Civil Defence Volunteers Speech

Thursday 14 June 2006

Good Evening. It’s a privilege to have the opportunity to speak to you tonight, the volunteers who will be at the heart of any major disaster that strikes Christchurch. It’s our volunteers, and the huge amount of work they do, in many different areas, that make this city such a great place to live.

The experience and real-life accounts of catastrophes around the world show that many survivors of disasters are in fact saved by family members, neighbours and members of the community who are the first people at the scene.

As Civil Defence volunteers you’ll be the first people at the scene. You’ll be setting up relief stations in schools and community halls. You will be at the front line, responding to calls for help.

Reduction, readiness, response and recovery; these are the four Rs of civil defence. The Civil Defence Emergency Management Act says that local people and organisations are responsible for dealing with emergencies in their area, because they know the area best. Readiness and response are at the core of a local authority’s role and as Mayor I thank you, on behalf of the city, for giving up your time to make sure that our readiness and response is first rate.

I believe the most important lesson we could learn from a flood stricken New Orleans was – “it pays to be prepared”. Who could forget the scenes of devastation; the elderly left with no plan of rescue; and the people in the superdome left with little or no provision for their safety or welfare?

The Indonesians were prepared. They thought that a volcano was about to erupt, what they got was an earthquake – but they were prepared.

Christchurch must also be prepared. Like Indonesia, we can’t be sure what the threat will be. The city could be hit by an earthquake, floods, tsunami or an epidemic at any time.

In the 1800’s Christchurch experienced flooding from the Waimakariri. This threat has been alleviated by flood banks, but the danger is still there.

As every year goes by the chance of a major earthquake in the region grows.

The 1918 flu epidemic, or the “black flu” claimed the lives of more than 8,500 New Zealanders in the space of just six weeks. This disease came to New Zealand by boat. Today, with jet travel the world is a viral village. A pandemic, as potentially lethal as that of 1918, could spread around the globe within days.

Geoffrey Rice tells us in his book Black November, that at the height of the 1918 epidemic New Zealand towns and ordinary public life was suspended for a couple of weeks. The hospitals were overflowing and it was up to the neighbourhood community, and to family, to nurse the sick at home. Shipping was suspended and basic supplies ran out. Because the undertakers and grave diggers were ill, even coffins were being made by volunteers.

There was still time for some humour. In Christchurch a group of Boy Scouts, delivering food to the needy, were allowed to finish off any left overs and one occasion they got tipsy eating some jellies. Apparently the good people at Aulsebrooks had laced the jellies with brandy for medicinal purposes!

The recent debacle, of the tsunami warning in the Pacific reaching friends and relatives in the northern hemisphere before we learned about it, was a warning that all was not well with the Civil Defence communications systems, and it was with some trepidation that I took part in the Pacific Wave exercise some weeks ago.

Whenever I go up to the emergency centre at the Tuam Street Offices I’m always impressed by the dedication and professionalism of Murray and his team, and I’m sure they’ll take on board what they learned from the tsunami warning and the Pacific Wave exercise to improve our systems. The Christchurch City Council has recognised the need for a proper coordination centre and there are plans for one in the Long Term Council Community Plan.

Of course, if we have a major earthquake it may be that nobody will be able to ring us. We may have to go without our cellphones and telephones and internet for some time. Battery radio will be our ear to the world. Communications will be a bit like the Super 14 final, foggy at best. It will be the volunteers on the ground who will provide people with advice and information.

I know that you put in a lot of voluntary time, building and maintaining the skills you require to make our community more resilient in trying times. These skills will be invaluable to keep civic order.

People must also take responsibility for themselves and keep an adequate stock of food and water. Pam has a good stock of baked beans under the sink. These could cause some problems, but at least we’ll have a hearty meal!

Our standard of living is higher than it has ever been but in a few short seconds we could be living like pioneers in make- shift huts boiling water a billy can.

There is a dimension outside economic reality and government. It is the dimension of family and community. By volunteering for duty as a Civil Defence warden you are aspiring to take care of your family and community in a very special and practical way.

I congratulate all the award winners here tonight and would like to acknowledge and thank all of you for your dedication and community spirit.