AirShelter on the way

The Group is soon to benefit from a new AirShelter. The shelter is in reality an inflatable tent and will be used routinely for promotional opportunities. The plan at this stage is to have the shelter ready for Disaster Awareness Week at the beginning of October. Banners will be attached to the outside of the shelter with our current hazard theme - storms. Inside there will be the core information on disaster preparedness and the CDEM Group. This time round there will also be a table inside with a weather station.

The shelter will also be a resource for emergencies too. Designed with a removable floor (to protect a crime scene) and IV line cables (for the ambos) the shelter can also be joined to the St John shelter if we need a larger shelter.

PNCC have also recently purchased a lightweight shelter and the combination of resources will give the Group a lot of flexibility for promotional activities in the future.

CDEM Group Plan another step closer

At today's meeting of the Co-ordinating Executive Group, the first draft of the Manawatu-Wanganui CDEM Group Plan 2009-2011 was received and endorsed. There are a couple of minor tweeks to make before the Plan goes up to the Joint Standing Committee on 4th September and then out for public consultation on the 7th September.

The Public Education and Information Strategy was also endorsed by the CEG this morning so all-in-all it has been a pretty successful day.

Back on deck

Well, I've been away for a couple of weeks but the business just keeps on ticking!!!

The CEG agenda has gone out with the first draft of the CDEM Group Plan and Public Education and Information Strategy. We meet next week to work through these before they go up to the Joint Standing Committee.

On the hazards front, Ruapehu did a little belch. Fortunately, there was little effect from this event at the Crater Lake. GNS Science issued alert bulletin for this event. There was a pretty chunky earthquake down south but incredibly, very little damage. This event was as large as the 1931 earthquake! Anywhere else in the world, I'm sure there would have been an international response to a devastated area. Soon after the earthquake, a tsunami warning was issued by the PTWC. Again, we were lucky that a big wave was not generated. This one does bring home that the warning system is designed for distant source tsunami. It just takes time to work things out and then get plans initiated.

Finally, congratulations to members of the Volunteer Rural Fire Force in Levin. Many of the members graduated with their level 2 FRSITO certificates last night. Presentation of their certificates was made at a ceremony at the Horowhenua District Council by HDC Chief Execuitive David Ward and FRSITO Manager Leonce Jones.

Rangitikei Exercise

The Rangitikei gang took part in a small exercise last Friday to test facilities at the Emergency Operations Centre - yes despite some rumours, the EOC is still fully functional at the back of the Marton library.

The exercise was intended to be a tabletop exercise and just enough to test systems such as CDERS and re-familiarise key District Council staff with CDEM arrangements. The exercise has also provided me with a baseline for future improvements (and there are a few up my sleeve). We'll be working through the system improvements over the next several months and the staff will be called on to participate in some training courses.

Its certainly not all doom and gloom though (as evidenced by the photo), the level of participation was good and the experience in the room reassures me that if the balloon went up tomorrow we have a response capability. At the conclusion of the exercise, Paul ran through an abbreviated version of CIMS training for some of the staff who were unfamiliar with some of these processes. Thanks to the team for their participation.