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Waimakariri District Civil Defence Flood Exercise
Monday, 23 July 2012
The Waimakariri District Council is holding a Civil Defence Flood Exercise Saturday, 28 July 2012 from 8 am-5 pm in the Waikuku Beach area.
With support from a range of emergency services agencies, and a number of local community emergency response groups, including Civil Defence volunteer teams, the event will be based on a flooding emergency. It will involve an evacuation operation, as well as a river rescue incident and other training activities for participants.
The objective of the exercise is to practise co-ordination and co-operation between emergency response agencies, community groups and residents in response to a flood event of the Ashley River. Local Waikuku Beach area residents have been invited to participate in the exercise.
Council’s Emergency Management Advisor Brennan Wiremu says the exercise is an opportunity for trained Civil Defence volunteers to provide an operational response with a multitude of other response agencies.
“This is something they would not normally get to do and they are going to be able to lead the planning on the day. The exercise is also about community engagement and building community resilience. Residents who want to participate on the day will be involved in a very realistic flood scenario.”
Media are also invited to be involved in a role-playing or spectator capacity and can register their interest with Earthquake Recovery Communications Co-ordinator Kate Pierson on (03) 311 8900 ex 8630 or 021 567 690.
Role-playing will involve acting as real time media, identifying key messages and delivery channels and interviewing people as they might do in a real event.
In a spectator capacity, media can observe and photograph the practical exercise in the Ashley Riverbed which will be held from 8 am-midday. This exercise will demonstrate how to build a floodwall using a sandbagging technique – a specifically designed method of flood protection.
Further information:
Brennan Wiremu
Emergency Management Advisor
Phone: (03) 311 8900 or (03) 327 6834
Email: brennan.wiremu@wmk.govt.nz
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