"The start of the year provides a great opportunity to sit down and develop your household emergency plan. Learn about the hazards in your area, figure out where you'll meet if you can't get home, decide who your emergency contacts will be and check what supplies you will need.
"In New Zealand we're at risk from all sorts of events, from floods and landslides to earthquakes and tsunami."
A Colmar Brunton survey in 2013 found that 17 per cent of the people living in the Bay of Plenty were fully prepared, 32 per cent were prepared at home, 60 per cent had a plan and 92 per cent had survival items.
Mount Maunganui retiree David Peart said you never knew what an emergency could throw at you, but he had an "unofficial kit".
"I guess the thing is to be able to imagine what is going to be needed in different circumstances. I am less in favour of having everything in one place and the reason for that is if a particular disaster strikes, part of your house may not be available to you.
"It's better to know where things are, but we have a rather large house and you could be anywhere if an earthquake strikes."
Mr Peart said he carried first-aid kits in the cars, had gas and electricity, a large swimming pool with water that would be drinkable if necessary, self-powered torches and preserves.
Civil Defence deemed an event an emergency if it related to earthquake, storms, flooding, tsunami, volcano or landslide which had caused or had the potential to cause significant disruption, damage to property or take lives.
All disasters had the potential to cause disruption, damage property and harm people, Mr Naude said.
"If a disaster strikes, people and/or their families may become isolated without power, water or road access. Emergency services may become stretched and it could take some time before they're able to assist everyone, so it's vital that people prepare now and ensure they are able to look after themselves for at least three days if they need to."
Text Alert
*Anyone can sign up for a text alert or email notification in an emergency on the Bay of Plenty CDEM website
www.bopcivildefence.govt.nz
*Subscribe to receive texts for local area and regional events by texting two letters to 2028, Tauranga - text TA, Western Bay - text WB
*You will receive messages about regional emergencies
*A sign-up text costs 20c, but there is no further charge
How prepared are you for an emergency?
The
Bay of Plenty Times
asked a trio of high profile locals what they could get their hands on if a disaster struck.
Stuart Crosby
Tauranga City Council mayor Stuart Crosby, pictured left, said his family had an emergency kit that belonged to his father and was kept in the garage. "It is a black box with wheels on it. From memory it has a wind up radio and torch that doesn't need batteries. There is a burner for heating, water and a small tarpaulin."
New Zealand was prone to various emergencies and it was vital people had the basic requirements for survival, he said.
Kim Renshaw
Gourmet night markets organiser Kim Renshaw, pictured middle, said she had a Grab and Go emergency kit that her father gave her. However, she did not believe in worrying about the next big emergency. "I don't think we should be sitting there with a years' full of stockpiled cans or anything like that." But you should have a transistor radio and a telephone that does not require power, she said.
Kerry Hill
New Zealand Athletics sprint coach Kerry Hill, pictured right, said he had standard supplies kept at home that included candles, lighting, water and a first aid kit. However, he did not have a transistor radio but sometimes the laws of probability applied. "It's a bit like saying I'll get ready for a tsunami even though there has not been one for 2000 years but we will prepare for it.
"But who knows look at Christchurch and what happened there with the earthquakes, life is pretty fragile."
