Health officers share skills

MANAWATU District Council provided a quieter front for New Zealand Army Environmental Health Technician, Corporal Kelly Roberts.

After previously serving as a medic on six month deployments in East Timor and Afghanistan, Cpl Roberts is currently posted to 2 Health Support Battalion (NZ) at the Linton Military Camp near Palmerston North. 

As part of extending her knowledge in environmental health, she spent a day with MDC officers working in the same field, accompanying them to various callouts and inspections. Other members of the Linton unit also undertook fact-finding visits. 

“We do a lot of similar things,” she said, “and it was good to see how everything works in the council and how they relate to what we do in the military.” 

Cpl Roberts enjoyed the experience – “it was good to see what goes on in the civilian world and what everyone does on a day-to-day basis”. 

One difference she noted was that local government work seemed more specific, compared to the broader base off which the army operated, especially when on deployment. 

“When deployed you have to sort out things like water, waste, food and environmental and industrial hazards, so you need to know a range of different subjects. 

“And as a medic you also have to do the environmental health stuff, like water controls and testing, as there is nobody else there to do those things and look after the troops and the local community.” 

Principal Environmental Officer, Colin Perrin, said it was the first time Army personnel had visited MDC in such a capacity and he welcomed the chance to share knowledge and experience. 

“The basics of the job are pretty much the same - it’s just the systems and the way people go about it,” he said. “It’s important for council to know about the army’s planned response to any environmental emergency and the equipment it has available.” 

Mr Perrin said the MDC-Army liaison was on-going and expected it to continue in the New Year.