Civil Defence Emergency Management display at Plimmerton Promenade, Beach and Ball (update provided by Alan Reader - posted 19/04/2013)

Martin Cawthorne, Alistair Robb, Dave Lowe, Greg Lemaire and Alan Reader with Trevor Farmer and Rebecca Jackson from Wellington Regional Emergency Management Office (WREMO), set up a Civil Defence display on the school playing field together with Coast Guard and Rotary displaying their emergency response kits for Pacific Islands.

During the day John Wilce and Polly Collier from PCC helped out with answering questions and handing out bags containing home preparation information to visitors.

On show at the Civil Defence display were rainwater collection systems and maps showing the tsunami risk zones for Plimmerton.

Children played a radio game in which they were sent off with a hand-held two-way radio on a mission to find answers to questions passed to them by radio.

No prizes, just fun and judging by the beaming faces they enjoyed the experience.

People were also asked to complete a survey form aimed at finding out how prepared they are at home to cope with an emergency and what services they expect will be set up.

Twenty one forms were returned and the results indicate that many people are prepared at home with:-

• 76 percent reasonably or well prepared,
• 76 percent have 10 litres or more of water stored for each member of the household,
• 62 percent have food for three days,
• 76 percent have a plan for meeting up with the rest of the family,
• however 62 percent are not members of a neighbourhood group but are willing to join one.

The prize of a grab-bag for those who filled in a survey form was drawn by Alan Trist who happened to be in the Big Salami Café on Wednesday 10 April having a quiet cup of coffee. It was won by Gillian Dodson and duly delivered that day.

It is interesting to note that 52 percent expect there will be search and rescue procedure available whilst 57 percent expect an emergency centre would be set up with medical and social services to help people in distress.

These are unrealistic expectations unless there are well trained local people with all the necessary equipment to mobilize such facilities. Porirua is training an emergency response team that does have some equipment, but this is likely to be fully occupied elsewhere.

It is most likely that in the event of an emergency Plimmerton people would have to be self sufficient for a considerable time before such services were brought in and were up and running.

Rebecca Jackson of WREMO has offered to help Plimmerton prepare a CRP (community response plan) which Alan Reader and Dave Lowe have undertaken to pursue.

Initial civil defence planning underway for 2013. If you are keen to be involved in civil defence planning contact Alan Reader email: areader@actrix.co.nz