Devereux-Blum Training Director Sharyn thinks learning cyber safety is an important part of being a Prepared Kid. Children today are referred to as ‘digital natives’ as they can access many forms of technology. They adapt quickly to new ways of communicating like Instagram and Snapchat (forget Facebook, that’s old school according … Read More
After the November 2016 Kaikoura earthquakes, Mental Health NZ compiled a useful list of resources to help guide people through earthquakes and aftershocks. Tips for coping after an earthquake Mental Health Foundation (2016) A short list of things to do that can make you and … Read More
Source: The New Zealand Herald. An Upper Hutt child escaped a possible abduction attempt because a stranger did not know the password his mother used when sending people to pick him up from school. Source: COLIN WILLIAMS/ FAIRFAX NZ … Read More
Massey University student Shailah Anderson Source: Nicholas McBride at Stuff A care box is being developed to help people in times of high stress. A young woman who has struggled with her own mental health is hoping to develop a care box to help others when they are contemplating … Read More
Source: Safety News Some 185 farmers took their lives between 2007-15, compared with 8 per cent in the general population. Rural Health Alliance Aotearoa New Zealand (RHAANZ) chair Dr Martin London says RHAANZ and Pasifika community support Le Va are two organisations that have been specifically funded by the … Read More
Source: Anuja Nadkarni at Stuff A school notices app developed by a Kaikōura mother has been picked up by more than 400 schools in New Zealand and 40 in Australia. Sharlene Barnes-Ealam created the free Parent Teacher Calendar app because her son’s school newsletters regularly got lost at the … Read More
Source: SHANI WILLIAMS at Stuff An east Auckland supermarket has been praised for supporting customers with special needs by adopting a unique shopping trolley. New World at Eastridge Shopping Centre in Orakei is the first of New Zealand’s major supermarket chains to offer the Caroline’s Cart. The Caroline’s Cart is a specialised shopping trolley that features a large, front-facing … Read More
Source: Stuff Take care while travelling and obey fenced off areas. An Italian couple and their 11-year-old son were killed when a hole opened up in the ground at a bubbling volcanic crater near Naples, a popular tourist site. Italy’s fire brigade said it pulled three dead bodies from a … Read More
When you’ve got one minute Place your hand just beneath your navel so you can feel the gentle rise and fall of your belly as you breathe. Breathe in. Pause for a count of three. Breathe out. Pause for a count of three. Continue to breathe deeply for one minute, … Read More
Will your home phone work in an emergency? If an emergency causes a power outage, will you and your loved ones be … Read More
Are you prepared? Do you have a fully stocked emergency or disaster kit you can rely on to keep you going when the unexpected happens? Together with a well stocked first aid kit (masks, gloves, disinfectant and torch) being prepared with food and water are the best things you can … Read More
Dealing with Stress from Disasters Information from Massey University's School of Psychology on Dealing with Stress arising from Disasters is available, including Factsheets. Read More
A lock down occurs where there is an identified risk and a need to contain and protect people. They are an important part of school and workplace safety and preparedness. The Ministry of Education has provided information on their website on how to keep children and young … Read More
Information about talking to children about earthquakes, including a catchy downloadable Turtle Safe song can be found here. Read More
We all know we have to drink fluids to stay hydrated, and perform well. That’s common sense. But what about the dogs? What do they need to drink, and how do we give it to them? Read More
There are times when we need to access information urgently but may not be able to retrieve it from those places we would normally go to to access it from. Following events such as the earthquakes in Christchurch and the evacuations from Sumner and Redcliffs many people were unable to … Read More
Water is the single most important thing to store in preparation for an emergency. We can live without food for a few days but we cannot live without water. For an emergency we need to store at least three days worth of water. Each person should store at … Read More
This information is from materials created by the Emergency Survival Program (ESP) in 2006 and based on "The Seven Steps to Earthquake Safety" in the handbook Putting Down Roots in Earthquake Country. Read More
Two recent articles in the news highlight the need to help groups of people following a disaster by sharing techniques to help them with their pain, grief and fears, and to reinforce that, while these emotions are difficult and unpleasant, they are normal, natural and necessary to healing and getting through the emotional pain to rebuild their lives and communities. This might also alleviate some of the overwhelming burden on professionals in the mental health field. Read More
Keep in touch and hear about Wellington Emergencies. You can sign up to get emergency alerts from the Wellington Region … Read More
Before you know the kiwi mass exodus to the beach or country side will begin. Perhaps you're going to be getting away from it all on your holiday and live in a tent or a caravan and fire up the barbecue. Of course, for others there are the joys of staying at their favourite holiday park - complete with all the traditional fun of this classic kiwi getaway. However, before you are caught up in the inevitable end of your rush, it is a good time to take steps to make sure that you are ready to get through your holiday safely. The Ministry of consumer affiars' energy Safety Service has some advice. Several people have died in New Zealand because caravans were incorrectly hooked up to an electricity supply - make sure you're hooked up correctly. Read More
It's the holiday season. In between planning end of year events, Christmas shopping and what to do for the summer break, you need to start thinking about how to make your home or business premises burglar-proof. Counties Manukau Police say a few simple crime prevention steps can help stop you becoming a crime victim and burglary statistic. By taking a few minutes to 'think like a thief' you will be able to identify the tell-tale signs of security weaknesses in your home or place of business. Read More
Every forward thinking school and teacher knows that ongoing professional development is a very important ingredient when it comes to teaching and fostering a culture of lifelong learning in the school and community. This learning extends to the tertiary sector where people continue to study and their findings in turn ignite our interest and we continue to learn and apply further knowledge into our workplace. Two researchers that I have on my radar are David Johnston from Massey University who completed research on ‘School Closures during Disasters: Impacts on Children’ and Tom Wilson from Canterbury University who completed research on ‘Rural Families and Disasters: Stories from Canterbury, Iceland and Patagonia’. Both these two people would be quick to say that they were part of a team but any researcher would also be pleased that their research findings are being shared within the education sector and community. Their findings focus on schools and the important role they play in the community. So regardless of which school you are part of, their findings can be applied. So what can we take from this research? Read More
The Earthquake Commission (EQC) was established by the Government in 1945 to provide earthquake and war damage cover for purchasers of fire insurance. Later, cover for other natural disasters was included and, later still, … Read More
Due to its location and environment, New Zealand faces many potential disasters. In some cases, such as a weather related or volcanic disaster, there may be time for a warning. But an earthquake or a tsunami close to land could strike without warning. All disasters have … Read More
Earthquakes, floods, storms, tsunami, and volcanic eruptions, as well as non-natural hazards such as fires and pandemics, can be frightening because they strike at any time and often without warning. Understanding what causes these hazards and knowing what to do will help you to be better prepared when they happen. Read More
