Push for home-made emergency kits

BE PREPARED: Neighbourhood Watch co-ordinator Rez Ruaine with Wanganui District Council's Matthew Smith. Photo/Bevan Conley

Rez Ruaine would like everyone in Wanganui to have a survival kit in their home.

"It is about turning fear into preparation" she says.

The idea came to her when she attended a presentation at her Church of Latter Day Saints and learned how to assemble kits at reduced cost.

As the co-ordinator for her Neighbourhood Watch group, she is in a good position to spread the word on disaster preparation.

"Affordability is a problem for many families and the prepared kits are expensive," she says.

"People throw out plastic milk bottles and they make excellent storage containers for emergency supplies."

Ms Ruaine has demonstrated how to put the kits together at Te Ora Hou's Stone Soup and to a women's group at Tawhero School.

Studying towards her certificate in business management at Te Wananga o Aotearoa inspired her to promote her ideas.

"Even though I'm not doing this to make a profit, I can use the strategies I'm learning for promotion.

"You need to pull in the professionals and get their advice too."

She has been getting help and advice from Matthew Smith, Wanganui District council's emergency manager.

"Civil Defence provides a list of basic essentials for people to have ready but they need to think about their personal situations too," says Mr Smith.

"They might need nappies for babies, medication, pet food and special equipment for elderly or disabled family members.

"We have recently held workshops for people with disabilities and people with English as their second language."

Mr Smith says he supports the work Ms Ruaine is doing and would like to see the neighbourhood networks in Wanganui grow.

"It makes people feel better about their community."

After the Christchurch earthquakes when the power was cut and cellphone networks were down, land lines were still working and Mr Smith says it is advisable for people to hang on to their old plug-in phones.

"We encourage people to set up phone trees with their neighbours, friends and family so they can keep in touch with everyone."

Civil Defence will be holding the national Get Ready Week from September 21-27 and information is available at http://www.civildefence.govt.nz/cdem-sector/public-education/get-ready-week/

Groups or individuals interested in contacting Ms Ruaine to learn about assembling kits or forming networks can send her an email to reichl2009@hotmail.com or call her on 027 694 2930.