Great turnout as Ōtaki learns how to be prepared

Acouple of weeks

ago, an emergency response practice was held in Ōtaki.

Despite the rain, a record number of 39 locals – the largest turnout Kāpiti has ever had (go Ōtaki!) – turned up to participate in an emergency simulation exercise.

If you or your whānau/ neighbours need help in an emergency, your local hub is your safe place. Do you know where the two Civil Defence hubs in Ōtaki are?

They are the Ōtaki Memorial Hall and the Baptist Church on the corner of old State Highway 1 and Te Manuao Rodad.

These buildings house our hub kits, which have simple instructions on how to run a community hub in an emergency.

While these hubs will be a vital support, there is no substitute for being prepared. If a flood or earthquake happened tomorrow, how ready would you be?

Think about a household plan: where will you all meet? Who will collect the kids from school?

Do you have enough food and water to last you for a week? For those who commute, can you get yourself home? Do you have a grab bag with muesli bars, water, walking shoes and a raincoat?

What did we learn from Cyclone Gabrielle?

The best way of getting up-to-date information is by having a battery-powered radio, and having cash on hand will allow you to buy supplies if Eftpos is down.

There is truth to the saying “safety in numbers”. Have you met your neighbours? How about having an “over the fence cuppa” to get know each other. You could discover what skills and equipment are in your street. You might find that your neighbour is vulnerable and might need your assistance.

A great resource to help you plan and prepare can be found at the Wremo website – wremo.nz – or by scanning the QR code (see the QR code above) n Simon is deputy chair of the Ōtaki Community Board

Next month I will discuss how we can help council to get prepared.

Lucy joins local police

Lucy Fleming has come back to Ōtaki to join the ranks of Ōtaki’s police.

Although born in Wellington, she moved here with her family in time for her to complete a year at Waitohu School before going to Ōtaki College. Straight to university after that, she finished a degree in what would appear to be a world away from policing – biomedical science (the study of health and disease in humans and animals).

However, working as a policewoman was an attraction for her, so she joined one of the intakes at the Police College in 2020. On graduation, she got her first assignment at Palmerston North.

As a young policewoman – she’s still only 24 –she experienced several incidents she describes as “unpleasant”, including dealing with unruly youths in the Palmerston North plaza.

Then she noticed that police in Ōtaki were recruiting, so she jumped at the opportunity to return to the place she calls home, and where her parents still live.

“It was a job in front-line policing, which I really enjoy,” she says. “It’s great to be back here where I can interact with the community and feel like I’m not just the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff.

“There’s always something going on. you don’t join up to sit behind a desk.”

Lucy enjoys the Ōtaki lifestyle, made even sweeter by having a police house to live in.

A big part of the lifestyle she enjoys here is surf lifesaving. She joined the Ōtaki surf club when she was 14 and continues to contribute to club activities.