Our NZQA external evaluation & review report is now online on the NZQA website. We are really proud of the result and appreciate the fantastic support and feedback received from you, our clients. The evaluation was very thorough, taking several days. Read More
Source: Stuff A landlord could face court action after a rental property, where fire investigators said they could find no working smoke alarms, caught fire. The property on the Hibiscus Coast, north of Auckland, caught fire on Thursday night while the tenants were at home. Now, the property owner could … Read More
The Walking Dead is a popular AMC television program, and we have some avid fans in the Devereux-Blum office. As we work daily with CIMS (Coordinated Incident Management System) training, it has infiltrated every part of our lives. We use the system for … Read More
Impress the children and neighbours! This is a great opportunity to improve the fire safety of your home and ensure your children are Prepared Kids. Your local Fire Brigade will come to your home and install your smoke alarms. A bonus if … Read More
Tweet Follow @manageemergency Well that escalated quickly… New Zealand telcos will ban the Note 7 from their networks from November 18th 2016. Burnt Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Source: CNN Money via Hui Renjie. (function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; … Read More
Tsunami warning maps. An excellent resource of updated maps from Wremo via Stuff. Check out the full article here. A replica of the New Zealand coastline constucted out of the updated tsunami maps. WREMO/SUPPLIED An updated collection of tsunami warning maps for the Wellington region have been published on the … Read More
Prime Minister Bill English addressed the thousands of people gathered on Wednesday afternoon at the unveiling of Oi Manawa, the memorial to the 185 people who died in the magnitude-6.3 earthquake on February 22, 2011. Christchurch’s earthquake memorial is “a place to grieve, but also a place to hope”, … Read More
New Zealand Underwater Association is a not-for-profit organisation leading New Zealand’s underwater community in recreational and sporting activities. Its mission is to be the lead organisation for promoting and advocating safe and enjoyable underwater activities in New Zealand. The New Zealand Underwater Association would like to remind those … Read More
PIPPA BROWN/FAIRFAX NZ Source: Chris Hutching at Stuff The first of NCTIR’s prefabricated accommodation units to house workers on road and rail projects around Kaikōura arrived this week as more ground is prepared. Workers are pouring into Kaikōura for the earthquake rebuild as employment agency Turbo Staff sets up an office there. Read More
The latest computer virus that is similar to Wannacry has spread very quickly across Europe overnight and could arrive in New Zealand at any time. It is a type of virus known as ransomware. It encrypts all files on your computer rendering them unusable. Cadbury’s owner, Mondelez, and shipping giant Maersk … Read More
Source: Madison Reidy/Fairfax NZ Healthy Breath director Kenneth Leong said he expected fast demand in Asia which Karen Walker said would boost her brand exposure. Fashion designer Karen Walker has helped design a trendy air pollution face mask for Asian consumers struggling with ‘airpocalypse’. Mask maker Healthy Breath launched its … Read More
Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) was established on 1 July 2017. It is the amalgamation of the New Zealand Fire Service, the National Rural Fire Authority, 12 enlarged rural fire districts and 26 territorial authority rural fire authorities. FENZ is a new unified fire organisation that brings together our country’s … Read More
Source: Stuff news Owners could be left with less time and tighter rules in bringing quake-prone buildings up to code as national regulations are overhauled. The changes, which begin on Saturday, will take decision-making away from territorial authorities with their own guidelines and create a single, national policy. The Building … Read More
Source: Beehive Media Release The implementation of a new nationwide channel for sending alerts about emergencies to mobile phones is on track to be up and running by the end of the year. Cell broadcast alerting is a new way of sending information to mobile phones in a … Read More
Source: Sunday Star Times Firms in the finance sector, regulators, and other authorities all have a part to play in managing cyber security risks, a Reserve Bank executive said. They can take on this challenge while still benefiting from the opportunities of new financial technology, said Reserve Bank Head of Prudential … Read More
Source: Duncan Cotterill partner Paul Calder via Property and Build The new national framework for managing earthquake-prone buildings (EPBs) that became effective on 1 July 2017 has brought several changes. These include a national register, new forms of EPB notice that must be displayed prominently on all EBPs and … Read More
If your life, health or property is in serious danger, an Emergency Mobile Alert could be sent to your mobile phone. The alerts are sent using cell broadcast technology, so there is no need to sign up or download an app. They can also be targeted to affected areas, so you will … Read More
CIMS 5 Programme starting April 2016. Contact us for details and to discuss your participation in this course. Read More
The Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 came into force on 4 April 2016. … Read More
The earthquake in Nepal struck one year ago and this article explores the lives of people in Nepal one year on from this devastating event. Read the full article … Read More
New Zealand Police have a publication available to assist people travelling in New Zealand. Read More
Civil Defence no longer 'Mickey Mouse'. Waikato CDEM is actively looking for a suitable site to manage emergency responses. Interesting to read about this forward planning at the regional level Read More
By Sharyn Devereux-Blum, Director. With scenario planning and testing, the future is a set of possibilities. This provides us an opportunity to work with you and people in your organisation. Devereux-Blum Training & Development can explore your organisation’s range of choices plus work with predictions, uncertainty and momentum. Read More
By Sharyn Devereux-Blum, Director. Recently I had the privilege to listen to Dr Mary Anne Thompson, Research Fellow at The University of Auckland. I picked up a number of great insights when communicating hazards and risks to people. Read More
By Sharyn Devereux-Blum, Director. Personal readiness is an ongoing topic of conversation with people we work with nationally. We are continually interested in the items you have in your home/office which contributes to your preparedness. Your ‘mental’ preparation interests us also. Read More
Radionz news reported that: "GeoNet said a 4.4 magnitude quake was reported at 8pm east of Waipukurau, at a depth of 50km. The Fire Service has received no reports of damage. Read More
Source: The Marlborough Express via Stuff. When a tsunami hits, a coastal Marlborough community will have their own evacuation plan. A small group of residents from the beachside suburb of Rarangi, about 19 kilometres north of Blenheim, is creating the plan to make sure the race to higher … Read More
This is an example of reduction part of emergency management. Alden Williams/Fairfax NZ Businesses are reaping the benefits from changes to workplace health and safety legislation. One year on from changes to workplace health and safety legislation, a Nelson compliance expert says the region’s businesses and employees are reaping the benefits. The Health … Read More
Pioneering research from the University of South Australia has shown for the first time that drones can be used to detect human vital signs in war zones and natural disasters. Under a collaborative agreement with the Defence Science and Technology (DST) Group, UniSA researchers have successfully trialled unmanned aerial vehicles … Read More
2February 2016 - National Disaster Declared in Fiji as Cyclone Winston Hits. Cyclone Winston is the most powerful storm ever recorded in the Southern Hemisphere. The Cyclone has caused causing widespread devastation including flooding, with many homes being destroyed. View the photographs, videos and read the news articles here. Read More
Science – Earthquake possible indicator study Scientists are studying chemical signs in underground water that may assist with indications of potential earthquakes. Read article here. Read More
October 2014 – A large fault line, previously unknown, has been discovered under Wellington Harbour. Named the Aotea fault information on this can be viewed here. … Read More
View information on the Christchurch Rebuild and Recovery via these links to current information and articles. Read More
We are now offering CIMS 5 & 6 (Coordinated Incident Management System) training courses, with NZQA unit standards. We are taking expressions of interest for this training programme, register your interest now to receive further information. Read More
“The recent earthquakes have boosted the already-strong case to upgrade routes into and out of the [Wellington] region so it can better cope with such events.” John Key is quoted as saying – referring to the increased need to commence the work on Transmission Gully due to earthquake concerns advising … Read More
New Zealand – The North and South Islands are now also officially known as Te Ika-a-Maui (North) and Te Waipounamu (South). Read the full article here. Read More
Information we located in a recent article regarding seeking seismic assessments read more here. … Read More
The Auckland City Council has a Civil Defence App available for iPhone, Android and other smart phones. The app contains details including the following information on Civil Defence in the Auckland area. There is also a CD alert option by text message available to subscribers. Read More
"The actual emergency response is not the time to learn and practice" - article by Sharyn Devereux-Blum Our work involves talking to many interesting people and conversation has flowed recently on the importance of an on-going training programme rather than a start/stop process or reactive training when something happens in an organisation and suddenly training is needed which adds further pressure to people’s workloads. Read Sharyn's full article online or view as a pdf. Read More
Important information about your actions immediately following an earthquake. In a media release on 20 August 2013 The Director of Civil Defence Emergency Management, John Hamilton, said it is not like a fire. You do not have to evacuate a building straight away unless it is … Read More
We have been dealing with a number of businesses following the recent 6.5 & 6.6 magnitude earthquakes near Wellington. While Wellington got through with minimal damage there have been a number of Business Continuity issues. If you need assistance in managing a response or recovery effort or require Earthquake Awareness … Read More
View an article regarding the Strategic Routes out of Wellington and an interactive map. Read More
The development of a smartphone application that will track distressed 111 callers is being promoted. Read the full article here. Read More
Read the latest information here on plans to help Wellington recover following an earthquake … Read More
Consultation by the Ministry of Business, Employment & Innovation – Building & Housingon the proposed changes to the system for dealing with earthquake-prone buildings closed at 5pm Friday 8 March 2013 … Read More
'One feature was strikingly apparent. Organisations of any kind that were well prepared in advance responded much better than those who were not...' A pertinent quote from the independent Review of the Civil Defence Emergency Management Response to the 22 February Christchurch Earthquake confirming the importance of resilient organisations who practice emergency management preparedness. Read More
Wellington City Council are warning owners of earthquake-prone buildings that they must display the legally required yellow stickers that alert visitors to the risks they face entering the premises. About 470 buildings in the city have been confirmed as earthquake-prone, which means they rate at less than 34 per cent … Read More
For information on what to do in the event of a volcanic eruption see the information from Civil Defence here. Read More
The primary aim of the Canterbury Quakes Stories project being run by the University of Canterbury is to collect an archive of people’s earthquake experiences for research purposes. Tell your story via video, audio only or via email, in any language. For full details visit the … Read More
In considering how we can prepare in the event of an earthquake securing our property, both inside and outside, as best we can is something that we should all be working towards, but what to do and how to do this? Read More
Several times this year we have fielded calls from clients relating to the removal of fire extinguishers from buildings. Read More
The GeoNet project involves monitoring and analysing hazards earthquakes, volcanic activity, large landslides, tsunami in New Zealand. Information can be viewed at their website http://www.geonet.org.nz/. Read More
Sharyn and I recently visited the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre in Hawaii. The PTWC provides warnings of tsunamis to almost every country around the Pacific Rim including New Zealand. This function is carried out under the auspices of the UNESCO/IOC International Coordination Group for the Pacific Tsunami Warning System. Read More
Moving around the Christchurch CBD following the February earthquake was a sobering experience. Having spent some of my childhood living in Kilmore Street and being no stranger to the shaking's and rumbles that occur from time to time around New Zealand, it was hard to believe the level of destruction left in the wake of this devastating quake. Working in the emergency services and emergency preparedness business for the time that I had, it was evident that this would be a long and painful recovery process for many. Even those who considered themselves well prepared would find this a challenge of enormous proportions. Read More
This month we achieved another first - two published articles in the same magazine! Read More
Could you quickly identify who was in your building if it collapsed following an earthquake or a fire evacuation? Do you need to be able to quickly locate people on your sites or in your workplaces? We are pleased to offer a modern effective, solution to clients who need to know who is on site and account for staff, contractors and visiting public in the event of an emergency. This is the best solution we have come across in over thirteen years! The Visitor / Emergency Management solution is web-based and secure. The application is provided as a Software-as-a-Service solution. All the user needs is a web browser. (IE 6, 7, 8, Firefox). Read More
As part of our commitment to you to ensure we deliver quality services based on current research and best practice, Sharyn attended the 4th Australasian Natural Hazards Management Conference. There were many interesting sessions and Sharyn has summarised some of the key points for our readers. Read More
Many of our course attendees ask us what we think about the triangle of life earthquake advice circulating in cyberspace, originally generated by Doug Copp, a self-professed emergency management expert. The triangle of life theory usually resurfaces following a major earthquake such as Haiti, or most recently Chile. Read More
Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEP) are in wide use in the UK and most of Europe, especially since the DDA (Disability Discrimination Act) made it mandatory for building owners, employers and other accountable bodies responsible to ensure the safe and complete evacuation of everyone (including disabled people). They are no longer permitted to rely on any incoming party such as the Fire Service. Read More
The Ministry of Civil Defence, in conjunction with Deaf Aotearoa, has launched a new sign language DVD that provides the key CDEM messages in both sign language and captions for the Deaf and hearing impaired community. Read More
We felt it worthwhile, as you begin planning for the coming year, to remind you of the services we provide. A key benefit to working with us is that we take the time to tailor our training courses and other services to your organisation and your people. We are proud to be a provider of solutions, so we take care to pay attention to the details. Read More
Be the first to hear about Wellington emergencies, e.g tsunami warnings. Sign up to receive Emergency Text Alerts from WEMO (Wellington Emergency Management Office, the "Civil Defence" people). Read More
Recent events around the world continue to remind us of the threats and opportunities available to organisations in New Zealand and overseas. Communication is an area that requires a lot of readiness work prior to an event so it was interesting to hear about the steep learning curve BP's media team went through with Twitter and the importance of keeping an eye on social media during a response. Read More
"It does us a power of good to remind ourselves that we live on two volcanic rocks where two tectonic plates meet, in a somewhat lonely stretch of windswept ocean just above the Roaring Forties. If you want drama - you've come to the right place" Former Prime Minister Sir Geoffrey Palmer When the Siren Goes is a six-part audio documentaryseries hosted from the Radio New Zealand Sound Archives exploring a range of themes about disaster awareness through an examination of the different natural disasters which have occurred in New Zealand's history: earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis, snowstorms, and floods. Read More
Hutt Valley Schools have leapt at the opportunity of working with Hutt Valley Emergency Management Team and Devereux-Blum Training & Development Ltd to ensure their schools have trained teams on the ground in a Civil Defence Emergency. Read More
Our latest multi-agency CIMS (Co-Ordinated Incident Management System) course brought together people from a range of different organisations. Read More
We recently ran a CIMS training session for the Civil Defence Centre Managers within the Wellington City Area. In a major disaster or emergency Civil Defence Centres are activated by these volunteers. The centres are situated in primary schools or other community locations like community centres. The centres collect information about the impact of an emergency and inform the Wellington Emergency Management Office. There is very little equipment at Civil Defence Centres, so residents should plan to be self-sufficient. Read More
Following a significant event, it is likely that the sewerage system (toilets and piping) will not be functioning due to no water supply and broken pipes. You need to plan for the sewerage system to be unavailable for at least 5 days, as it may take some time before local … Read More
Devereux-Blum Training delivered four successful Storm Response courses for storm response teams in Wellington and Auckland. With the this years run of tornadoes in Taranaki, these skills are exactly those required to carry out improvised repairs to roofs, doors and windows following storm damage. If you are … Read More
Paul and Sharyn were involved in Exercise Cruickshank working alongside Health professionals from the Hutt Valley District Health Board in a National exercise. The Ministry of Health held the nationwide influenza pandemic exercise involving all 21 District Health Boards, ESR and the Ministry of Health’s National Health Coordination Centre. Ministry … Read More
Emergencies within the community can occur at any time or place. Devereux-Blum Training & Development Limited, along with local and regional council worked collaboratively together to plan an exercise which tested the regional capability to respond to a large scale emergency in the Wellington region. Read More
A USAR Awareness Trainers course was held for people throughout the North Island. Those attending worked through the various requirements towards the qualification enabling them to train others in Urban Search and Rescue techniques. Here they are pictured during a lifting and cribbing exercise having been tasked with lifting a … Read More
Sharyn recently delivered a keynote speech at a conference on Emergency Management in Wellington on the key competencies in CIMS (Coordinated Incident Management System). We now deliver CIMS training to a wide client group throughout New Zealand. Whilst Sharyn was delivering her speech Paul was mentoring a Logistics Manager in … Read More
Sharyn and Paul are both certified Urban Search and Rescue Awareness (USAR) Trainers. This training involves them training groups at both national and local levels. For several years they have been contracted to the Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management to deliver these courses. For further information contact … Read More
Sharyn and Paul were both involved in Exercise Pegasus held in Christchurch. This involved them assessing, acting as Safety Officers and debriefing aspects of the response team activities over a weekend. Many of New Zealand’s registered Response Teams attended the exercise to test their skills and network with others. For … Read More
Paul attended a 5-day Health Planning Course for Civil Emergencies directed at Health professionals to develop strategies and plans for dealing with the impact to public health. Paul gained a lot of useful information that will enable him to work closely with health professionals on Pandemic planning. See available … Read More
