In 2005 the Civil Defence Emergency Management Plan was formally adopted by the Nelson-Tasman Civil Defence Emergency Management Group, a joint committee of both Councils.
Jim Burrows, Manager Emergency Management explains why this plan is important. "It has a far more strategic approach than the last, which tended to be 'response based'. The plan emphasises our need to identify hazards and their potential risks to us, and to reduce those risks where possible. It exposes areas where we may lack knowledge or have failed to plan properly, and sets out a programme to close those gaps through a strong committee structure."
Civil Defence has undergone a huge upheaval, with most of the old methods of delivery being abandoned. The new legislation following that upheaval has required new ideas and methods of delivery. Making the necessary changes is a big challenge, especially now that local bodies, along with the Emergency Services, are now completely responsible for Civil Defence - as an essential service, not an 'extra'.
The plan promotes the concept of 'resilient communities' - people prepared to look after themselves and their neighbours in a crisis. Civil Defence's role is to support the community with education, research, planning and preparation.
Jim emphasises that the new plan is just a beginning, in what will be a concerted effort to identify and reduce risk, establish training programmes, and to properly inform and educate people in how best to handle a civil emergency.
The Nelson Tasman Civil DefenceEmergency Management Group Planprovides for an ‘all hazards’ approach to emergency management planning and activity within the CDEM Group area for Nelson City and Tasman District. The CDEM Group Plan must state the civil defence emergency management structure and systems necessary to manage those hazards, including the arrangements for declaring a state of emergency in the Group’sarea. The Group Plan is therefore the primary instrument wherebythe community identifies and assesses its hazards and risks, and decides on the acceptable level of risk to be managed and how it is to be managed.
The 2005 CDEM Group Plan is due to be reviewed in 2010. More about the CDEM Group Plan.
Our region is fortunate to have its own specialist civil defence rescue team, known as New Zealand Response Team 2 (NZ-RT2). The team is managed by the Nelson Tasman Civil Defence Emergency Management Group (ie the two councils). The team consists of up to 24 volunteers who train regularly to ensure they meet national Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) standards.
Whilst specialising in Urban Search and Rescue work, the team has a role in all types of Civil Defence emergencies. Possible deployments include floods, collapsed, buildings, and landslips. The team also supports the Emergency Services in the region and has a close relationship with Land Search and Rescue (LSAR).
Find out more at the New Zealand Response Team 2 website
We've collected some key links to local and central government, and to our partners and other responsible agencies, along with a few international links of interest. Go the important links page.
Last updated: 13/10/2009 8:54am
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