About Civil Defence
Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, floods and storms can strike at any time, sometimes without warning. All disasters have the potential to cause disruption, damage property and take lives.
A disaster could disrupt essential services like roads, electricity, telecommunications and water, and effect your ability to travel or communicate.
You may be confined to your home, or forced to evacuate your neighbourhood. In the immediate aftermath of a disaster, emergency services will not be able to get help to everyone as quickly as needed.
This is when you are likely to be most vulnerable so it is important to plan to look after yourself and your loved ones for at least three days or more in the event of a disaster.
Visit Waikato Civil Defence for more information.
Civil Defence in Waipā
The Waipā district is generally sheltered from most natural disasters, although there is an ever-present risk of localised flooding.
The Waikato River is largely controlled by the dams, but the Waipā River is uncontrolled which can cause tributary streams to back up and cause localised flooding. Wind is another danger for our district with several isolated cyclones hitting the area in recent years.
Should the Mayor declare a state of Civil Defence Emergency, the appointed Civil Defence Controller will then be responsible for coordinating services such as fire, police and ambulance in the response effort.
Should the emergency escalate and affect other districts, there will most likely be a Regional state of Civil Defence Emergency declared for the entire area by the Waikato Emergency Management Group.
Civil Defence Centres
In an emergency, Civil Defence Centres provide assistance for people who have been displaced or affected by an emergency situation. See below for a list of centres in Waipā.
Bring with you any essential items you may need, e.g. medication, warm clothing, and baby items.
Cambridge
Pirongia
Te Awamutu
Stay informed
In the event of a local emergency, find regular updates:
In the event of wide-spread/national emergency, you can also follow the National Emergency Agency:
Civil Defence mobile alerts
For more information on Emergency Mobile Alert and to see if your phone is capable of receiving the alerts, visit Emergency Mobile Alert — Get Ready — Emergency preparedness in New Zealand.
What you need to know:
- No need to subscribe. You don’t need to sign up or download an app. Just make sure your phone is on and capable of receiving an alert, and your operating system is up to date. You can find out whether your phone can receive the alerts at getready.govt.nz/capable-phones
- Works by geo-targeting. Emergency Mobile Alerts can also be targeted to affected areas, so you will only get them if the emergency is in your area. Sunday’s test alert will be sent to all areas in New Zealand with mobile coverage.
- You can’t opt out. As Emergency Mobile Alert is about keeping you safe, you won’t be able to opt-out. Your phones may show optional settings used in other countries, but in New Zealand we will use a special broadcast channel that is permanently on.
- Who can send an alert? Emergency Mobile Alert messages can only be sent by the National Emergency Management Agency, Civil Defence Emergency Management Groups, NZ Police, Fire and Emergency New Zealand, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry for Primary Industries. Alerts will only be sent when there are serious threats to life, health and property, and, like this month, for test purposes.
- Don’t ditch the radio. Emergency Mobile Alert is an additional channel to help keep people ni New Zealand safe in an emergency and does not replace other alerting channels such as radio, television, websites and social media, or the need to take action after natural warnings. If you feel your life may be in danger, don’t wait for an official warning. Take immediate action. Remember – Long or strong, get gone.
- What if I’m driving? If you are driving when you receive an alert, wait until it is safe to stop and then check the message.
- Make a plan. Take the time to make your own emergency plan which includes what to do, where to go, who can help you and who might need your help.
