Preparing for emergencies always a class act

With thousands of students marching back to school in the next few weeks, Hawke’s Bay Civil Defence Emergency Management Group is reminding parents to make sure their families know what to do in an emergency.

Group Manager Ian Macdonald said the start of the school year was a great time to talk to kids about being prepared at school and at home.

“Involving the kids in learning about the hazards in your area, figuring out where you’ll meet if you can’t get home, deciding on your emergency contacts and checking your emergency supplies makes your kids feel more prepared, too,” Mr Macdonald said.

Tips for getting back-to-school ready:

• Use the walk or drive to school to talk about the hazards in your area and how you would ‘get thru’.
• How would you reunite with your children if there was an emergency during the school day? Find out what your school’s plan is and how they would notify you, and get your kids involved in household emergency planning so they know things like who will pick them up if you can’t make it. Make sure the school has the names of three other contacts.
• While you’re getting school supplies, grab a few emergency survival items for your home. Get the kids to help check the supplies regularly – they could make sure your torch and radio still work.
• Make sure you have getaway kits for everyone in the family in case you have to evacuate in a hurry. Check what provisions your school has for the kids, too.
• Visit www.whatstheplanstan.govt.nz, a tool for teachers and parents to help kids understand and plan for disasters. Find out whether What’s the Plan Stan is being used in your school.
• Plenty of things can change throughout the year so even if your children are going back to the same school, make sure your contact details are up to date. You may have switched jobs, moved to a new house or changed phone numbers during the school year.

15 December 2020

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