NPDC’s state-of-the-art Emergency Operations Centre is up and running and ready to help keep our community safe during an emergency.

Based at the TSB Stadium, NPDC has invested $500,000 to create the hi-tech Civil Defence hub which includes GIS map facilities, a back-up power supply, secure communication connections and even its own 30,000L water tank.

“We know that an emergency can happen at any time so we’re absolutely delighted to have this new centre which will help us meet the challenges our district may face,” says NPDC Chief Operating Officer Kelvin Wright.

“Our community responded brilliantly to ex-Cyclone Gita earlier this year. The Emergency Operations Centre will enable us to respond even more effectively to localised problems.”

Director of Civil Defence New Zealand, Sarah Stuart-Black, praised the new centre and NPDC’s commitment to managing the district through any future event. “The opening of this centre strengthens NPDC’s ability to manage local emergencies effectively.”

The official opening, held this week, marks a new chapter for the district’s Civil Defence Emergency Management team with two NPDC staff members running emergency management for the district. There was a fantastic response to our call for volunteers – we had more than 170 people put their hands up to work at the centre during a crisis.

Mr Wright thanked NPDC’s key community stakeholders including the New Zealand Police, Fire and Emergency, Saint John, New Zealand Lifelines Council, TEMO, Civil Defence NZ and the other Taranaki councils for their support.

If you want to volunteer at the centre, call us on 06-759 6060 or email enquiries@npdc.govt.nz.

-ends-

© Scoop Media