Expo to prepare communities

A Community Emergency Response Expo will be held at Buckland Hall this Saturday.

Buckland Community Response will host the event, which was inspired by the Auckland Anniversary Floodings of 2023, Cyclone Gabrielle and the subsequent need to engage the community to be aware, prepare and know where to get help in an emergency.

After speaking with the relevant personnel, organisers identified an opportunity to organise an emergency expo. While it started small, it grew to include five or six community response groups that represent several emergency hubs across Franklin and the neighbouring Waikato area.

Buckland Community Centre chairperson and host of the expo, Ian Farrant, says that they wanted to showcase what an emergency event would look like and how our communities can prepare and be aware in the event of an emergency.

“To do this, we’re walking them through a scenario which is a (cyclone) Gabrielle look-alike, which is effectively saying if you came into an emergency hub during this disaster, this is what it would look like, and hopefully we will all learn through the process.

“We’ve got Auckland Emergency Management and Waikato Civil Defence Emergency Management involved, and they’re looking at the hazards and preparedness and all the things they do at the official levels, and hopefully people will get a better understanding of that if they come through.

“The next ones are the community response groups, and that’s all of us, unofficial volunteers.

That’s effectively what we are, we’re all volunteers driving this for the community.

“We’re looking at how to prepare and just showcasing the collaboration that’s happening, but there is an opportunity to explore greater collaboration,” said Farrant.

Hunua Ararimu Paparimu Valley Residents Association (HAPRVA) emergency resilience team lead Tina Bogaard agreed.

“It’s been great to have been able to share ideas and collaborate in the development of our plans and our processes. I see in this expo that Ian’s putting together is an accumulation of that.

“It’s going to bring everything together, all the services together, all of the knowledge together, and showcase that to the public.”

Other than flooding, other disasters that could affect the area involve volcanic activity and tsunamis in coastal areas. Some of the terrain can be rugged and hilly, and there are areas where slips threaten to cut off small rural roads.

This means that for the first four to five days, residents would need to rely on themselves before emergency services could reach them.

“We are all in the process of establishing community emergency hubs across Franklin that will provide information, support, and resources in an emergency situation,” Farrant says.

“Every hub will have a level of basic resources and equipment to meet its needs. We’re here to support each other. This is a network of knowledge, resources, and information, with the ability to share resources as needed.

“For instance, when there is an event and Buckland is not activated, we can deploy resources to another group.”

The expo will also demonstrate to people how different first responders prepare for emergencies, including behind-the-scenes preparations that many people do not typically get to see.

“We’ve got first responders involved, so we’re making it very clear who the first responders are and who the community groups are. Red Cross has come in and is doing a civil defence setup, we’re showing what a community hub would look like, and even the food will reflect what would be happening in an emergency. People will get a real feel of what it would look like if they came into an emergency hub,” says Farrant.

AMI’s community team will be there with 10 FIRST72 grab bags available to win, which are designed for a quick evaluation in emergencies.

AMI executive manager of major events, Annette Purvis, says the company was proud to partner with FIRST72, a specialist in helping communities prepare for emergencies.

“We know that communities that are prepared with the knowledge, skills, tools, and networks can help hugely in the immediate aftermath of a major weather or natural hazard event. It’s fantastic to get involved in helping people come together to think practically about how they can support each other best.”

Sponsored by Auckland Council, activities include real-time live emergency response teams in action, equipment demonstrations, training opportunities, competitions, cash prizes and giveaways, a bouncy castle, and free food.

The expo is a free event and will run from 10am to 4pm on October 4 at Buckland Hall, 18 Logan Road, Pukekohe. More information: www.bucklandhall.nz/emergency-expo