Council appointed a new emergency management advisor in August, the first time the role has been occupied in a full-time capacity. Jaymie Currie has hopped over from Environment Canterbury where she worked in Hazard Operations.
Jaymie is looking forward to boosting the preparedness of the community so that we are more resilient if disaster strikes. Earthquakes, flooding and tsunamis are all possible, with the biggest risk being the rupture of the Alpine Fault. If this were to happen, the whole of the South Island would experience shaking and some communities may be cut off.
“Preparedness is the key to getting through an emergency situation as smoothly as possible,” says Jaymie. “I’m excited to take on the challenge of preparing Council and the community to meet difficulties with calmness and clarity.”
On 21 October, staff took part in ShakeOut, a national earthquake drill. As the clock struck 1:30pm, staff practised the Drop, Cover and Hold response.
On 5 November the preparedness training continues, with key staff set to take part in a regional civil defence exercise which explores the impacts of a significant space weather event which could result in prolonged power outages across Canterbury. This scenario presents a good opportunity to learn and practise coordinating a multi-agency response when our usual communication channels are down and infrastructure fails.
Head to getready.govt.nz to get prepared.
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