Source: Environment Canterbury Regional Council
We can’t predict earthquakes, but we can prepare for them. Civil Defence Emergency Management (CDEM) Canterbury is preparing, with an inter-regional, multi-agency exercise based on a magnitude 8 Alpine Fault earthquake (AF8) on Thursday, 7 November.
With a 75 per cent chance of an alpine fault rupture in the next 50 years, preparation is critical.
Just like the public was encouraged to get in behind the national earthquake drill ShakeOut recently, CDEM Canterbury is also getting ahead of the game.
The next large alpine fault earthquake will challenge all of us. The better connected we are beforehand, the easier it will be to support each other during and after.
“Exercising is a core part of readiness by helping us to identify gaps and issues,” Team Leader Regional Emergency Management for CDEM Canterbury, Phill Mackay said.
“We’re able to integrate the learnings we identify into our plans and procedures post-exercise. This improves our ability to not only respond to but also recover from emergencies.”
Realistic practice ensures teams are prepared for emergencies
Scientific research indicates there is a 4 out of 5 chance the next alpine fault rupture will be a magnitude 8+ event. This will require a coordinated multi-agency response.
Exercise Pandora will involve all the South Island Civil Defence Emergency Management Groups and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). It has been developed using the most up to date science we have available by partnering with the AF8 programme.
“Months of work has gone on in the lead up to this exercise to ensure the scenario is realistic, but also to ensure the stakeholders that would need to be involved in the event of an actual rupture of the alpine fault are involved in the exercise,” Phill said.
“Ensuring the scenario for the exercise is authentic gives us the greatest chance of truly identifying how and where we might need to develop our existing systems. In terms of response preparedness, that’s critical.”
How you can prepare for emergencies
In Waitah/Canterbury, we are not strangers to emergencies, and we know they come in many different forms and are unpredictable.
Practicing your plan with your family, friends and community helps everyone understand what they can do to support each other in an emergency event.
Now’s a great time to get your whānau together and
make a plan for emergencies . While having a plan is a great start, practising it together is even better!
