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October 2023
e-Bulletin is your regular source of emergency management news, information, case studies, best practice, research and reports.
Take a moment to find out the latest and celebrate successes from our sector.
To find past issues of e-Bulletin, or to be added to the distribution list, visit: e-Bulletin » National Emergency Management Agency (civildefence.govt.nz)
NEMA News
ShakeOut 2023 - A Big Success!
Thank you to everyone who took part in New Zealand ShakeOut. It was a huge success with over 680,000 people across the motu participating. The final results show 1,880 businesses, 2,578 schools and 4,529 households took part to learn the correct actions to take in a earthquake and tsunami.
We'd like to say a special ngā mihi to students and teachers at Mulberry Grove School for letting us join their drill! And to our partners Toka Tū Ake EQC, Auckland Emergency Management, Joint Centre for Disaster Research at Massey University, and volunteers from the local fire brigade for helping make the day a success.
Word Tsunami Day
The 5 November was World Tsunami Day, and NEMA marked it by sharing 5 simple hacks people can take to get prepared for a tsunami. We're asking Aotearoa New Zealand to take a few minutes to check their tsunami zone and get familiar with small actions that could make a big difference in an emergency.
Read the media release to find out more and please help spread this important message by sharing it with your community.
Knowledge of CIMS Course on the Road
Following the 2023 North Island severe weather events, NEMA's Capability Development team has been working extra hard to deliver the Knowledge of CIMS course across the motu.
The course is primarily for NEMA to be prepared to work in the NCC/NCMC, but it also has the benefit of training the alternate NCMC workforce in Auckland.
The Capability Development team has worked hard to produce an updated course that meets the needs of NEMA and Central Agencies. Feedback has shown our learners really enjoy the new course. The team have noticed an increase in people passing the course assessment in their first or second attempt.
As a result of the team's success, other agencies are wanting this course as well - demand is so high they are fully booked until May 2024! Recently the team delivered the course to a South Island audience, as Central Agencies want to grow their EM capability in both islands.
If you have any questions or queries around the new Knowledge of CIMS course, including if you'd like to understand the Learner Support available, please email CapDev@nema.govt.nz
National Disaster Awareness Week in Fiji
On Sunday 15 October, NEMA's Ben Slim and Paul Renshaw went to the 2023 National Disaster Awareness Week in Fiji, on invitation from the Fiji National Disaster Management Office (NDMO). NEMA’s participation at this event is aligned to our recently signed Memorandum of Cooperation with the Fiji NDMO. The event marked a significant milestone in Fiji's disaster preparedness and response efforts. It is a testament to the commitment of the NDMO, their partner's and stakeholder's commitment to enhance the nation's readiness.
The events began with a Table-Top Exercise and a Technical Session. Ben and Paul managed to attend both and gained good situational awareness of the event. Monday’s activities concluded with the official opening ceremony with an address from the United Nations Secretary General for Disaster Risk Reduction and Head of the UNDRR, Ms. Mami Mizutori and the Minister for Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management.
The main exercise scenario was a magnitude 8.8 earthquake in the Tongan Trench, generating a 3-metre tsunami impacting most of the coastal areas of Fiji. It was comprised of the National Emergency Operations Centre down to divisional EOC’s and incorporated local USAR, first responders and the All of Government system. International aid was injected in day two of the exercise, including AUSMAT, Australian USAR teams, Pacific Island NDMO staff, NEMA, Australian Government and Australian Civil Military Centre.
This exercise played a crucial role in ensuring that Fiji's emergency response teams are well-prepared to handle the diverse challenges that may arise during a real disaster, further reinforcing the nation's commitment to the safety and well-being of its citizens.
This was the first multi-agency, all of system exercise held in Fiji. It was a resounding success in bringing agencies together, building relationships and understanding international partner support capability and capacity. The exercise was also valuable in developing the National Response Plan for Fiji, and to build on the relationship that NEMA holds with the Fijian NDMO.
North Island Severe Weather Events - NEMA After Action Review Update
NEMA’s After Action Review focuses on NEMA’s role and actions in its response to the Auckland Flooding Event, Cyclone Gabrielle and the subsequent States of National Emergency, collectively referred to as the North Island Severe Weather Event.
The After Action Review presents an important opportunity for NEMA to learn from a significant series of concurrent events that affected multiple regions and that resulted in a prolonged response effort. The purpose of the review is to ensure that NEMA is ready for future large and potentially catastrophic natural hazard events.
This review is being undertaken as part of NEMA’s continuous improvement work programme. We expect it will provide us with important lessons to improve our readiness, response and recovery capability for the future. We also expect that there will be useful findings and lessons for other agencies.
NEMA has completed its own internal review process and workshops with CDEM Groups and other government and supporting agencies were completed in August and October respectively. The review report is now being finalised.
Sector Spotlights
Marlborough Sounds Future Access Study Wins National Award
Marlborough District Council’s Marlborough Sounds Future Access Study has won the Community Engagement category in the 2023 EMPA New Zealand Awards for Excellence in Emergency Communication.
The Marlborough Sounds Future Access Study (MFAS) is a wide-ranging communications and engagement programme led by Marlborough District Council. Council’s objective through the study has been to provide a safe and resilient transport network for residents, homeowners and businesses in affected areas of the Marlborough Sounds following damage from significant storm events in July 2021 and August 2022.
People were displaced from their homes due to the risk from slips and impacts on dwellings following water damage, structural damage or land instability. Damage to the roading network and marine services again resulted in the isolation of numerous communities.
Thirty-two properties were red stickered and 63 yellow stickered due to the damage sustained in the August 2022 event, which was more extensive and widespread than the previous 2021 event. Most of these properties face high or moderate risk from on-going land instability. The transport repair programme is estimated to be in the order of $234M.
Well over a thousand people engaged face-to-face, alongside regular e-communication, videos, and well-designed documentation. Record numbers of people participated in two community surveys – over 900 and 1,700 respectively.
“The MSFAS is designed to provide long-term certainty for businesses and residents impacted by these storm events in the Sounds and considers the impacts of changes in weather patterns caused by climate change,” Mayor Nadine Taylor said.
“The aim is to map a pathway for the short-term while understanding the implications for the long term. It was identified early on that the conversation about the long term was needed now. Residents and businesses have been vociferous in their demands for the reinstatement of the network. “
“This award reflects the extensive community engagement done to date. While we are not at the end of our journey, I am proud of the way Council has stepped up to face this challenge."
The 532-page Programme Business Case prepared as a result of the community engagement process was recently submitted to Waka Kotahi for funding consideration.
For the full scope of Marlborough Sounds Future Access Study community engagement programme go to: www.marlborough.govt.nz/services/roads-and-transport/marlborough-sounds-future-access-study/2023-public-consultation-msfas
Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū Plans to Protect Taonga Before, During and After Emergencies.
Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū will be familiar to many as the landmark building served as the Emergency Operations Centre following the February 2011 earthquake. While its collection was relatively undamaged, the Gallery closed for a period of five years to undergo extensive repairs, including base isolation. On reopening, the Gallery with the assistance of consultant Dolapo Fakuade (Dolas) reviewed its emergency management plan and developed long-lasting and meaningful connections with emergency services (Fire and Emergency NZ and Police) and Civil Defence Emergency Management, Christchurch.
With Dolas and CDEM’s advice, the Gallery drafted a new and improved emergency management plan based on the Government’s National Disaster Resilience Strategy. In addition, and with a view to better understanding how incidents are managed by CDEM and how events might impact access to and security of collections, the Gallery team attended Emergency Operations Centre Training, with a group later completing Intelligence and Planning training. The Gallery was quick to adopt the 4Rs, demonstrating how any sector can implement the Strategy and in the process, develop resilience. They also made a conscious effort to focus on reduction and readiness whereas previously the approach was reactive and more concerned with response, namely the salvage of collections. Attending the EOC training also provided an understanding of CIMS, also adopted by the Gallery as encouraged by Dolas.
Mid-year, Museums Aotearoa (MA) visited Christchurch to meet with Dolas, the Gallery, emergency services and CDEM who kindly hosted MA at the Justice Precinct EOC. Thereafter, Dolas ran training for MA members, sharing the Christchurch model with a view to encouraging the sector to engage with emergency services and CDEM, ensuring Sendai Framework objectives as they relate to cultural heritage are achieved. Feedback from participants revealed many sector colleagues are unprepared and are unsure how to develop sound emergency management plans, with a great many reflecting on risk to collections as a consequence of recent weather events in Auckland and Gisborne. Workshops are scheduled by MA and National Services to address immediate concerns this year with more training planned for 2024.
Working collaboratively ensures all parties understand one another, equipping galleries, libraries, archives and museums with the knowledge they need to develop plans that take into consideration the wider context in which they exist. The Gallery’s Registrar, Gina Irish notes,“prior to working with emergency services and CDEM, our plan existed in a vacuum and would have failed had another citywide event occurred. Our partners at CDEM, FENZ and the NZ Police are willing collaborators and we have learnt a great deal about how to prepare for all sorts of emergencies thanks to their insight, expertise and guidance.” The Gallery thank CDEM for their assistance with respect to planning, especially with regards to the exhibition Te Rā, the only pre-colonial Māori sail in existence worldwide (pictured above), a significant taonga on loan from the Trustees of the British Museum.
Bay of Plenty Updated Tsunami Evacuation Maps
Bay of Plenty CDEM Group have recently launched their updated blue tsunami evacuation maps for the region.
This was a regional consistency project and maps update as part of a broader tsunami readiness programme. Below is an example of the new digital awareness materials used to promote the new maps.
They have also commissioned new regional modelling for the region which are expected to be ready within the next 12-18 months and expect ongoing comms for tsunami readiness will evolve to reflect any changes from the latest science.
Selwyn and Christchurch Join Forces for an Emergency Management Exercise
Selwyn and Christchurch Emergency Support Teams (SEST and CEST) recently came together to test their preparedness and coordination in a large joint Emergency Management exercise. Emergency Support Teams are made up of community volunteers who provide a crucial role in opening and operating Welfare Centres.
The aim of the exercise was to setup a Welfare Centre to receive and manage evacuees and displaced people, meeting their needs during a simulated Alpine Fault earthquake.
Throughout the six-hour exercise, 30 volunteer actors presented with a variety of complex welfare needs and scenarios to test the teams. The volunteers from SEST and CEST, along with CRT members, worked together to respond to the diverse and challenging scenarios presented by the volunteer actors. They demonstrated their ability to provide medical assistance, information, and emotional support to those in need, as well as safety and security challenges mirroring the kind of response they would provide during a real disaster.
Maureen Coshall, Team Leader of SEST explained the importance of these volunteer actors who help create realistic scenarios that emergency response teams can use to test their readiness and coordination in a controlled environment. “Everyone who walked through the door had a major issue that challenged us. Although we train regularly for a wide range of scenarios, there’s nothing like having hands-on training with these actors who can realistically portray people in distress. This adds an invaluable layer of realism to our exercises,” she said.
The joint exercise also served as an important opportunity for the two Selwyn and Christchurch Emergency Support Teams to join as one and work together during the scenario of a large scale event. Selwyn District Council’s Head of Emergency Management Al Lawn says collaborating with other Territorial Authorities in Canterbury for exercises is vital to ensure emergency response teams are well-prepared to respond in a real event. “Working together and learning from each other in these exercises helps test the teams' capabilities, builds strong working relationships between teams, identifies areas for improvement and ensures they can effectively respond to real-life emergencies when they arise,” he said.
“More often than not we send ‘composite’ teams from across Canterbury to support other regions when support is required, as was the case in both cyclone Gabrielle and flooding events on the West Coast. We expect that the requirement to support other regions across the country will continue as we face more and more adverse weather events”.
Overall, this successful exercise lays the foundation for further joint training between the Selwyn and Christchurch Emergency Support Teams. It provided a valuable learning experience and demonstrated the teams’ ability to collaborate effectively and provide essential care for displaced people during a significant disaster event.
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eBulletin provides newsworthy updates about Civil Defence Emergency Management (CDEM) and related information from the sector. It is for people in the emergency management sector and/or those with an interest in emergency management. eBulletin shares news, information, case studies, best practice, research and reports, and celebrates successes.
Some topics for content include:
- upcoming events and activities
- information about responses to emergencies
- information about research (keeping in mind it is not a peer-reviewed journal)
- reports on what has been happening around the sector
- announcements of new publications and guides
- information about courses (ones you have been on and ones coming up), and
- celebrations of successes.
