Callers to have disaster in mind

12 January 2010

Disasters commonly arrive unannounced but for the next week or so in Taranaki, the ring of the phone may serve as an advance warning.

A major telephone survey began yesterday (11 January) to give Civil Defence an indication of how well Taranaki people are prepared for a major emergency.

Responses from 1,240 people will be sought, to give the survey a margin of error of just over 2.2%

"There are no 'right' or 'wrong' answers for the purposes of the survey - we just need to get an idea of the level of understanding and preparedness that currently exists," says Gary Bedford, Director-Environment Quality for the Taranaki Regional Council.

"Information from this survey will help the Taranaki Civil Defence Emergency Management Group design and deliver the right sort of information and advice to ensure the region and its people are as ready as they can be for a major emergency."

Mr Bedford says that although the Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management carries out preparedness surveys on a national scale, their Taranaki sample is not large enough to gain useful regional information.

"We need to see what sort of impact has been created by the 'Get Ready, Get Thru' messages that are promoted at national and regional level. Information from this survey will tell us whether, where and how we need to refine our approach.

"This is important stuff. Emergency services will be at full stretch immediately after any major event and most people will need to rely on their own resources for three days or more. We must deliver that message effectively - it's a lifesaver."

Mr Bedford says phone surveys can often draw a negative reaction but he's confident Taranaki people will realise that this one is important.

"It will only take 10-15 minutes to complete. That's not a lot of time when you think about the enormous impact of a disaster."

The survey can also be completed online at www.trc.govt.nz/disaster-preparedness-survey.

The Taranaki Civil Defence Emergency Management Group is a coalition of the region's four Councils. It is administered by the Taranaki Regional Council.

ENDS

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