CD advice on Facebook
Strategies to keep Northlanders safe during extreme events now include a Northland civil defence Facebook page. The Facebook page is a Northland Civil Defence Emergency Management Group initiative and will be maintained by CDEM officers. The initial function is to send out key civil defence messages but other applications are expected to be added later.
Northland CDEM's event strategies include a joint venture with the NZ Fire Service and the Northland Chamber of Commerce offering free workshops where businesses can develop continuity plans for extreme events which could lead to temporary or permanent loss of trade if a plan is not in place. Northland CDEM officer Kim Abbott said there had been a strong response from medium to large businesses but CDEM was keen to involve more small businesses (where fewer than four work) which could be extremely vulnerable to interruption. Ninety per cent of the work for a plan could be accomplished at one of the half-days workshops, she said. The first three are being held in Whangarei on October 4 and 17. Information/bookings: Kim Abbott on 0800 002004 or kimab@nrc.govt.nz
Quake drill for 25,000
About 25,000 Northlanders will throw themselves to the floor at 9.26am on Wednesday along with about a million other New Zealanders in the country's first nationwide simultaneous earthquake drill, called ShakeOut. The exercise is aimed at building awareness of the potentially life-saving "drop, cover and hold" procedure when an earthquake strikes. For information on the ShakeOut, www.getthru.govt.nz.