New Zealand’s biggest Tsunami Siren upgrade is now rolling out across Northland. These Danish designed solar powered tsunami siren units are unique in that they can also broadcast emergency messages – allowing full coverage for any type of emergency within the area.
Oh to have such a proactive Civil Defence Emergency response system as they have in Northland!
When we ran the demonstration for these state-of-the-art Danish sirens at Simpsons Farm, Wharekaho, we invited TCDC including our Civil Defence Leader Garry Towler and his team, to attend. TCDC, and our Emergency Team, declined the invitation.
Our media supported and promoted the Siren Demonstration. When John Grant who has a significant background in emergency events, was elected to Council, I expected to see him put in charge of our Civil Defence Emergency Unit. This did not happen, and we still have no emergency warning system in place that works across the Peninsula – let alone Whitianga and Wharekaho – nationally listed as being, “ONE OF THE THREE NZ AREAS AT HIGHEST RISK OF BEING WIPED OUT BY A TSUNAMI.”
David Yeomans, a highly qualified air disaster investigator, spent months investigating every emergency siren available internationally, and the Danish product was undeniably the best option.They are being installed elsewhere across our country – but not on the Coromandel Peninsula.
Mayor Len Salt promised a review on the sirens.
Mark Mitchell’s, Emergency Management and Recovery Report, re the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island severe weather events states, “The report shows that NZ’s emergency management is not fit for purpose and there are significant gaps to address.” NB. This is not about individuals who do incredible jobs in emergency events but the system as a whole.
TCDC seems to be too concerned with questionable initiatives such as the current installation of numerous “Resilience Centres”. I notice one is placed at the Old Hospital site on Buffalo Beach Rd, In the event of a tsunami, this would have to be one of the most dangerous sites in town. A waste of time and funding? I would like to know what readers think about this.
A siren would have everyone gathering their own emergency kits and heading for the hills – a better chance of surviving.
