Get involved
Volunteer with us
Help your community when they need it most!
Join the Waikato Civil Defence Emergency Management team. From administration, volunteer management, working with communications and radio operations.
Pick a role that suits you and we teach you the rest
Preparing for an emergency is everyone's responsibility. You, your neighbours and your community will be much better prepared for an emergency if you have a plan to get through.
If you want to know if there is already a community emergency plan in place for your area, contact the local Civil Defence Emergency Management team. They can work with you to identify strengths, resources, risks and solutions to help your community get through an emergency.
Make a community emergency plan
A community emergency plan can help your community understand how you can help each other in an emergency. Talking with other people in your community is one of the best ways to prepare for emergencies.
There will be some groups of people or networks already in your community, look out for
- Civil Defence Emergency Management
- Neighbourhood support
- Volunteer, church and sports groups
- Schools
- Marae, or
- Service organisations.
Contact them to find out what they are doing. In an emergency, they may help with basic supplies and coordinating support efforts.
Get to know your neighbours
Your neighbours and community are likely to be the first to help when disaster strikes, and your community may need to look after itself until help can arrive.
When you get to know your neighbours, you’re more likely to look out for each other, especially during and after an emergency, like a storm or a large earthquake.
- Swap contact details so you can get in touch in an emergency
- Tell them about your emergency plan and ask about their plans
- Find out who can help you and who might need your help.
New Zealand ShakeOut
New Zealand ShakeOut is our national earthquake drill and tsunami hīkoi. ShakeOut is a self-run drill. You can start it in whatever way works for you. You could:
- use a bell, whistle or alarm
- play the New Zealand ShakeOut Announcement over your PA system or
- shout “EARTHQUAKE DRILL”
Drop, Cover and Hold for 30–60 seconds:
- DROP down on your hands and knees. This protects you from falling but lets you move if you need to.
- COVER your head and neck (or your entire body if possible) under a sturdy table or desk (if it is within a few steps of you). If there is no shelter nearby, cover your head and neck with your arms and hands.
- HOLD on to your shelter (or your position to protect your head and neck) until the shaking stops. If the shaking shifts your shelter around, move with it.
While you are doing the drill, take note of what might be happening around you in a real earthquake. Think about what you might need to do to prepare for a real earthquake.