New Zealand Fire Service and Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) Media update 8 pm Sunday 27 February 2011

Efforts continue in a rescue phase. It is a slow and painstaking process and the safety of everyone working on the sites is paramount.

USAR

• General CBD (cordoned area) operations are progressing well. We are approximately a quarter of the way through clearing all buildings.

• USAR is prioritising tasks for crews based on information from police, including advice from families and other sources on the location of people known, or thought to be, in the CBD area.

Cathedral:

Cathedral operation is progressing well. We have established internal and external safe havens, using 1.6 metre pipes, which offer USAR teams good protection in case of further aftershocks. This is enabling progress to be made within the building.

Grand Chancellor Hotel:

We are still not able to get into this building. USAR specialists and engineers are consulting closely over a plan for accessing the building. A plan has been developed. That plan will evolve and is anticipated to have been put into place within the next few days.

Fire
• Fire security continues at main sites of USAR operations to ensure that there are no outbreaks of fire.

• Response teams are ready to go throughout the city for any other reports of fires. Water tankers are being deployed in areas where there is no water supply to support the operations.

• Teams visiting the most affected suburbs to offer support and assistance are close to completing this task.

• We have been working with Civil Defence and the council to provide a water supply for Diamond Harbour.

Fire safety

• Remember to keep Linen and other combustible items away from heating and cooking areas, and candles.

• Avoid open fires – use portable cookers such as BBQs and gas stoves.

ends

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