Emergencies Prior to a Declared Civil Defence Emergency
When an emergency involves Hutt City Council and Upper Hutt City Council, the
Hut Valley Emergency Management Office (HVEMO) is responsible for co-ordinating the response tasks. The emergencies may include events such as
flooding,
earthquake,
landslides, or
chemical incidents. They might not initially be major or requiring civil defence measures.
The HVEMO may activate the Corporate Emergency Plan, and the Emergency Operations Centre, to manage and co-ordinate the emergency response.
Depending on the nature of the emergency, the relevant divisions, such as Water Services and Street Services may activate their emergency plans.
When the EOC is activated, the Police and Fire Service, together with any other relevant representatives, form part of the Operations Group within the Emergency Operations Centre.
If the emergency threatens to become a major disaster, the Mayor, Deputy Mayor or Civil Defence Controller (depending on availability) can declare a state of Civil Defence Emergency. Then the Civil Defence Plan is activated
The HVEMO is responsible for managing response to all local civil defence emergencies. The trained staff are used for both minor emergencies and the greater civil defence events, leading to a seamless transition when an event escalates to a Civil Defence Emergency.