New Zealand’s emergency response community has been enhanced with a third cohort joining the New Zealand Emergency
Management Team (EMAT).
National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Deputy Chief Executive Gary Knowles today announced the appointment of 11
new EMAT members bringing the total to 46.
“The Emergency Management Assistance Team provides a national cadre of specially trained experienced emergency managers
who can go wherever needed at very short notice to assist and support local teams to manage emergencies across all
hazards and risks,” Mr Knowles said.
“EMAT members are selected from a range of organisations and undergo a complex selection process before completing a
residential training programme to ensure they are ready for the most challenging of emergency situations.
“I am delighted with the exceptional calibre of this, our third cohort, intake. Since the launch of the team in 2019 we
have seen EMAT deploy to a range of responses from adverse weather events through to the wider COVID-19 response
effort.”
The new EMAT members are:Alma Shaw, Ministry of Social DevelopmentAndrea Thompson, Emergency Management Bay of PlentyJason Hill, Fire and Emergency New ZealandJason Leppens, Ministry of Business, Innovation and EmploymentKate Hill, Fire and Emergency New ZealandLee Hazlewood, Emergency Management Bay of PlentyLucinda Swatton, Nelson-Tasman Civil Defence Emergency Management GroupNico Fournier, GNS SciencePaul Manson, Fire and Emergency New ZealandRichard Hardie, Department of Internal AffairsRoss Panioa, Te Puni Kōkiri
Since the establishment of EMAT, members have been deployed to provide assistance to a number of emergency responses:
Franz Josef flooding – Dec 2019; Southland flooding – Feb 2020; and to the National Crisis Management Centre and
Queenstown to support the COVID-19 response.
More information about the Emergency Management Assistance Team is available at https://www.civildefence.govt.nz/new-zealand-emergency-management-assistance-team/