Get Ready Week

Emergencies can happen anywhere, any time, and without warning.

We know that when children are involved in preparing for emergencies and learning about natural disasters, they encourage their families to be more prepared and play a more active role in responding to and recovering from emergencies.

The Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management and other civil defence groups across the country use the week of the UN’s International Day for Natural Disaster Reduction (13 October) to encourage people to talk about their plans for an emergency.

With the theme of ‘Stay Safe, Stay Informed,’ Get Ready Week started on Monday 9 October this year.

Kerry McSaveney is emergency management advisor for the Wellington Region Emergency Management Office (WREMO), and she says in her job every week is Get Ready Week.

“We’d like to make emergency preparedness something that people do as part of their everyday lives, as a lot of it is about being prepared for more everyday disruptions. So not just one week of the year. But if there’s ever an opportunity for people to focus on how they can get prepared, then we’ll take it!”

When it comes to teachers and schools tackling the subject of emergency preparedness, Kerry says practice makes perfect.

“It’s about practise, practise, practise. Actually doing the drills puts memory in your muscles, and it’s the best way to work out if there are any problems with your plans so you can fix them.

“Some drills, like the reunification drill of getting kids back to families, can be a bit of a chore, but they are the most important ones to practise as they involve more of the school community than just the staff and students,” she says.

For more information about Get Ready Week, including downloadable teaching resources, visit www.civildefence.govt.nz/cdem-sector/public-education/get-ready-week.

What’s the plan, Stan?

What’s the Plan, Stan? is a resource for teaching civil defence in schools and for kids to learn about disasters.

What’s the plan, Stan? aligns with The New Zealand Curriculum’s vision of what we want for young people, particularly regarding them being:

• confident – resourceful and resilient enough to cope with emergency events
• connected – aware of hazards around them, and being responsible members of their communities through helping to reduce the risk of disasters
• actively involved – participating and contributing to the wellbeing of New Zealand by being prepared
• lifelong learners – making informed decisions to keep themselves and others safe from the impacts for emergencies throughout their lives.

To find out more, visit www.whatstheplanstan.govt.nz(external link).