Auckland Civil Defence and Emergency Management changes name

Auckland Civil Defence and Emergency Management has changed its name and is now known as Auckland Emergency Management.

John Dragicevich, Director of Auckland Emergency Management says the small name change is to better reflect the work the Auckland Council department does.

“The focus of most of our work is on building resilience and preparing people, communities, and the city to better cope with the effects of disasters should they occur in Auckland.

“We'll still be there to coordinate emergencies and will continue all the work we do to help Aucklanders understand that we all have a part to play to be better prepared for a disaster.”

This is evidenced in recent survey results from Auckland Council that have revealed that nine in ten Aucklanders know what actions to take in a disaster.

“Aucklanders have a firm grasp on what sort of emergency could happen in our region – whether it be flooding, volcanic activity or an earthquake and know what they will do, which is fantastic.”

Councillor Sharon Stewart, chair of the council’s Civil Defence and Emergency Management Committee says the survey has also highlighted that nearly 40% of us have had conversations with friends and family about actions to keep safe before an emergency.

“Community and family resilience when faced with an emergency situation plays a key role in all of our abilities to react, respond and recover when disaster strikes.

Having a family chat to talk about how you would cope in an emergency is a great first step towards building the sort of resilience we all need.”

For more information on practical tips on how to prepare and what to do in emergency situations please visitaucklandcivildefence.org.nz

Key results

• Two in five (40%) of Aucklanders have conversations with friends and family about actions to keep safe before an emergency

• Two thirds (67%) have access to the necessary emergency items needed to survive a disaster

• Most Aucklanders (90%) have a good understanding of what actions to take if a disaster struck in their area

• Most Aucklanders (87%) have a good understanding of what types of emergencies could occur in Auckland Council

• Most respondents (90%) agree or strongly agree that preparation means they can deal with the situation more easily; that we need to work together to overcome obstacles in our local communities; and that they love where they live and what happens in their communities is important to them

ENDS

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