When a disaster strikes it is ordinary members of the public, not emergency services, who will be the first to respond.
This is called community response.
The communities will most likely need to look after themselves for a period of 72 hours until further assistance can be provided by Civil Defence. This community response plan is developed by the community for the community, and is used to prepare for our specific needs and vulnerabilities.
Although emergency events are unpredictable, the community can be prepared for their impacts. These impacts differ to those of other Auckland locations due to the isolation of our communities and the challenges of getting teams deployed in times of need. These events can include isolation from broken roads, landslips and accidents, tidal flooding, and flooding and wind damage from weather systems. Long power outages create additional problems with pump-dependent water tanks and no connection to town water supply. It may also include evacuations and dealing with casualties
Meet the core members of our team, each bringing a wealth of experience and passion to their roles, dedicated to serving our community.
I thrive on challenges, and CRT was born from the need for faster, community-led disaster response. With severe weather events and other crises becoming more frequent, I saw an opportunity to build a trained, organised volunteer network ready to step up when needed. My goal is to make it easy for people to get involved—because when communities are prepared, they’re stronger.
We’ve raised our three boys in this community and I’ve always loved how we look out for each other here. My background in operations and safety at Scott Base coupled with a desire to serve my community had me very excited to join this team. I’ve loved all the the behind-the-scenes work that has gone into getting us to this stage and I am committed to supporting this resilient community.
I have a strong passion for serving the community and believe in giving back to help keep people safe.
With 20 years of experience as an Army officer, I’ve lead and coordinated operations in complex environments, where teamwork and adaptability were essential. That experience has reinforced my commitment to helping communities stay resilient and ready for any challenge.
As a current active St John Ambulance volunteer, I see the importance of being prepared and supporting others in times of need. Joining the CRT is another way I can contribute, working alongside dedicated locals to ensure we’re prepared to support each other when it matters most.
I am a health and safety professional with experience working across high-risk and complex environments.
Having resided in this region for many years I’ve been fortunate to support a number of local charitable organisations with my time, including the Auckland City Mission, the Salvation Army and Air Cadets 4th Squadron, Ardmore.
My interest within community response centres around developing and maintaining food security as part of growing a sustainable and resilient community.
I was fortunate to get to know a lot of the community through sports, coaching, and running Coastal Boxer. For me, this is a way to give back and an opportunity to get stuck in with some of the awesome local people we’ll be working alongside. From a work perspective, I’ve spent a lot of time in workplace psychosocial safety and mental health, which I think are important to consider and weave into our approach, especially in high-stress situations.
Joining the Pohutukawa Coast Community Response Team means building a stronger, more prepared community. After seeing the gaps in the Cyclone Gabrielle response, I was keen to be part of a local solution that ensures better support in future emergencies – especially given how isolated our region can be from Greater Auckland. With a background in safety and operations, I hope to make a relevant and practical contribution to the team.
Vision | A team “of the community for the community”, available when needed |
Mission | To provide the community with a well-trained, fully-equipped and capable team to respond to any emergency as needed |
Goals | To train and maintain a team of volunteers To achieve NZQA Qualifications To serve our community with respect and disctinction |
Values | Diversity – We are inclusive and diverse and representative of the communities we serve Community – We are of the community and for the community Strength – We work together collectively as a team to build resilience in all |
