Inglewood, Urenui next in line for emergency plans

Public meetings in Inglewood and Urenui this week and next will be the first step towards the townships helping themselves to be better prepared for emergencies.

The meetings will give residents an outline of Community Emergency Plans, and how they can be involved in preparing and maintaining them. Meeting details are:
• Inglewood: Wednesday 10 April, 7pm, Inglewood Town Hall supper room.
• Urenui: Wednesday 17 April, 7pm, Urenui Community Centre.
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“Community Emergency Plans set out what communities need to do and can do if an emergency occurs – key people to contact, what resources you can call on from within the township, identifying people who need assistance, that sort of thing,” says Senior Emergency Management Officer Shane Briggs.

“In a big emergency, emergency services may have to prioritise their resources. Some communities may be isolated for a short time, and residents will need to rely on each other. Having a Community Emergency Plan will help people focus quickly on what needs to be done, and empower them to do it.“

Community Emergency Plans are an initiative of Taranaki Civil Defence Emergency Management and New Plymouth District Council. One is already being prepared for Oakura, and others will be rolled out across the district and eventually communities throughout Taranaki.

The public meetings will brief residents about the types of emergencies that might be expected, and the process of preparing an Community Emergency Plan, with the aim of setting up a committee of local residents to work on developing a plan.

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