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.

Regroup relief

Well it's been a couple of days since my last message. The Group ECC and five of the local EOCs have been busy with Exercise Regroup. A pandemic influenza exercise with a focus on the CDEM Group activities.

On the whole I think the exercise was worthwhile. The aim and objectives have been achieved and a little bit more to boot. The formal debreif is not until 4th July but already a few things are standing out for me. We will be adjusting the CDEM Group's Pandemic Plan to reflect changes in communications process between the DHBs and the local EOCs. For routine matters that are best dealt with at a local level, this should be direct rather than via the ECC (which deals with more strategic issues).

The ECC will be refreshing some internal procedures in particular to build on the technological advances in our processes. I think we have enough training recommendations to last a year or more - at least now we can write the 08-09 training programme!

All in all - good job everyone. Thanks to all who participated and especially those who came in to assist us in running and assessing the exercise and the Group's capability.

Council staff moving to high alert

THIS IS AN EXERCISE STORY

As part of Exercise Regroup Horizons staff will today move to high alert. Emergency Management staff yesterday reviewed the Council's Pandemic Influenza Plan and checked arrangements should the current outbreak reach New Zealand shores.

Arrangements for the redeployment of pandemic response resources are underway, instructions on personal and family preparedness offered and programmes for reducing face-to-face work requirements investigated. Additional measures are being taken to safeguard key staff and ensure that an ability to work from home is available.

The CDEM Group's Emergency Coordination Centre at Horizons has been activated but will be operational only during work hours at this time. The normal Council duty officer system remains in effect.

A Groove workspace will be created today to enable agencies to share information with agencies who have installed this tool already.

Some Group members have already addressed issues with their pandemic plans in anticipation of the exercise activation dates of 18-19 June.