Te Puke plans to `get ready and get through’

Te Puke plans to `get ready and get through'

1 October 2018

Te Puke has updated its Civil Defence Community Response Plan to prepare the community action in the event of a major emergency or natural disaster.

Te Puke is vulnerable to a range of hazards including flooding, earthquake, wild fire, toxic gas emissions and volcanic eruption - as well as the consequences of a tsunami that could result in an influx of people looking for shelter and assistance.

The plan outlines how the community would come together in an emergency, how people would help each other, pull resources together and share information. Planning is based on supporting the community for at least three days.

The community response plan is a key action in the in the Te Puke 20-Year Development Plan.

A working group led by Board Chair Peter Miller has prepared the plan over the past year. This has included several community meetings with support from Emergency Management Bay of Plenty.

The main aim of the plan is to ensure that our community can successfully get through the first three or four days of an emergency without having to rely on outside help,'' says Peter.

The working group appreciates the input of community groups who have offered their facilities as community-led centres - places where people can go for help, shelter or food if they are made homeless due to an event. Several local business have also made their resources available for use in an emergency.

Community emergency response centres (to be activated in this order):

• Centre One: Te Puke War Memorial Hall
• Centre Two: Te Puke Baptist Church
• Centre Three: Te Puke Orchard Church

Emergency Management Community Resilience Adviser Theo Ursum says when disaster strikes it's the community that's first to respond.

This help comes from neighbours, community groups, sports clubs and others such as Neighbourhood Support and Salvation Army. No one knows a community better than the people who live and work in it. This is why the Te Puke community has come together to develop a plan.

Te Puke is a proactive community. Like many communities in the Bay of Plenty, it is vulnerable to a number of risks so it's important these are considered, planned and prepared for, says Theo.

He urges everyone to have a personal emergency plan and to become familiar with the updated Community Response Plan. An outline of the plan can be viewed on: https://tpcommunityresponse.wixsite.com/home

If you would like to know more about the plan or talk to the team please contact them via Facebook: www.facebook.com/tpcommunityresponse/ or email: tpcommunityresponse@gmail.com. The Community Guide to Emergencies pamphlet is available at Council's office in Te Puke.

People can sign up for Bay of Plenty Civil Defence text alerts at www.bopcivildefence.govt.nz or they can pick up the pamphlet Community Guide to Emergencies from the Council office in Te Puke. The ER Team also has a Facebook page at www.facebook.com/tpcommunityresponse/