM Group Emergency Management Officers in each region, or they can also be obtained from Andrew Ferrel at LINZ; aferrel@linz.govt.nz.
Earthquake exercise rocks Community Board conference
Leaders of the community from all over New Zealand had to face the daunting task of gathering intelligence, searching and rescuing the injured, getting them to safety and looking after them in a set of exercises observed by the Minister of Civil Defence John Carter and Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker.
Canterbury CDEM Group members including representatives from the NZ Fire Service, St. John, Hurunui, Selwyn & Waimakariri District Councils, the Regional Emergency Management Office and the NZ Red Cross came together to design and deliver a simulated earthquake scenario complete with casualties, limited communications, infrastructure collapse and trapped and missing people.
The aim of the exercise was for Community Board Members to consider what their role(s) might be in an emergency and to highlight the need for their community to be prepared. For more information about the event contact Esther.Griffiths@ccc.govt.nz
Photo: Community Board representatives being allocated tasks during an earthquake simulation
Dunedin City civil defence EXPOsed
Good use was again made of the EQC display panel as well as local public education materials. School groups were brought in by the busload on Friday morning and had a check-sheet to complete, which included finding out the answers to some civil defence questions. The answers had to be found in the recently produced emergency planning booklet, which they were encouraged to take home. The theme for this expo was sustainability, which fitted in well with planning for resilient communities.
Photo: Students work through a civil defence quiz
Hawke’s Bay inter-agency communications group
The Hawke’s Bay inter-agency communications group (HBICG) had its inaugural meeting in November 2008 with the purpose of strengthening communications relationships between various CDEM stakeholders/agencies. The group includes the regional and city/district council Public Information Managers and Regional Controller, as well as communication’s representatives from the police, fire, ambulance, DHB and WINZ agencies. Acknowledging the benefit of better relationships, better integrated plans and processes within and between the agencies, the group has agreed to meet at least quarterly to develop a common programme of work.
The second meeting of HBICG, held in March, focused on confirming the group’s purpose, as well as moving to a common operational communications plan and non-operational communications strategy. While still in its infancy, the group is now working on opportunities to promote these important inter-agency relationships and improve public preparedness for future events. Plans include interactive multi-agency stands at the Specifically Pacific event in August and the Hawke’s Bay A&P Show in October.
For more information about this group, contact Drew Broadley on 06 835-2632.
Red Cross Response Teams train in Dannevirke
New Zealand Red Cross Response Teams from across the central North Island recently converged on Dannevirke to take part in Exercise Viking. Teams from Taranaki, Palmerston North, Wanganui, Napier, Hastings and Wairarapa arrived for a weekend of practical exercises and training in search and rescue and advanced first aid. Members of the public were able to see the exercise taking place in the old hospital building, the area around Mangatewaiiti Stream and at the Makotuku Domain.
New Zealand Red Cross Response Teams are made up of volunteers trained in areas such as search and rescue, first aid and welfare. These teams work with communities and regional Civil Defence Emergency Management Groups to provide assistance in disaster and emergency situations. New Zealand Red Cross Regional Emergency Management Officer Graeme Brown said Exercise Viking was a great opportunity to bring the teams together share ideas and learn from each other.
“It is a chance for the teams to put into practice all the things they have learnt in an unfamiliar and challenging environment,” says Mr Brown.
Rotorua CDEM exhibits at community fun day
Last month Rotorua CDEM was invited by hardware retailer Bunnings to take part in a community fun day along with other community agencies. A local radio personality encouraged people to visit the stalls and join in the various competitions.
The CDEM stall was staffed by Rotorua CDO Pauline Hitchcock supported by a team of volunteers throughout the day. A full survival and getaway kit was on display along with brochures and information resources, plus volunteer interest forms. Two huge photo boards displayed CDEM volunteers’ activities. Children enjoyed interacting with the What’s the Plan Stan programme on laptops and also watching photos of our local natural hazards scrolling continuously on another laptop.
NZ Response Team 15 demonstrated the rescue trailer and equipment with ‘Horace the Horrible’ (a 90kg mannequin borrowed for training) lashed to a stretcher.
Communications equipment was also erected and members of the public invited to talk to civil defence using one of the trailer radios on loud speaker. It was amusing to see children look around to see who was talking to them over the microphone as they approached the stall.
The public were also encouraged to enter a competition to win survival items – the winner appearing in the local paper providing additional preparedness coverage.
The boxed water project was also promoted at the event (pictured below). This is a BOP CDEM Group initiative supported by MCDEM to provide 15 litres of pure spring water for $6. These proved very popular with the public. For more information, contact Pauline Hitchcock.
CDEM Professional Development
Competency Framework online survey
A great big thank you to the 386 people that responded to the CDEM Competency Framework online survey! Armed with this essential data we are now able to start analysis of the CDEM sector in New Zealand and the roles and functions within it.
A brief preliminary summary of statistical results from the demographic and organisational sections of the online survey will be provided in the May E-bulletin. During May 2009, we will be progressing work on analysing the results from the competency sections of the survey. We have had some useful feedback on the online survey, and would like to thank those who have been in contact. If you have any further feedback, please email us.
Competency Framework Project next steps
For further information about the progress of this project click here
Continuing Education – your suggestions needed
The Professional Development team is currently working to identify topics and appropriate delivery mechanisms for a CDEM continuing education programme. A pilot was delivered in the form of a master class, ‘Working with the media in an emergency’ held on 3 April 2009 at Ellerslie Events Centre, Auckland. This was well attended and we have had useful feedback on further topics and modes of learning.
The outcomes of the CDEM Competency Framework will inform the development of this programme, but to ensure that we have the right kinds of topics and modes of delivery, we require your input. For example, you may need to understand more about financial management in emergencies (topic) which is best delivered as a seminar (mode of delivery), or you find that recent developments in recovery (topic) are best delivered as a podcast (mode of delivery). If you would like to make a suggestion email us with your ideas.
MCDEM courses
The Recovery Managers’, Public Information Managers’ and Controllers’ courses were held at the Ellerslie Events Centre, Auckland from 31 March to 3 April. The courses were all fully attended, with participants travelling from a range of locations. There was also representation from a number of partner agencies and organisations at local and CDEM Group levels. Participation was high and enthusiastic as attendees collaborated in a range of interactive sessions and listened to interesting presentations from our guest speakers.
MCDEM Course dates for October 2009
The MCDEM Recovery Managers’, Public Information Managers’ and Controllers’ courses are next scheduled to be delivered in Wellington. Look for registration information in the May e-bulletin.
Controllers 1 & 2 October 2009 (2-day course)
Recovery Managers 5 & 6 October 2009 (2-day course)
Public Information Managers 7 October 2009 (1-day course)
MCDEM courses will continue to be offered in the three main centres, Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. One round will be held in Wellington each year, with the second round offered alternating between Christchurch and Auckland, starting with Christchurch in 2010.
MCDEM Regional Contacts
Northern
John Titmus john.titmus@dia.govt.nz Ph 09 262 7832
Greg Gallop greg.gallop@dia.govt.nz Ph 09 262 7833
Suzanne Vowles suzanne.vowles@dia.govt.nz Ph 09 263 0163
Jane Rollin jane.rollin@dia.govt.nz Ph 09 362 5175
Central
Ian Wilson ian.wilson@dia.govt.nz Ph 04 495 6820
Keith Evans keith.evans@dia.govt.nz Ph 04 495 6837
Andrew Hickey andrew.hickey@dia.govt.nz Ph 04 495 6822
Southern
John Lovell john.lovell@dia.govt.nz Ph 03 379 5224
Simon Chambers simon.chambers@dia.govt.nz Ph 03 379 0294
Peter Cameron peter.cameron@dia.govt.nz Ph 03 379 5332
MCDEM Professional Development contacts
Jane Pierard Ph 04 495 6845
CDEM Research
The latest issues of Disaster Research newsletter are available online:
Disaster Research is a bi-weekly e-newsletter produced by the University of Colorado Natural Hazards Centre, which includes articles about new developments, policies, conference announcements, job vacancies, web resources, and information sources in the field of disaster management.
Articles in issue 522 include:
- Climate change: do we stay or do we go now?
- Science breaks through at the White House
- An oil spill that wasn’t recalls one that was
- Bad planning could equal bad luck in court
- First comes earthquake, then comes marriage
- Giampaoalo Giuliani: Like Chicken Little, But With Better Timing? (prediction of earthquakes)
- Fargo Floods: Can’t Win for Winning
- Here a Tweet, There a Tweet (Twitter - a means of communicating during a disaster).
- Chinese to Throw Money at Shaky Schools
- Scientists Prepare to Get Vortex View of Tornados
Articles in Vol 24 include:
- Victoria’s state level emergency risk assessment method
- A fresh approach to development assessment in Bushfire Protection Areas
- I-Zone planning: Supporting frontline fighters
- The Wildfire Project: An integrated spatial application to protect Victoria’s assets from wildfire
- Taking a risk-based approach for landslide planning: An outline of the New Zealand landslide guidelines
- Bringing information management practices to natural disaster risk reduction
- How well prepared are Australian communities for natural disasters and fire emergencies?
The March 2009 (PDF) research update is available online
Topics include:
- Many strong voices against the disaster of climate change
- Cellphones vs. Sirens: Effective Public Notifications Systems for New Zealand
- Issues and opportunities for land-use planning for volcanic hazards in New Zealand
- Exploring Kaitiakitanga and Hazard Management in Aotearoa New Zealand
- Modelling livestock evacuation following a volcanic eruption: an example from Taranaki volcano, New Zealand
- Auckland DHB Evacuation Plan Project
- The role of religious institutions in disaster risk governance: the case of 2005 earthquake in Pakistan
- Empire to Nation: Natural disaster stories in the New Zealand School Journal 1907-2007
- Older peoples’ experiences of a flood disaster: making sense of an extraordinary event
- Tourism and earthquakes in the zone of the alpine fault: risk, readiness and resilience
- Rediscovering the events of May 1960: the impacts of the tsunami from Chile
- Pyroclastic Peril: Impacts and Short-Term Recovery Assessment of the 2008 Chaiten eruption, Chile
- Volcanic impacts website
- The Great Southern California Shakeout
- New Urbanism and natural hazard risk reduction – a case study from Seabrook, Washington State, U.S.A.
UNICEF Pacific have released an evaluation of UNICEF's response in the emergency and initial recovery phases of this event. Available for download (pdf) here.
Understanding and Managing Earthquake Hazards 2009
GNS Science is running a short course, Understanding and Managing Earthquake Hazards, to be held at GNS Science, Avalon, Lower Hut on May 14 and 15. A flyer and registration form can be downloaded here: http://www.gns.cri.nz/news/conferences/index.html
Regional hazard management group meeting
The Regional Hazard Management Group met in Wellington on 8 April. The group consists of local authority hazard analysts and exists to exchange information, ideas, expertise and experiences on hazard identification studies, risk assessment and impact studies, and on hazard management (planning & mitigation) strategies, actions and initiatives. Established in 2005 the group meets on average twice a year and is facilitated by the Hazards, Risks and Research Team within MCDEM, with support from the Ministry for the Environment.
In the morning the group was involved in a workshop to develop performance criteria for the CDEM Monitoring and Evaluation Programme. Their specific expertise was sought on developing criteria for monitoring performance in the hazards/risks identification and risk reduction areas. The outcomes of the workshop will be included in the draft assessment tool that will be more widely consulted on in due course.
In the afternoon group members provided an update of regional hazard management activities. Matters for general discussion were experiences of the RiskScape regional pilots and how this initiative may now further develop. A clearer understanding of its benefits and costs for local authorities and its management at the national level was sought. MCDEM is to explore the possibility of holding a workshop for local and central government along with the key partners and funders of the project. The meeting concluded with a brief discussion of the group’s terms of reference, and some minor points of clarification and refinement are now in process.
Changes at EMANZ
In late November, the Emergency Management Academy of New Zealand (EMANZ) became a division of Tai Poutini Polytechnic. The change means that EMANZ now has the full support of a much larger education organisation and the infrastructure to better support its students.
Some significant changes have also occurred within the management structure of EMANZ; Steve Glassey has taken a three-month contract with the United Nations World Food Programme and is currently based in Laos to review national disaster management arrangements; the Operations Manager role has been filled by Gabrielle Bahler; and Chris Schraders has moved into a Programme Development Officer role focusing all of his time on the development of the Diploma in Applied Emergency Management (DipAEM).
It is intended that students will complete this qualification over a period of 2-4 years part time. The programme is primarily aimed at senior emergency management volunteers, practicing emergency managers without qualifications and allied service personnel wanting a career change; however, anyone who meets the entry requirements can enrol.
Enrolments are now open for the DipAEM. For more information please visit: www.emanz.ac.nz/diploma.php.
IAEM members can now access FEMA online certification
The International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) is now able to offer sponsorship to its non-United States members allowing them to receive credit for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Emergency Management Institute online independent study courses. These courses offer opportunities for IAEM members to meet the education requirements for Certified Emergency Manager (CEM) or Associate Emergency Manager (AEM) certification.
If you are an IAEM member wishing to undertake this study opportunity, please contact steve.glassey@mercalli.co.nz for detailed information.
If you have anything to add to next month's E-Bulletin contact Adrian Prowse with your submissions.
