Horizons regional emergency management exercise responds to cyclone scenario

Horizons Regional Council’s emergency coordination centre was a hive of activity on Wednesday 4 October, as regional groups came together to respond to a fictional cyclone in a curated training exercise.

Horizons emergency management personnel and representatives from the regions’ city and district councils, Hato Hone St John, NZ Police, Fire and Emergency NZ, NZ Defence Force, lifeline services, Ministry for Primary Industries and iwi partners gathered at the coordination centre to put their heads together in response to a simulated cyclone event which severely impacted the region.
 
The simulation exercise saw the region inundated by surface and river flooding, mass road closures, incredibly high wind speeds and widespread loss of power and communications - to name just a few of the complications thrown at the group.
 
Exercise facilitators Toa Consulting worked with Horizons’ emergency management team to design the exercise, titled ‘Whakamua Tahi – Forward Together’, around a fictional tropical cyclone which slowly moved over the region, affecting every district in some way.
 
Horizons senior emergency management advisor Chay Hook organised the day, and was impressed with the turnout.
 
“We had 91 total attendees for this exercise, which is the largest exercise we’ve hosted here before. We’ve had great feedback from our attendees who found the day to be a great practice exercise and valuable for meeting partners and colleagues from across the region. We were also lucky to have representatives from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in attendance as well.”
 
Horizons manager emergency management Ian Lowe says keeping information fresh in the minds of responders and practicing skills is vital for keeping our communities safe in the event of an emergency.
 
“In terms of natural disasters, our region is most at risk from flooding, so it’s key to practice with the worst-case scenario to test our response and readiness for when a real event strikes,” he says.
 
“Emergency management is one of Horizons’ responsibilities as a regional council. Regional councils are tasked with coordinating responses to emergency events at the regional level through its dedicated emergency coordination centre.
 
“Horizons regularly schedules training events for emergency management personnel in our region. It’s a great way to bring everyone together to work in unison, and also as a networking opportunity to allow staff to make important connections around the region.”
 
For general civil defence information and key updates in a real emergency situation, stay in tune with the Civil Defence Manawatū-Whanganui Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/civildefencemanawatuwhanganui