Editorial: Relief crews a comfort in hard times

As the rain finally began to ease yesterday, the worst of its effects were unloaded on a Napier family who heard what they first thought was an earthquake.

The Hedleys had been watching television (ironically, it was a scary movie) when the air was filled with the sound of violent smashing.

A huge slip, triggered by torrential rain, had crashed on to the back of their rental property.

The couple, who farewelled their children who were taken by a police officer to stay with in-laws, were left stunned and uncertain as to what lay ahead for them.

Mr Hedley said it was an event which left him initially confused about what to do. Which is understandable. It had come right out of left field in their daily lives.

At the scene, barely 20 minutes after the slip, he confessed to a police officer that he hadn't been sure who to ring.

"You guys, the fire service, the council?"

The officer said: "Just call 111, they'll get the right people for you."

As it turned out he had called the police and fire service - and together, those two emergency services brought immediate comfort and assurance to their shaken nerves.

The same sort of assurance they always bring when things go bad.

There had been slips up the Napier-Taupo highway - one of them was enough to reduce the highway to one lane. But work crews (no Sunday in front of the telly for these people) had been dispatched and the clean-up was on.

There had also been rising waters out Waimarama way because of the rain bomb swelling the Tukituki River.

Again, emergency services took a look and made the call to close the road.

During the day, I had heard sirens ringing across the city occasionally. They were fire appliances - their crews were responding to calls from people whose properties were flooding. In one case, a drain was so clogged it appeared sewage may have been forced up on to a section.

But one phone call had things effectively sorted. Danger? A problem? Uncertainty? We have the safety net of knowing there are agencies and people on-call, 24 hours a day, who can react and respond.

Of course it could be argued that "that's their job" - but that job is not a 9am-5pm affair.

You need help, you call and you get it.

The look on the faces of the Hedleys said it all yesterday as police checked their property and those around it.

"Thanks guys," Mr Hedley was heard to say. "No problem," the officer responded.

Yep, no problem.