Civil Defence in our Region

Get ready

Emergency can happen anytime and anywhere, that is why it is essential to take steps to be prepared. Wherever you are, have a plan to ensure you're prepared for whatever emergency hits. You'll need a plan for if you're at work, or home, or at school.

Check out Get Ready or contact your local Emergency Management Officer by calling freephone 0508 800 800.
Learn about the different types of natural disasters New Zealand is likely to experience, how to get prepared for wherever you may be, and how to get involved:

Get Ready for an emergency

How to 'get ready'

Being ready does not need to be hard. Being ready means our communities are more resilient and prepared to cope in an emergency. Please have a read below for some tips to help you Get Ready, no matter where you are or what you’re doing. 

Get ready for an emergency with these handy documents:

Emergency Kit Shopping List
Protect your animals in an emergency

Find a full list of downloads and resources, including emergency checklists and plans, posters, brochures and further links here.

Get Ready in an Emergency
In an emergency, you can take simple steps to ensure you and your whānau are ready to get through. Find out about how you can get prepared and involved here.

Get your household ready
It's important to ensure that everyone in your household knows what to do and has everything they need to be prepared. Check out these simple steps to get ready here.

Get your school ready

Schools have a crucial role in ensuring the safety of the community. Learn about school obligations, and how to educate students on the necessary knowledge and skills to be better prepared for emergencies. Access resources here.

Get your work ready
Disasters can occur during work hours, so it’s important to ensure that your staff and business are prepared. Create a workplace emergency plan and advise your staff to store essential items at work, such as sturdy walking shoes, a waterproof jacket, a flashlight, some snacks, and water.

Get your marae ready
In some emergencies, you may need to evacuate your home in a hurry. Plan what your whānau, hapū and iwi will do by walking through the marae emergency preparedness plan here.

Advice for disabled people
If you have a disability or any requirements that may put you at greater risk in an emergency, find advice on how to prepare here.

Me rapu mōhiohio | Stay informed

It's important to know the various ways you can stay informed during an emergency, by finding local updates on your council's website and social media. National updates will be available on the National Emergency Management Agency's website.

During a power outage, use a solar- or battery-powered radio (or your car radio) to stay updated with the latest news. In an emergency, tune in to the designated stations:

Civil Defence Radio Stations

Find more ways to stay informed here.

Me Takatū | Get prepared

Created by Horizons Regional Council Emergency Management and Palmerston North City Council Emergency Management, together with Auckland Emergency Management and partners.

The Lifestyle Block Emergency Preparedness Handbook Manawatū-Whanganui includes information on making an emergency plan, managing water on your property, power and phone outages, property access, insurance, what to do in certain emergency events, first aid kids, infectious diseases, pandemics and more.

View the to access this handbook and share with those you know and who own or live on a lifestyle block:

Lifestyle Block Owner's Emergency Preparedness Handbook

Tiakina tō oranga ā-hinengaro | Look after your mental wellbeing

Experiencing a disaster can be overwhelming. It’s normal for you and your whānau to feel upset and physically drained during and after an emergency event.

Find out where to get help, free tools and resources here:

Mental Wellbeing

Know your insurance cover

Research shows homeowner understanding of natural hazards insurance is often low, with only a third confident that they know what damage to their home would or would not be covered by insurance after a natural hazard event. This can make things confusing and frustrating when an event happens. 

The Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tū Ake (previously known as EQC) wants people to prepare themselves by getting to know their cover and understanding where insurance starts and finishes. 

The good news is that Natural Hazards Cover provides a first layer of cover for your home, and cover for some of the land under and around it, for a range of natural hazards.  Homeowners who have home insurance with fire cover automatically have Natural Hazards Cover to help them rebuild and recover from natural disasters.  

The commission has lots of information on their website to help you know your cover before you need it.

Know your cover