Preparedness promoted ahead of national earthquake drill

Dunedin (Monday, 12 October 2015) – With just three days to go until New Zealand's national earthquake drill, Dunedin City Council is urging all residents to think about their own levels of emergency preparedness at home, work and school.

New Zealand ShakeOut is the national 'Drop, Cover and Hold' earthquake drill taking place at 9:15am on Thursday, 15 October.

Mayor of Dunedin Dave Cull says, "As well as practising the right action to take before, during and after an earthquake, New Zealand ShakeOut is a timely opportunity for us all to think about how prepared we are for the possibility of other types of disasters."

Mr Cull said recent events – such as last week's fire at Saddle Hill, a national tsunami warning in September, and the June flooding event in Dunedin – had shown emergencies could happen at any time and often without much warning.

"Being prepared beforehand and knowing what to do when disaster strikes greatly increases our chances of getting through and recovering quickly," he says.

"I encourage all Dunedin residents to take part in the New Zealand ShakeOut, to learn more about the hazards that could potentially affect them and to make sure their emergency survival plans and kits are up-to-date at home, at work and at school."

DCC Emergency Management Officer, Training and Readiness, Glenn Mitchell says, "We're putting a particular emphasis on business continuity planning in the lead-up to this year's ShakeOut.

"Time spent now planning for disaster and developing practices to become more resilient will not only get businesses well on the way to coping with a crisis, it could also potentially see them thrive in the aftermath."

Some specific preparedness tips for businesses include:

• Making sure staff emergency contact lists are up-to-date

• Connect with critical suppliers and customers

• Back-up your data and make a plan

• Get your staff to test your plan

• Plan for the absence of key personnel

• Check your insurance

• Build your networks.

Further preparedness advice is available at www.dunedin.govt.nz/cd/getting-prepared and www.dunedin.govt.nz/services/business-support/business-resilience.

New Zealand ShakeOut is being led by the Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management and co-ordinated regionally by Civil Defence Emergency Management Groups, along with other organisations. The aim is for 1.5 million people in New Zealand to take part, with more than 1.1 million participants already registered.

As of today, a total of 22,588 Dunedin residents have registered to take part.

Individuals, families, schools, workplaces and other organisations can register online at www.shakeout.govt.nz.

ends

© Scoop Media