Community Emergency Hubs
What is the purpose of a Community Emergency Hub?
During a natural hazard event or emergency, there may be widespread disruption to electricity, water, roads, buildings, telecommunications and other essential services.
Emergency services will need to focus first on the most urgent and life-threatening situations. This means the people living and working around you may be your most immediate source of help and support.
A Community Emergency Hub provides a place where local people can come together and coordinate their community's response. Hubs enable communities to share information, identify needs, connect people with available skills and resources, and work together to solve local problems.
A Community Emergency Hub can help people:
- Ask for and offer help
- Share skills, resources and local knowledge
- Share and gather information about what is happening in the community
- Identify people who may need additional support
- Organise community-led activities, including local clean-up and recovery efforts
- Connect with others experiencing the same emergency
What will I find at a Community Emergency Hub?
Community Emergency Hubs are designed to be run by local people using the skills, resources and knowledge already available within their community. Each Hub has guidance to help people coordinate information, identify community needs and offers of assistance, and organise available resources.
A Hub is not a Civil Defence Centre stocked with emergency supplies. Communities should continue to prepare their own households and businesses to be self-sufficient following an emergency.
People are encouraged to have enough food, water, medication and other essential supplies to support themselves and their household for at least the first 72 hours, and preferably longer where possible.
How is a Community Emergency Hub run?
Community Emergency Hubs are community-led, rather than an officially staffed Civil Defence facility. Whanau, neighbours, farmers, growers, businesses, community organisations, iwi and other local groups can work together through the Hub to coordinate their response.
The Community Resilience Plan and Community Emergency Hub Guide provide information on how the Hub can operate, how information can be managed, and the roles that may be needed.
Ruapehu Emergency Management works alongside communities to develop these arrangements and strengthen their ability to respond when an emergency occurs.
When is a Community Emergency Hub opened?
A Community Emergency Hub can open when an emergency has affected the community and local people decide there is a need for a central place to coordinate support. The Hub does not need to wait for an instruction from Council or emergency services before opening. The decision to open should always take account of the safety of the building, the surrounding area and the people operating the Hub.
What's the role of Council and REMO?
The Ruapehu District Council through the Emergency Management Office (REMO) works with communities, emergency services, partner agencies, iwi and the wider Manawatu-Whanganui Emergency Management Group to strengthen emergency preparedness across the district.
Our role includes helping communities:
- Understand their local hazards and risks
- Develop Community Resilience Plans
- Establish Community Emergency Hubs
- Develop local emergency arrangements
- Undertake training and exercises
- Strengthen connections with Council, emergency services and supporting agencies.
During an emergency, Council may also share information with Community Emergency Hubs and use information received from Hubs to help build an understanding of community needs and priorities.
Can people from a Community Emergency Hub take the things they need from others?
No. Community Emergency Hubs operate through cooperation, consent and community generosity. People working at a Hub cannot require anyone to provide goods, equipment, services or assistance. Resources should only be shared or used with the agreement of the person or organisation that owns them.
What if my Community Emergency Hub does not open?
If the Community Emergency Hub has not opened, communities can try and find a keyholder or find another venue to set up the community support. If the Community Emergency Hub building is damaged or there is a risk to safety from the surrounding area, then the Community Emergency Hub should not be opened. If this happens, try to find another venue to set up the Community Emergency Hub.
How long does a Community Emergency Hub stay open?
A Community Emergency Hub can operate for as long as the community needs it. Operating hours will depend on local circumstances, available volunteers, the safety and suitability of the facility, and the needs of the community. The Hub may relocate or close if the facility is required for another purpose or can no longer operate safely.
How can I get involved or start a Community Emergency Hub?
Community Emergency Hubs work best when people become involved before an emergency happens.
If your community would like to establish a Hub, develop a Community Resilience Plan or learn more about local emergency preparedness, contact [email protected]
