At the monthly meeting for the Sanson Community Committee, held 11th November 2020, Jeff Graham, Emergency Management Officer, for the Manawatu District Council (MDC), provided us with an overview of the planned Community Response and Recovery Plan (brochure attached).
In this plan, it is outlined, from the householder through to the response team, on how to manage an immediate emergency, let alone one that is foreseen and prepared for. The latter being a preference, however, a truck carrying hazardous chemicals and tipping over somewhere in the area, is most certainly not an expected incident, but one we would like to be prepared for and able to assist emergency services with a team of response volunteers. Contingency ready!
The volunteers will be trained in their posts; which could, for the main part, be serviced by a minimum of four local residential folk.
All the posts, are:
Registrar/Reception – Someone to coordinated those arriving to see the right person to meet their needs/requirements.
Information Coordinator – Gathers info and advice, helps community members to understand what's happening and how to look after themselves. This person also works with the Registrar to greet folk as they arrive and provides security to the centre.
Assistant Coordinator – Helps the Coordinator as required. Assists in solving issues that arise, meets the overflow of folk arriving if needed and generally makes folk comfortable, physically and mentally.
Centre Supporter – Not everyone who turns up is after information. They may just wish to be in a place of security and in company instead of drifting on the peripheral all by themselves. A hot cuppa, a biscuit and a friendly face [or two] can do so much for a soul!
Contact Agent – A critical role in keeping the Emergency Operations Centre (ECO) informed of what's going on in your community and the official response team can provide support and advice where possible.
Also at the meeting was Tracey Cuff from Manawatu District Neighbourhood Support (MDNS), who would like to get as many residents as possible on to a list, that could be overseen by the post holder of the Contact Agent, as noted above. In the interim I will hold this post unless someone with much more training is willing to take it up.
Having said that, it is planned to open a secure folder, where a spread sheet will be added, so as to be accessible to all (and only by) the R&R Centre as well as Tracey, Trish Balmer (also with MDNS) and Jeff from the MDC. The folder will be added to https://www.sanson.net.nz/sanson-community-committee (click 'Minutes').
You will be notified when this goes live for additions to be incorporated, noting it will request information such as:
Residents full name
Number of householders
Physical address
Email address
Contact number
Specific skills / qualifications that can be used in an emergency
Equipment / tools available for use within the period of the emergency
Any other relevant information?
The R&R Centre's main 'HQ' would be the Supper Room of the Sanson Community Hall with, as and if required, additional rooms for use...these being the Parish Hall and the Sanson Club Inc. (Note that the bar facilities at the hall and the Club will not be open during the emergency period!
If this sounds like something you would like to be part of, due to your training in emergency procedures, or would like to volunteer because of your kind and generous personality, then please make contact with..:
myself, Denise Tanner, by dropping me a text to 027 424 8998, stating who you are and how you would like to help (noting to head your text with R&R Centre), or
send Jeff Graham an email via the MDC, Jeff.Graham@mdc.govt.nz
One of us will get back to you as soon as we have numbers to train up...remembering, we are after a minimum of four, but the more the merrier.
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