Media Release Archive

It is frightening to stay in a building immediately after an earthquake but it is much safer than immediately going outside. The Director of Civil Defence Emergency Management, John Hamilton, said it is not like a fire. You do not have to evacuate a building straight away unless it is showing obvious signs of distress.

The Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management has approved funding for 17 local government projects that will improve local and regional civil defence emergency management.

An initial trial has shown that emergency composting toilets might be an alternative to port-a-loos and chemical toilets if sewerage lines are damaged or broken.

Additional information for Oklahoma City tornado story

I would like to thank media organisations for your support yesterday in advising New Zealand of the potential risk we faced after the Santa Cruz earthquake and the tsunami that hit the Solomon Islands.

Northland Civil Defence Emergency Management (CDEM) Group manager, Graeme MacDonald, returned last night from a two-week United Nations deployment in the typhoon ravaged Philippines.

New Zealander Graeme MacDonald is one of the seven-strong United Nations team deployed in the Philippines ahead of Tropical Cyclone Bopha (known in the Philippines as Super typhoon Pablo).

The independent Review of the Civil Defence Emergency Management Response to the 22 February Christchurch Earthquake was today released by the Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management.

So many New Zealand ShakeOut evaluation forms are being returned that GNS Science is hiring a group of students to input all the data.

The Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management is delighted with New Zealand’s tremendous response to our first ever national earthquake drill, New Zealand ShakeOut, and that response from schools, businesses, councils, people at home and media is continuing.

New Zealand’s first ever national earthquake drill, New Zealand ShakeOut happens in about 45 minutes, at 9:26am.

Yesterday saw a big increase in numbers registered for New Zealand’s national earthquake drill, New Zealand ShakeOut.

New Zealand’s national earthquake drill, New Zealand ShakeOut, happens at 9:26am tomorrow - but what should people do after the drill?

It is only two days to go until the start of our country’s national earthquake drill, New Zealand ShakeOut, and thousands of schools and workplaces, including shopping centres and national retail chains, and more than 1.2 million people are already involved.

With one week to go until our first ever nationwide earthquake drill, New Zealand ShakeOut, Waikato’s Te Aroha Community Hospital might just be the most involved organisation in the country.

This morning, on the second anniversary of the first Canterbury earthquake, we reached our goal of 1 million people for the Drop, Cover and Hold national earthquake drill.

New Zealand’s first ever national earthquake drill, New Zealand ShakeOut, is exactly four weeks away, at 9:26am on September 26 (9:26-26:9).

As of today, more than 750,000 people are participating in New Zealand’s biggest ever earthquake drill, New Zealand ShakeOut.

From tomorrow (Monday), people will hear new Drop, Cover and Hold earthquake preparedness ads on the radio - in six different languages.

The Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management has reviewed its advice about storing water for emergencies and has issued new, additional information.