It's important to prepare for disasters

Stan the dog from Civil Defence visited Stratford on Thursday to raise awareness of the importance of planning ahead for potential emergencies such as an earthquake or storm.

Accompanied by Ben Ingram, from Taranaki Regional Council, Stan visited Stratford District Council and the library, checking to see how prepared individuals are.

"I'm okay, I married a boy scout!" Librarian Bridget Roper was confident she could quickly grab a getaway kit should she and her family have to quickly evacuate.

She and her colleagues impressed Stan and Ben with their preparedness, especially their display of books in the entrance on the subject of natural disasters and being prepared.

"It's not just about getting under a table," says Ben, "it is about how communities prepare, how they can look after themselves, their neighbours and their families in an emergency".

Civil Defence wants people to be able to look after themselves for the first three days in an emergency, as this is the time when emergency services will be stretched and might not be able to get to everyone immediately.

They encourage families and businesses to have emergency plans, and to talk about what they will do in specific situations. "You might be working in New Plymouth, and your husband in Hawera," says Ben, "so you need to know who would be getting the children from school, where will you all meet up?"

Visit the whats the plan website for more information on how to be prepared.