Getting Bay kids earthquake & tsunami-savvy

Bauti (6) and Benji (4) Himschoot enjoy reading their copy of Rūaumoko's Walk/Te Hikoi a Rūaumoko. Photo / Supplied.

Hawke's Bay Civil Defence Emergency Management Group and Health Hawke's Bay have joined forces to ensure local children gain an understanding of what to do in an earthquake, especially on the coast.

All Hawke's Bay children will be given a free copy of the award winning bi-lingual children's book, Rūaumoko's Walk/Te Hikoi a Rūaumoko based on Kahungunu legends and dialect telling the story of what to do in an earthquake with a subsequent tsunami threat.

The book was developed as part of a wider project by a Hawke's Bay collaborative working group providing bilingual resources for Hawke's Bay Kōhanga Reo and Early Childhood Education kaiako/teachers, whānau and children, to support their knowledge of planning for local civil defence emergencies.

Hawke's Bay Civil Defence Emergency Management Group Emergency Management Advisor – Community Engagement Jae Sutherland said the book has now been picked up nationwide with many other regions distributing it in their communities.

"The entire Hawke's Bay coast is at risk from tsunami and even if you don't live in a tsunami zone, most people in the region will spend time near the coast.

"This book shares an important message that in an earthquake you should drop, cover, hold, and then if the earthquake is longer than a minute or strong enough to knock you off your feet and you are near the coast you should move to higher ground or inland immediately," said Sutherland.

The B4School check is a nationwide programme offering free health and development checks for four year olds. In Hawke's Bay 98% of four year olds attend a B4 school check, which is approximately 2,500 children a year.

Health Hawke's Bay Health Programmes Manager Trish Freer said to be able to give four year olds attending their B4 School check easily digestible information about keeping safe in an earthquake to take home is fantastic.

"We want our tamariki to know what to do in an earthquake and tsunami and this book is a great way to do that. I see it becoming a popular bedtime story in the region," says Trish Freer.

Parents will also be given a household plan template, so they can plan as a family for things like where they will meet if they can't get home, where they will go if they need to evacuate, and who can pick the children up from school.