Are you prepared?

Are you prepared? The key message from Civil Defence is to Be Prepared to cope on your own for up to three days or more - and there is no better time than daylight savings to ensure you are.

“Know what to do before you have to do it is the key,” says head of Civil Defence Ron White. “And there is no better time than daylight savings to do an annual refresh of your civil defence emergency kits and replace whatever is necessary. You should replace the water, check use by dates on tins, check batteries and replace if needed, and it’s also a good idea to check on your smoke alarm and fire extinguisher serviceability if you have one.”

Daylight savings begins again on Sunday 28 September 2008 when clocks go forward one hour. Advice on how to prepare for an emergency is available on the council’s website www.tcdc.govt.nz under ‘Civil Defence’ with information including how to develop a household emergency plan.

This should include: Where to shelter in an earthquake, flood or storm, determine who is responsible for checking essential items in your Emergency Survival Kit, how to turn off gas, water and electricity at the mains, how to maintain contact with your family members during an emergency and how to contact your local Civil Defence organisation for assistance during an emergency.

“Remember that there is no need to leave your home unless you are asked to, or there is an obvious reason to do so,” says Mr White. “In the event of a power failure, our official station is National Radio, but your local radio station is also helpful for regular updates. It’s useful to learn First Aid and how to control small fires, and escape from a fire.

“Another way to be prepared is to join or form a neighbourhood support group. You and your neighbours will have skills and resources that can be vital in an emergency. Start discussing today what you can do to assist each other.”

In Thames there are 3,500 houses signed up to Neighbourhood Watch, and 200 streets in the CBD have co-ordinators. For more on Neighbourhood Watch, contact Community Safety Officer Merv Tilsley through the Thames Police on Ph 07 867 9633 ext 78633 or email community.safety@xtra.co.nz .

TCDC is liaising with the Police, Fire Service, St Johns Ambulance and other emergency services representatives around the district to establish a network of Emergency Management Committees. They are working on emergency plans, which differ depending on the needs of each community. There is a focus initially on communities on the eastern seaboard that are most at risk of tsunami.

In Tairua-Pauanui, where the newest Emergency Management Committee has been established, work will focus on being prepared for a tsunami.

The council recently surveyed residents and asked them whether they felt prepared for an emergency, and 51% of respondents (47% in 2007) stated that they were prepared for an emergency. Of those, respondents more likely to say "yes" are residents rather than holiday home owners, came from Thames and Coromandel/Colville Community Board areas, were men and were aged 40 years or over.