Emergency team's disaster support acknowledged

Members of the Joint Centre for Disaster Research who worked in the aftermath of February’s Christchurch earthquake have been rewarded with T-shirts by Civil Defence and information technology company Gen-I for their efforts.

The team of rescue and logistic specialists was assigned, along with members of the Victoria University of Wellington Rescue Team, to the University of Canterbury rescue Team – many of who are graduates or students of Massey’s Graduate Diploma in Emergency Management.

During their first few days of deployment, a senior tutor at the disaster research centre, Steve Glassey joined as team leader for the combined universities rescue group.

Others on the team included Mark Mitchell, who is currently completing his Graduate Diploma in Emergency Management.

Enrolments are now open for the diploma, a niche programme that has been running for more than 20 years and ranks as one of New Zealand’s most popular university level qualifications in emergency management.

Mr Mitchell, who works as a humanitarian programmes officer for Caritas New Zealand and has been involved in relief efforts in places like Darfur and Kosovo, had not even started his first semester studies for the year when the earthquake struck and he was seconded to Christchurch.

Mr Glassey says following the September 2010 earthquake, emergency mangers at Canterbury University had made it clear should a larger one strike external support would be needed.

Members of the Massey urban search and rescue cleared more than 600 homes during their time in the Christchurch suburbs and worked with the Taiwan Special Search and Rescue Team near the CBD ensuring damaged premises were cleared of trapped people and provided first aid.