Public Issues Forum a "blog". Perfect invitation to commentate :)
The need for consistent reinforcement of Civil Defence capacity was
underscored by nature this past week. It couldn't be more timely to up
the work rate around this key local government responsibility, while
public attention is on it and aftershocks prevail. The 'safe'
dissipation of a 7.8 Richter scale earthquake needs complete context, in
order to "add value" - the prime requisite of local governance these days.
Could these be tentative footsteps of the West Coast moving north again?
Are the Southerns Alps soon to 'unzip' south to north, unleashing the
greatest New Zealand calamity since European settlement? Are the
regions, especially the economic heartlands of Auckland and Canterbury,
ready to effect island governance - once the big faults reactivate,
congregate, and drive through Wellington? The Capital region will be
fully occupied, with survival and reconstruction, for quite some time.
The Alps are tensioned like a rubber band, science says, with a 250-300
year 'snapping' overdue. Before the worst case scenario so described,
any number of smaller scale fault slips could occur, and are now
occurring in Fiordland. A 7.8 shake anywhere along the Alps could impact
tragically upon nearby buildings and lives, and in scale. Are we prepared?
Media messaging promotes emergency kits for every home -
http://www.getthru.govt.nz - do you have yours ready?
But who is on hand to assist the unprepared? As deduced, from the
military thinking operative in this sphere, "you are on your own" - for
days if not weeks - planned redundancy.
Yet, "this year the National Government cut $1.2 million over the next
five years from the Civil Defence budget" ?
"With staff shortages at the Wellington centre being highlighted earlier
this year, one has to question how the Nationโs capital would have coped
if a major earthquake were to hit."
http://www.infonews.co.nz/news.cfm?l=18&t=0&id=39567
And, "a small tsunami of 0.17m was recorded at Jackson Bay."
http://www.infonews.co.nz/news.cfm?id=39507
As alluded to in an earlier CPIF thread, this private citizen (and
regional Civil Defence and Emergency Management portfolio chair) is
about to undertake the standard introductory Civil Defence civic
training available in Christcurch. The Emergency Preparedness Course
starts Tuesday 7pm, and runs for six Tuesday evening sessions in total,
at the City Council offices in Tuam Street. For the benefit of other
potential volunteers, I propose to "blog" this training experience -
lightly. So this will be the first of seven posts to document the
learning available in this course. It may convince more to take up the
opportunity. Some initial comments:
a) When you ring the CCC to enquire, your call will be logged - in quite
some detail, including name, address, phone, email and date of birth.
This may be standard procedure at the CCC for first calls, but it could
be off-putting to some citizens and all tire kickers.
b) The course is run through the Open Polytechnic - first time with them
for me, although I already rated my CPIT training highly for
practicality (computing). The course is fully funded, which is also
significant - very rare now, and extending your skill-set every way
possible is the best thing you can ever do for yourself, especially in a
shrinking job market. Indeed, the wider your skill-set is, the more
adaptable you are for any new and unusual kind of work (and public service).
c) Emergency Preparedness Course content:
1. Civil Defence and Emergency Management structure
2. Personal Preparedness and Stress Management
3. Health and Safety
4. Co-ordinated Incident Management Systems (CIMS - software! cool)
5. Process information during an emergency - Theory
6. Process information practical
Unit Standards are there to be gained, and this is just the start of a
large range of CDEM courses that are available free to suitable
volunteers who get to specialise in various challenging areas like
Rescue. At least two more beginner-level courses are available. Do
consider these, and especially in a career sense. I certainly am.
"Get ready, and get through."
Catch you on the other side.
Kia ora, Rik