The question of preparedness and availability of the local AREC in the event of an civil emergency has been raised in past newsletters. There is no doubt in my mind as to where the AREC should stand. The responsibility for Civil Defence and Emergency Management (CDEM) rests ultimately with the Ministry of CDEM, whose role is to "develop in conjunction with the emergency management sector models, frameworks and guidelines for best practice and to develop partnerships with key stakeholders…..". There is an AREC representative somewhere at MCDEM.

The responsibility for civil emergency communications in Rotorua rests ultimately with the MCDEM and, practically, with the BOP CDEM group. This has an extensive structure, with numerous committees and organisational groups coordinated by the Regional Council. A key element of the operational structure for the Bay of Plenty is the location of Local Emergency Operations Centres (LEOCs) in each of the main population centres. The LEOC require the capacity and resources to be able to respond to local emergency events. Our LEOC is the Rotorua CD HQ.

Staff of the LEOC here are drawn from the parent body (RDC) although this is not mandatory. Quoting from the BOP Plan: "Multiple agency planning and the building of relationships between emergency services and allied response organisations within each district is enhanced by the Emergency Services Coordinating Committee (ESCC) and Emergency Management Operational Group (EMOG).Their role is to ensure that emergency service readiness, response and recovery planning at the local level is co-ordinated and consistent with the CDEMG Plan. ESCCs should provide technical support to the CDEM Group during an emergency.

Membership of the ESCCs or EMOGs can include local authorities, Police, Fire Service, District Health Boards, Ambulance services, airport emergency services, lifeline utilities [powercos, telecos], government departments, volunteer organisations, Defence and other groups.

The ESCCs are required to be chaired and managed by the Police and are currently focussed on the larger population centres of Tauranga, Rotorua and Whakatane."

Communications training is to be coordinated by the Group Emergency Management Office (GEMO).

Neither Graeme nor I have ever been approached by any of these acronyms. Dad’s Army? No, that’s the AREC. CDEM may exist more on paper than in reality, but given the potential of the extensive and taxpayer funded CDEM organisation I am not too worried by whether or how the local AREC can respond to an emergency. Of course, we will do our best if asked, but I will not lose any sleep over it. We are not still in a Napier earthquake time warp, are we?

Peter

September 2006

NZART  Do I need this?

The photos of NZART HQ in March-April Break-In prompted me to make a suggestion: it would be good if our Councillors explained the rationale behind the comfy pictures that I saw.

Reading the Annual Accounts, I have made the observation that my subscription is spent, broadly, equally divided into two blocks. One block is the production costs of a world-class radio periodical, commercially produced, but with a very substantial volunteer input.

Just as many volunteers spend a lot of time helping others in their hobby. FMTAG, AREC, our licensing liaison officers are all examples, all this done for little cost to their colleagues.

The other is the maintenance of an entity called HEADQUARTERS. Now, Break-In is something tangible, that I value, but NZART HQ? What is that really doing for me?

I would like to present the suggestion that an answer to that question could benefit both of our major financial activities. My suggestion is that at least part of an issue of Break-In could be devoted to explaining to members just what NZART HQ is doing for them. Like how $3000 spent on photocopying benefits us, the members. Or how Break-In is produced without a NZART paid employee, but HQ does need one. Or, that we hams need a real wooden door (complete with landlord) for people to beat on, during or after hours. And then hopefully, a provincial member such as I would clearly understand that I am not paying for a stereotype bureaucracy.

Bottom line: why do I need to pay half of my subscription for a shopfront!?

Sincerely, Peter Dare

ZL1PJ