What strikes me as I look at the array of articles in this issue of E-Bulletin is how many are about engaging with the public.  Engagement covers many aspects of civil defence emergency management including public education and awareness, information and alerting systems, the community’s involvement in emergency planning and community readiness, education and capability development of staff, and community involvement in a response.  I am delighted to see the contributions made.  The involvement of people is crucial to CDEM.  People are the focus of CDEM efforts and the first line of defence is our communities’ understanding and managing the hazards they live with. The best support for our communities comes from well organised and educated people in all sorts of agencies, understanding the wide-ranging concept we call CDEM.

The aim of E-Bulletin is to provide a simple way for people in CDEM to share information and lessons, promote upcoming events, and to celebrate successes. This appears to be the biggest issue of E-Bulletin we have published so far!  I thank all those that have contributed.  I appreciate it takes time and effort to share your experience and knowledge.  By doing this you have helped make others stronger and better prepared and our country more resilient.

The flip-side of such a big issue is reading it. I hope you take the time to scroll through the contents list. I am sure you will find items of interest and use to you.  When you click on the title in the table of contents, it will take you straight to the article. 

John Hamilton
Director CDEM

New Zealand uses a Volcanic Alert Level system that defines the current level of activity at our active volcanoes. This system is changing on 1 July 2014, so that it can better meet the needs of its users. The new system can be accessed on the GeoNet website.

A Volcanic Alert Level system was first developed before the Ruapehu eruptions in 1995, and the same system has been used ever since. The Volcanic Alert Level has been used for eruptions at Ruapehu, White Island, Raoul Island and Tongariro (Te Maari). That system was reviewed between 2010 and 2014 as part of a research project that looked at improving the communication of information about volcanic activity. This research found that the system was perceived to be too complex, and that developments in volcano monitoring over the past 20 years have created an opportunity to improve the system. The improvements in volcano monitoring have come about through the GeoNet project (funded by EQC). Ways to make the system more understandable and useful were identified during the revision process, leading to the development of the ‘new’ Volcanic Alert Level system.

Changes in the new system include having just one system for all volcanoes in New Zealand (previously there were two), restructuring the system so that there is an additional level for ‘moderate to heightened volcanic unrest’ (instead of just one level for all volcanic unrest), and adding in information about the most likely hazards that will be seen for each level of volcanic activity. The number of levels in the new system remains unchanged (as an eruption level was removed to make way for the additional unrest level), and ranges from 0 (no volcanic unrest) to 5 (major volcanic eruption). No changes have been made to the international aviation colour code system.

To find out more information on the new Volcanic Alert Level system, visit the GeoNet website. To learn about volcanic hazards visit www.gns.cri.nz/volcano, and to find out what to do before, during and after volcanic activity, visit www.getthru.govt.nz.

Story submitted by Sally Potter
Social Science Researcher
s.potter@gns.cri.nz

Auckland now has its first set of comprehensive tsunami evacuation maps for the entire region’s coastline. The maps are based on information from the 2013 Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management study into New Zealand’s tsunami risk.

Produced by Auckland Council Civil Defence and Emergency Management (CDEM), the 237 easy-to-read online maps identify at-risk areas and explain the ideal evacuation zones in the event of a tsunami based on the Ministry’s national guidelines. These maps will help Aucklanders understand the risk to their local community and help prepare them to act appropriately in an emergency. 

While most of Auckland has low tsunami risk, it is still important for the region to be prepared. These maps will assist in the refining of current and future Community Response Plans.

Auckland CDEM is working with local boards and communities to help them understand their risk, and working with them to identify evacuation routes, signage and public alerting options going forward.

To view the tsunami evacuation maps and for more information on Community Response Plans visit www.aucklandcivildefence.org.nz

Story submitted by Kiri Maxwell
Senior Advisor, Readiness
Kiri.Maxwell@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz

The first edition of Bay of Plenty’s civil defence newsletter, Status Green is out now. It is available to the public through the Bay of Plenty civil defence website and Facebook page.

Every month the Bay of Plenty Civil Defence Management Group will publish information and news relating to the Group and civil defence activities. We will include information about events (open days, expo’s, volunteer week, etc.), local and regional articles (public interest, projects completed, feedback from community engagement, good work stories etc.) a Get Ready Get Thru hint and a joke of the month.

The newsletter will raise the profile of civil defence across the region, promote awareness and preparedness, and our website, Facebook and Twitter sites.

Read the May 2014 edition of Status Green.

Story submitted by Naomi Luckett
Bay of Plenty Emergency Management Coordinator (Community Resilience)
Naomi.Luckett@envbop.govt.nz

Bay of Plenty residents can now sign up to receive civil defence text alerts.

The free alerts let you know if there’s a significant emergency in the region. The texts, from Bay of Plenty Civil Defence Emergency Management, will be sent only for serious threats to life and property, such as tsunami warnings, major earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides and severe weather events where time is of the essence in getting people to take action.

Regional Manager Bay of Plenty Civil Defence Emergency Management Clinton Naude said anyone can subscribe free through Bay of Plenty’s Civil Defence website www.bopcivildefence.govt.nz. The texts will include a very short simple message outlining the threat, telling people to listen to the radio for more information. 

“Even if you live out of the region but have friends, family or property in the Bay you can sign up,” Mr Naude said.

“People won’t get inundated with texts from us; this will only be used for significant threats where time is critical. We’ll continue to use media, the website and social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter for other alerts, warnings and general information or public education.

“We hope we’ll never have to use it, but we’d like as many people as possible to sign up. This is a simple way to be informed if something serious happens. Once the threat is over people will also get an all-clear message.”

To sign up for the free texts, go to http://www.bopcivildefence.govt.nz/Emergency-Status/Subscribe

Story submitted by Linda Thompson
Senior Communications Advisor, Bay of Plenty Regional Council Linda.Thompson@envbop.govt.nz

Clutha District Council has hosted a very successful three days of Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) 3 training for the Otago Group. 

Organised by Clutha District Council Emergency Management (Civil Defence) Officer, Brendon Smith (CDC) and run by the Emergency Management Training Centre, the EOC 3 Training course was held at the Council offices in Balclutha.

The training was delivered by Jon Mitchell who put around 47 personnel from Police, Otago Regional, Dunedin City and Clutha and Waitaki District councils through their paces. Each day focused a different function of the EOC – Planning and Intelligence, Operations, and Logistics – which gave participants the opportunity to better familiarise themselves with their role and those who they might be working most closely with in an event.

The sessions were a follow on from the EOC 2 course which Clutha hosted last year.

The training was again incredibly useful, particularly for those with little experience of the processes of the EOC environment, or a refresher for those who hadn’t been involved in an event for some time. It was also a chance for participants to get up to speed with new policies and procedures in relation to Emergency Management. 

Story submitted by brendon.smith@cluthadc.govt.nz

Horizons Regional Council emergency management officer Evan Lloyd is a master of his craft, having recently graduated with Merit from Massey University with a Master of Emergency Management.
Mr Lloyd is the first to graduate with the qualification from Massey. It has taken seven years of post-graduate study, starting with the graduate diploma.

“It’s a real thrill to finally get there,” Mr Lloyd said. “As anyone who has undertaken extra-mural study will attest, it quickly becomes an all-consuming activity. A supportive family and employer are essential.”

Mr Lloyd has undertaken extra-mural study in the past but said none was as relevant to his day-to-day work as the Massey qualification.

The structure of the programme incorporates a variety of electives, allowing students to select papers of most interest and relevance to their situation.

“I chose as many emergency management related papers as possible but was also able to take a health and safety paper that’s proved hugely beneficial as well as another research paper on business continuity.

“Study at this level has a strong focus on research, critical analysis and problem solving. Honing those skills is something I’ve really enjoyed. One of the big advantages of post-graduate study is that it helps bridge the gap between science and practice.”

Massey’s Graduate Diploma in Emergency Management has been one of the most popular emergency management qualifications since the early 90s but opportunities to extend into post-graduate study were limited. In 2010 Massey rolled out a wide range of qualifications from graduate certificate to a doctoral degree.

Story submitted by Ally Koehler
Communications Advisor, Horizons Regional Council
Ally.Koehler@horizons.govt.nz

Marlborough Civil Defence has set up a Twitter account which will be activated during events and emergencies to give people instant access to vital information.

The account, @Marlborough_CD, will provide updates on road closures, power outages, hospital and welfare information and flight disruptions in the event of an earthquake, flood or fire.

In non-activation periods, occasional tweets and retweets will be set out to inform the public which is happening throughout the region and nationally to boost awareness and preparedness.

The Public Information Officers for Council encourage people to follow Marlborough Civil Defence on Twitter as social media was a vital tool when it came to quick access to information in the event of any emergency.

After Marlborough’s two large 2013 earthquakes in July and August Council recognised the need for an active, up-to-the-minute social media presence.

The Council’s five Public Information Management Officers will each play a role in keeping the Twitter account updated.

Story submitted by Gail Stewart
Marlborough District Council civil defence Public Information Manager
Gail.Stewart@marlborough.govt.nz

Emergency Management Southland has produced a short video for the people of Southland highlighting the potential risks of tsunami around the Southland coast.

The video highlights; What a tsunami is, what the consequences might be for Southland, a little bit of history and some measures that families might want to think about if they live, holiday or simply occasionally visit the coast.

Cue Television in Invercargill helped to film and produce the video with Emergency Management Southland providing the information.

Compared to the rest of New Zealand the Southland coastline could be described as sparsely populated.  It is also very varied with the Fjords in the West to the large bays of the southern coast and the entire coast of Stewart Island.

The sea is very accessible to the people of Southland and most visit the coast during the year at some time.

To date the video has only been presented to the joint council forum.  The response from them was very positive.  

The plan is to provide copies to local schools, all the district libraries and then place the video on social media so that the people of Southland can source the information at their leisure.  There is a media campaign to promote the video.

Story submitted by Craig Sinclair
Emergency Management Southland craig.sinclair@civildefencesouthland.govt.nz

A neighbourhood was evacuated by civil defence to allow Taupō District Council’s Emergency Response Team NZ-RT6, the opportunity to test out its skills and processes.

The evacuation also acted as a chance for the neighbourhood to learn about emergencies, how to be prepared and the role of Civil Defence.

The exercise took place on the evening of Monday March 31 and had three streets involved. A total of 55 residents from 52 houses in the neighbourhood were evacuated by Civil Defence Response Team members, who visited each house and told people to evacuate to a nearby welfare centre.

At the welfare centre, residents were registered and were given information on what to do in an emergency and what to keep in a home’s emergency kit. Emergency Manager Phil Parker said the residents also got a chance to meet their neighbours around a cup of coffee and a biscuit, which fostered good relationships which would be useful in an emergency.

“We chose this community because the roads are laid out in such a way that it was easy access and was a good place for a test run,” he said. “Everyone who got involved was committed to what we were trying to achieve and it was great to see such enthusiasm for civil defence and being prepared.”

The Civil Defence Response Team would now take the experience and analyse how it went to ensure the processes in place were appropriate. Mr Parker said they had received requests from other neighbourhoods to do a similar exercise, and there were plans to do this in the future.

Story submitted by Phil Parker
Taupō District Council Emergency Manager
pparker@taupo.govt.nz

Building on the success of the previous two years, the Hamilton Emergency Management team was determined to make this year’s Waikato Show one to remember with over 14,000 visitors filing through.

This year ‘Stanville’ had been hit with a severe storm, and the emergency services were out in force to clean up. 

Visitors were welcomed to the disaster scene through the Incident Command Point and as they moved into the exhibit were greeted by Stan himself.  Emergency Management staff and emergency service personnel handed out information about all the emergencies that could occur in the Waikato, and how to Get Ready to Get Thru.

Fallen trees and branches hinted at the damage the storm had caused, and a car had hit a power pole bringing live power lines down.  NZ Red Cross members were showing visitors through their brand new Welfare Response vehicle, and Fire had an appliance on site for the weekend.  WEL Networks were there with their own response vehicles and were educating visitors around live line safety.

With visitors brimming with emergency management information, they ended their visit to Stanville at the ‘Stanville Store’, run by the Prepare.co.nz, which had taken damage from the storm but was still open for business.  Visitors had a good opportunity to get information on and purchase survival items.

Shaun Libeau, the Hamilton Emergency Management Advisor and organiser of the event, was impressed with the turn out from the public, and the huge effort undertaken by the agencies and volunteers who helped. 

You can see for yourself the huge effort the team went to by watching a short clip created to showcase the event:

Story submitted by Shaun Libeau
Emergency Management Advisor
Shaun.Libeau@hcc.govt.nz

Hamilton City Council welcomes their new Emergency Management Intern – a New Zealand first. The Internship will offer graduates an opportunity for exposure in the CDEM sector and input into current projects and work plans.

Chris Nicholson, the inaugural intern, joins the team with degree in paramedicine and postgraduate qualification in emergency management. The Interns will be given project assignments related to emergency management which will provide them with substantial hands on experience to support them into their future emergency management career.

One aspect of Emergency Management that Chris is passionate about is exploring ways to effectively utilise volunteers during a large scale emergency.   Chris has written a paper on Spontaneous Volunteers and is expected to be AUT University's first Emergency Management publication.

Whilst completing his three month internship, Chris is studying towards a Graduate Diploma in Earth Science at the University of Waikato.

Chris is thrilled to have this opportunity; “I look forward to improving my knowledge and understanding of CDEM in the Waikato and am hopeful that this programme will pave the way to a career in Emergency Management”.   

If you are interested in contacting Chris, he can be reached on Chris.Nicholson@hcc.govt.nz

The Waitaki District was hit by two back to back rain events 10 days apart, with the first event on Good Friday, April 18 and the second on April 28.

On Good Friday significant heavy rain fell in the Kakanui Mountains culminated in a historical runoff of rainwater into the river catchments, closing roads , isolating communities and inundating farmland. State highway one was closed at Hampden and again at Maheno affecting hundreds of motorists.

The Waitaki Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) activated at 1230 hours on Good Friday to bring in a degree of coordination to the developing environmental and community issues. Civil Defence volunteers were out in force assessing their areas of responsibility texting and emailing information and photos back to the EOC.

By nightfall it was clear that a welfare operation was needed to manage up to 250 stuck motorists and welfare centres were activated at Palmerston, Hampden . Moeraki, Maheno and Oamaru(three centres) to look after the travellers overnight or until roads could reopen.

The second event was a mainly coastal, with torrential rain, gale southerlies hitting the Waitaki coast. The countryside flooded yet again with many district roads closing, isolating some families. The NZ Fire Service, Civil Defence volunteers, EOC personnel, and council contractors responded to community requests for sandbagging and pumping out affected flooded houses. Welfare needs were less for this event.

Story submitted by Chris Raine
Emergency Services Manager
craine@waitaki.govt.nz

MCDEM is working with CDEM Groups to provide a range of supporting resources based on the “What will you do?” theme. This includes the design of a range of online posters and email banners that can be customised for the Groups based on specific areas you want to focus on.

If you have ideas for activities in your region please contact your representative on the National Public Education Reference Group.

The national “Get Ready” television and radio campaign will also run during that week and details of programmes will be advised closer to the time. MCDEM is also undertaking a national coordinated production run for bags, brochures and checklists to  get the best possible unit price on these items.

More information from Chandrika.kumaran@dpmc.govt.nz

Last month EQC’s “Fix. Fasten. Don’t Forget.” public education campaign started its second run in cinemas outside of Canterbury.

The three campaign commercials will air until the end of June and are supported by the “Fix. Fasten. Don’t Forget.” website, where people can learn about what they can do to fix and fasten their homes.

The campaign continues on from its successful run in cinemas over the Christmas-New Year period and the Canterbury-specific campaign that ran earlier this year featuring Todd Blackadder and Sam Johnson.

Because EQC is mindful that the commercials may trigger strong emotions for some Cantabrians, it won’t run the commercials in Canterbury cinemas or on television nationally for the foreseeable future.

EQC’s General Manager Stakeholder Engagement and Reputation, Debbie Barber says, “we’ll continue to monitor the campaign and to collaborate with stakeholders, including mental health professionals, to help make sure the “Fix. Fasten. Don’t Forget.” campaign works for all New Zealanders”.

“But the Canterbury, Cook Strait and, most recently, Eketahuna quakes have really brought it home to all New Zealanders that we can’t afford to take a chance with earthquakes.

Visit EQC’s “Fix. Fasten. Don’t Forget.” website to see the advertisements and tips on how to quake safe your home.  And you can contact Casey Flynn if you would like copies of EQC’s “Easy Ways to Quake Safe your Home” brochure which comes in English, Māori, Samoan, Tongan, Chinese, Hindi and Korean.  If you would prefer to view the brochures online, visit the “Be Prepared” section of EQC’s website.

Story submitted by Casey Flynn CFlynn@eqc.govt.nz

Initial planning for New Zealand ShakeOut 2015 has begun and details of an inter-agency planning team will come shortly. The planning team will confirm an agreed date for the national earthquake drill, which is likely to be September or October 2015 to fit in with school terms. Similarly to 2012, New Zealand ShakeOut will be part of the Get Ready Get Thru campaign and the National Exercise Programme. For about a year from the date of the national drill New Zealand ShakeOut will be the full-time focus of MCDEM’s Public Education Advisor. Support from Groups and other agencies, which was so willingly and expertly provided in 2012, will be crucial for success in 2015.

For more information contact vince.cholewa@dpmc.govt.nz

The 2nd Edition of the Coordinated Incident Management System (CIMS) has been published online.  You can find it on the MCDEM website.

This edition replaces the 1st Edition, published by the NZ Fire Service in 1998 (commonly called the Blue Book). It builds on the foundations laid by the Blue Book, and incorporates the experience gained by New Zealand response agencies over the last 16 years.  In particular it draws on the lessons identified from the Canterbury earthquake, Pike River and MV Rena responses.

CIMS 2nd Edition is the result of a review that started in 2007. The project was paused following the 2010-1 sequence of earthquakes in Canterbury, and the disaster at Pike River. The Steering Group formed to create this edition incorporated 13 agencies, including MCDEM, Police, Fire Service and Ambulance New Zealand, as well as representation from CDEM Groups.

CIMS 2nd Edition provides more detail and has a greater scope than the Blue Book.  Major additions to CIMS include;

• The inclusion of response levels, describing how incident, local, regional and national agencies coordinate their actions
• Recognition of the community as responders and as a primary focus for official response agencies
• More detail on each of the functions within a Coordination Centre, including description of sub-functions
• Greater emphasis on the Welfare function
• Greater emphasis on the management of volunteers
• A common operational planning process

This edition of CIMS will be published in two formats; a PDF for personal use or small scale printing, and a printable file that commercial printers can use for larger print runs. It is not intended to publish it in hardcopy form

Any queries should be directed to Tane Woodley, Emergency Management Advisor, MCDEM, on 04-817-8566 or at tane.woodley@dpmc.govt.nz

CIMS (2nd edition) recognises the experience of large and complex emergencies and the lessons identified by associated reviews and enquiries. In contrast to the roll-out of the first edition of CIMS as a new structure, adjusting to the 2nd edition is unlikely to required more than minor adjustments to learning and development material for personnel working at incident level. For those personnel required to manage large multi-agency incidents (and above) there will be concepts and processes that deserve greater attention.

To assist the CDEM sector and any other organisation that would like to consider it, MCDEM has provided some additional guidance for building organisational capability with CIMS on their website. The guidance includes a recommendation that agencies and organisations using CIMS (2nd edition) complete a needs analysis to clearly relate the necessary skills, knowledge and attributes required of each emergency response role within that agency/organisation, to the content of CIMS (2nd edition). Each role could fall into one of five broad ‘bands’, which then makes tailoring CIMS (2nd edition) learning and development opportunities much easier. 

For more information, refer to the MCDEM website or email the MCDEM Capability Development Team MCDEMCapDev@dpmc.govt.nz

The Ministry continues to review and develop a number of publications. Recent and planned activities including, surveys to determine necessary amendments, workshops with stakeholders and sector consultation are being carried out as follows:

• Lifeline Utilities and CDEM: Director’s Guideline (review and amalgamation of DGL 3/02 and BPG 1/03). The document was issued for sector consultation in October 2013, and is currently being finalised and will be published in mid-2014.
• Logistics: Director’s Guideline. A workshop with stakeholders is being held on 15 May 2014. Sector consultation on the draft document will occur in mid-2014.
• CDEM Group Planning: Director’s Guideline. A survey seeking stakeholder feedback on this publication was issued in July 2013 and informed the development of the current draft. Sector consultation on the draft document will occur in mid-2014.
• Recovery Management: Director’s Guideline (review and amalgamation of IS 5/05 Focus on Recovery and DGL 4/05 Recovery Management). A survey seeking stakeholder feedback on this publication was issued in February 2014 and is being used to inform the development of the current draft. A workshop with stakeholders is being held on 24 July (being hosted by the Waikato CDEM Group). Sector consultation will occur in late 2014 or early 2015.
• Welfare in an Emergency: Director’s Guideline. A survey seeking stakeholder feedback on this publication was issued in February 2014, and is being used to inform the development of the current draft. Sector consultation on the draft document will occur in late 2014.

Contact Manager Analysis and Planning, sarah.stuart-black@dpmc.govt.nz

MCDEM has been emailing updates to CDEM Group Managers, asking them to forward the messages to EMO’s and ICT staff. MCDEM has also copied the updates to PIM staff on an FYI basis.

The redevelopment project will include a small amount of work for Groups’ ICT staff but no other costs for Groups. Group ICT staff will need to check the links between their website and MCDEM’s to make sure they will work correctly so changes to a Group’s emergency status will be automatically flagged on the MCDEM website and the public directed to the Group’s website. 

The target date for MCDEM’s  new website to be live is 1 July 2014.

For more information contact project manager daniel.jackson@treasury.govt.nz

A workshop was held on Thursday 15 May at MCDEM, to review the current draft of the CDEM Logistics Director’s Guideline. Representatives attended from the Auckland, Canterbury, Otago and Southland CDEM Groups. Feedback from this workshop will result in an amended draft that will be sent out for an eight-week period of external consultation, most likely from late June-August.

External consultation had originally been planned for March-May, but a MCDEM review indicated that it required further development before it was ready. The workshop was a key step in this development.

Any queries can be directed to Tane Woodley at MCDEM, Tane.Woodley@dia.govt.nz, (04) 495-6827 or (027) 277-6859.

The CDEM Capability Development Strategy was designed for those agencies with specific responsibilities under the Civil Defence Emergency Management Act 2002 and the National CDEM plan. Its purpose is to provide support and direction for developing the capability of all people engaged in CDEM.

The strategy focuses on the capability of individuals. Capable individuals then contribute, in turn, to capable teams, capable organisations, and a capable, strong and effective CDEM sector nationally. MCDEM are currently developing a model to demonstrate the key result areas, and how they work in conjunction to enhance the CDEM sector’s capability.

The strategy is a living document, and has been designed to fit within a five year period. There is some work yet to occur in a number of areas. However for the first time those agencies involved have an agreed framework of intent, a common language, and the support required for developing the capability of all people engaged in CDEM in New Zealand.

The benefits of the strategy are:

• better support for roles and functions in CDEM
• better support for CDEM leaders
• better support for CDEM volunteers
• better sustained collaboration and commitment for CDEM agencies
• better enablement of evidence-based research and practice.

More information regarding the strategy will be available in the next Impact magazine. If you have any questions regarding the strategy, please contact the MCDEM Team Leader Capability, Grant Morris, on (04) 817 8581, or email grant.morris@dpmc.govt.nz

The MCDEM-run CDEM Public Information Manager (PIM) and Controller workshops in April saw 42 people attending, with 10 of the regional CDEM groups represented. The PIM workshop had some thought-provoking speakers, such as Clive Manley, who discussed what a Controller would expect from a PIM in an event, and Glyn Walters from the Auckland City Council, who talked about ‘A day in the life of a PIM’. Steve Adams and Paul Wheatcroft from the Ruapehu District council discussed the Raetihi diesel spill and their roles in the event. The following day, the Controllers workshop enjoyed addresses by Wellington Group Controller Bruce Pepperell and MCDEM’s very own Suzanne Vowles, the Regional Emergency Management Advisor for Waikato. The workshops received some valuable and positive feedback – thank you to everyone who attended, making the workshops both valuable and enjoyable.

Early this year, MCDEM sought proposals from suitably qualified learning and development providers to design, develop and provide a capability development programme for CDEM Controllers.

Announcement of the selected provider and more information on the delivery of the programme components will feature in the next e-Bulletin.

The programme, aimed to be rolled out in the second half of 2014, is targeted at Controllers at all levels, local to national. It will include an element of pre-course learning, a residential course to offer a face-face learning phase, followed by individualised post-course continued development. After successful completion of the programme, the aim is to have individuals accredited as CDEM Controllers. Following an evaluation process of the proposals received, MCDEM have selected a preferred provider and contract negotiations are well underway.

If you have any questions regarding the controllers’ programme, please contact the MCDEM Team Leader Capability, Grant Morris, on (04) 817 8581, or email grant.morris@dpmc.govt.nz

Grant Morris (04) 817 8581

Aimee Flanagan (04) 817 8583

Duncan Henry (04) 817 8584

MCDEMCapDev@dpmc.govt.nz

Feel free to contact us!

As part of the ongoing implementation of the Welfare Review Corrective Action Plan, an opportunity for the CDEM sector to come together to consider and provide feedback on the new arrangements in the draft revised National CDEM Plan, and the necessary work to implement them was identified.

Eighty representatives from every CDEM Group across the country attended the 2014 CDEM Group Welfare Forum in March, co-hosted by MCDEM and Auckland Council CDEM at the Aotea Centre in central Auckland.

First on the agenda was an update on the changes to the National CDEM Plan and an overview of the agreed future arrangements for CDEM Welfare. This was followed by a series of interactive sessions, led by local and regional CDEM Welfare professionals.   Topics and issues covered included: Roles and responsibilities of Group Welfare Managers; Standardising Terms of Reference for Welfare Coordination Groups and improving links between local-regional-national welfare; Welfare plans and planning; Welfare Sub-functions that CDEM is responsible for; Welfare in Response and Recovery – ECCs, EOCs and CDCs; and Capability development requirements for Welfare Managers.

Guests attended an optional dinner where speakers delivered about a mix of sombre and entertaining experiences. The forum provided an excellent opportunity for CDEM Welfare professionals, MSD and MCDEM staff to share, and draw on, their experience and expertise, to build relationships and to gain an understanding of local and regional challenges.  Feedback has been consistently positive; with many expressing an interest in repeating these types of workshopping opportunities.

Summary information from the interactive group discussions will be made available shortly.

Contact Manager Analysis and Planning, sarah.stuart-black@dpmc.govt.nz

May research update free online http://disasters.massey.ac.nz

Welcometo the latest of the research updates from the Joint Centre for Disaster Research. The centre opened in December 2006 and is a joint venture between Massey University and GNS Science within the School of Psychology, based at the Massey University campus in Wellington.

The centre undertakes multi-disciplinary applied teaching and research aimed at:

• gaining a better understanding of the impacts of natural, man-made, and environmental disasters on communities;
• improving the way society manages risk;
• enhancing community preparedness, response to and recovery from the consequences of natural, man-made and environmental hazard events.

Story submitted by David Johnston
Associate Professor, JCDR
David.Johnston@gns.cri.nz

The Christchurch Justice and Emergency Services Precinct will serve as regional headquarters for the Ministry of Justice, New Zealand Police, Department of Corrections and the NZ Fire Service. It will also house specialist emergency teams from Police, Fire Service, St John, the Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management, Christchurch City Council and the Canterbury Civil Defence Emergency Management Group.

Read more: http://www.justice.govt.nz/media/media-releases/justice-sector-leaders-visit-christchurch-site

View story broadcast on CTV: http://youtu.be/6QpmvxOtWTQ?t=22m

Story submitted by Marnie.Woodd@justice.govt.nz

Neighbours Day Aotearoa 2014 sparked connections between thousands of Kiwi’s throughout New Zealand.

Neighbours Day provides an opportunity for people to take the extra step in getting to know their neighbours, whether it be over a cup of tea, a pot-luck meal, a fear-factor game or by gifting something simple to the neighbours. People took the concept and made it their own over the two days on March 29-30.

Why are we doing this?  Because we know that stronger and more connected neighbourhoods can be a part of a successful antidote for social issues within Aotearoa. Communities are more resilient to disasters or emergencies and are safer when they know each other better.

How do we know this? Over the years we have been asking participants about how Neighbours Day changes their perceptions of their neighbourhoods. Our online community has grown to thousands in three years, more organisations are getting involved and councils are investing in encouraging their local communities to be involved.

Perceptions of a small group of surveyed participants includes around 90 per cent feeling that they know their neighbours better after Neighbours Day, 80 per cent are more likely to connect with their neighbours throughout the year, 60 per cent feel safer, and around 80 per cent are more likely to ask their neighbours for help if needed.

We are currently planning what Neighbours Day will look like in the future and how we can grow neighbourliness to be an activity Kiwi’s undertake 365 days of the year.

Story submitted by Kimberley Cleland 
Neighbours Day Aotearoa, Project Manager
kimberleyc@neighboursday.org.nz

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www.neighboursday.org.nz
www.facebook.com/NeighboursDay
Twitter: @neighboursday

Xperts and Volunteering New Zealand (VNZ) have teamed up to help volunteer managers, organisations who manage volunteers, or those hoping to do so in the future, build their efficiency with the ‘Essentials of Volunteer Management’ online course.

The six week long course was created in New Zealand is tightly focused and on average will take most people only two to three hours a week to complete. The course has been written by experienced and successful volunteer managers and was designed to be flexible for busy people. The course is also able to be adapted for organisations to teach their staff.

This course will help you become an effective volunteer team manager by providing you with the core knowledge you need to either begin your career in the area, or to build on and develop the skills and knowledge you already have. As a course participant you will be provided with, the opportunity to share and learn from others, a supportive tutor, and an online course book among other benefits.

By the completion of the course you will have better understanding of aspects of volunteer management such as, but not limited to, principles related to the recruitment, orientation and training of volunteers, performance management for volunteers who have regular ongoing assignments, how best to engage, manage and retain volunteers, legislative requirements, rights and responsibilities related to volunteers, team dynamics and managing personality types, and where to find relevant management resources.

For more information on the course visit volunteer.xperts.co.nz or www.volunteeringnz.org.nz.

If you would like to know more about Volunteering New Zealand (VNZ), you can visit us online at www.volunteeringnz.org.nz, on our Facebook page www.facebook.com/VolunteeringNZ, our Twitter feed @VolunteeringNZ or on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/2051315

Story submitted by Vanisa Dhiru
Chief Executive, Volunteering New Zealand

The International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM), which has more than 6,000 members worldwide, is the preeminent international non-profit organization of emergency management professionals. IAEM is dedicated to promoting the "Principles of Emergency Management" and representing professionals whose goals are saving lives and protecting property and the environment during emergencies and disasters.

The IAEM-Oceania Council represents IAEM members located in Australia, New Zealand, and all Pacific islands and nations (excluding U.S. Territories). IAEM-Oceania is one of seven Councils within IAEM-Global. The Council President, currently Scott Milne, represents Oceania members on the Global Board of Directors.

Recently Clinton Naude, Regional Manager – CDEM and Group Controller for the Bay of Plenty CDEM Group was appointed as the New Zealand National Representative to the IAEM-Oceania Council.

The mission of IAEM is to serve its members by providing information, networking and professional opportunities, and to advance the emergency management profession.

Certified Emergency Manager Program - CEM® and AEMSM
The International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) created the Certified Emergency Manager program to raise and maintain professional standards for emergency managers. IAEM is the only organization that offers a certification for individual emergency managers. The Certified Emergency Manager designation is a nationally and internationally recognized professional certification.

FEMA – Emergency Management Institute
The Emergency Management Institute (EMI) offers self-paced courses designed for people who have emergency management responsibilities and the general public through the Independent Study Program (ISP). All are offered free-of-charge to those who qualify for enrollment. As a member of IAEM you will qualify for enrollment to this distance learning opportunity. Visit http://training.fema.gov/IS/ to learn about these study courses.

These are just some highlights of the opportunities available to you as an IAEM member. For more information visit IAEM at www.iaem.com or contact Clinton Naude at nz_rep@iaem-oceania.org

22-23 May 2014, Heritage Hotel, Auckland

There has been a fantastic response to New Zealand’s first Emergency Management Public Affairs conference. More than 150 delegates and speakers are taking part.

Day registrations will be available a the venue.

The line up of speakers includes:

• Bob Jensen, head of public affairs at Dept of Homeland Security, USA
• Denis McClean, head of communications UNISDR, Geneva
• Mark Crosweller, Emergency Management Australia
• John Hamilton, Director of Civil Defence & Emergency Management, NZ
• Sir Bob Parker, former Mayor of Christchurch

Details are avaialbe at http://www.emergencymedia.org/site/conferences_nz.htm

Conference papers and presentations will be available after the conference.

Te Papa, Wellington, New Zealand. 23–24 September 2014

Theme: Building a resilient nation

www.hazardseducation.org/conference

Download the Australasian Natural Hazards Conference 2014 poster (260 KB)

Key dates:

• 1 June 2014 - Deadline for abstract submissions
• 1 July 2014 - Confirmation of programme
• 23–24 September 2014 - Conference and workshops

Email: ahmc@hazards-education.org 
Website: www.hazardseducation.org/conference

The University of Canterbury’s Centre for Risk, Resilience & Renewal (UCR3) has finalised its professional development short course offerings for 2014 as below:

• 23 - 25 July Emergency Management for Tertiary Institutions
• 11 - 13 August Science of Exercise Management
• 14 - 15 August Avalanche TTX Level 1
• 11 - 12 September Maori Mythology and Disaster Management
• 20 - 22 October Science of Swiftwater Instruction
• 29 - 31 October Emergency Management Law
• 5 - 6 November Introduction to Swiftwater Incident Management
• 7 November ISIM Upgrade to Swiftwater Responder
• 12 - 14 November Emergency Management for Tertiary Institutions
• 26 - 27 November Animal Emergency Management
• 10 - 12 December Advanced Crisis Leadership

UCR3has discounts for IAEM and AIES members. For further information visit www.ucr3.ac.nz