Eketāhuna Civil Defence

In the last week of July the EketāhunaCommunity Civil Defence Response Group met for their annual get together. This was an opportunity to make sure all our community details were correct, including who in the district has a current first aid certificate and who has any resources that might be helpful in an emergency.

If you think you could help the group please contact Charlie Death on 06 375 8503 or email Corinna on corinna.carew@tararuadc.govt.nz.

Get Ready Get Thru

If you are first aid certificated please let us know, and if you used to be certificated but have lapsed, tell us too. We need to make sure the information we have is current and correct.

Another thing the meeting reminded us about is that we need to be prepared. Sounds obvious, but now might be the time to see if you have everything you need in case of an emergency. If something happens you should be able to self-support for at least three days. If your home is safe and hasn’t been damaged it’s better to stay there. If you need more help there will always be a civil defence rep at the community centre, if this is viable, and they will be able to help you. Remember, our little town is surrounded by bridges and if one fails, we might not be able to get outside help for a while. It’s better to be self-reliant than to expect help from elsewhere, at least in the immediate aftermath.

While you’re looking at your preparations, take a moment to think about this – if you have children or grandchildren, does their school have an up to date list of who can collect them in an emergency?

  • Do you have plans for any pets you might have, if you have to evacuate, you might need a bowl for the goldfish or a cat carrier or portable kennel.
  • Do you have medical needs that can be affected by loss of power?
  • Have you let your power company know?
  • Do you need prescription drugs and will you have enough if you can’t get out of town for a few days?
  • Do you have important documentation in a safe place where you can grab it quickly?
  • Do you know if your neighbours might need help?
  • Do your neighbours know if you need help?

It seems like a lot of overkill to have this stuff sorted when we haven’t had a major event in Eketāhuna in recent years, but we should be looking at when, not if, and the hour it takes you to sort this now will be invaluable if the worst happens. It’s not just about three day’s food and water, although of course that is super important. Many of the questions above might not have occurred to you.

Now is the time to get this sorted. If you need more help or resources, pop into the Eketāhuna library. We have household emergency plan kits that can help you figure out what you need to know.

The Eketāhuna Community Civil Defence Response Group is here for you in an emergency but we all know Eketahuna is a unique, supportive town. We help ourselves, and we’re good at it. We might not need a welfare centre or central command station.

We just need to know that there is help out there if we need it.

Be prepared today so tomorrow won’t be a shock.

You’ve got this. And if you need more information or any help please contact Charlie or the Tararua District Resilience Manager, Stephen Dunn on 06 374 4080.

Get Prepared | Me takatū

Radio Stations to listen to for emergency information:

  • Radio Eketāhuna 106.5 FM & 88.3 FM
  • RNZ National 101 FM 1449 AM
  • Newstalk ZB 100.2 FM 927 AM
  • Classic Hits 97.8FM
  • More FM 92.2 FM
  • Radio Live 93.8 FM
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