Auckland Emergency Management, council staff and emergency responders will be battening down the hatches this week and jumping into action but it’s all in the name of training and testing response systems.
This is one of the regular training exercises AEM conducts every year to ensure staff are up to speed with what’s required during a real emergency response affecting parts, or all, of Tāmaki Makaurau.
Exercise Ngā Āwhā runs across two days – Monday afternoon and then for the full day Tuesday, 25 and 26 November.
Adam Maggs, General Manager of Auckland Emergency Management emphasises that the exercise is for training purposes only and does not require action from Aucklanders.
“I’d like to reassure the public that this week’s exercise is just that – a training exercise.
“If you hear chatter about an emergency response from others or on social media, rest assured that it is a training exercise only.
“As always, if a real emergency event occurs which requires us to activate an emergency response, Aucklanders will be notified through our alerting channels.”
Mr Maggs goes on to outline the importance of the training exercise.
“It’s vitally important that the council continually works to improve how we respond to emergency situations and regular training is a key part of this.
“The training scenario revolves around a severe weather event – a situation similar to what Tāmaki Makaurau experienced in early 2023, and could experience in the future.
“It will test procedures developed since the Auckland Anniversary floods and Cyclone Gabrielle and facilitate continuous improvements to readiness and response planning for a major cyclone and flooding event within the region.
“I’d like to thank everyone who’s participating in this training, including council staff and partner agencies.”
Earlier this year the Auditor-General’s report: Improving Aucklanders’ emergency preparedness, was tabled in Parliament. It found Auckland Council has made large steps towards enhancing emergency preparedness and response capabilities, since the extreme weather events of early 2023.
“We can never be too prepared for an emergency event and this week’s training exercise is another important step in continuing to enhance the council’s ability to respond to an emergency event in the region,” Mr Maggs says.
Please visit aucklandemergenymanagement.govt.nz for information about getting ready for an emergency in the Auckland region.
