One of the Incident Management Teams updating
the next situation report during Exercise Shakeout.
By Josephine Peters, Team Lead Emergency Planning, Health and Safety.
NZ Shakeout is a global exercise with over 55 countries participating. All of New Zealand is
at risk of earthquakes and the Bay of Plenty’s 259km of coastline has the additional risk of
tsunami. This year, our national earthquake drill and tsunami hikoi (walkout), took place on
Thursday 18 October.
A display provided information for staff and visitors to plan for
themselves and their families and understand what they will
need at the time of an emergency.
Finally, four teams of Coordinated Incident Management
System trained staff participated in an exercise based on a
scenario with a large earthquake to test our emergency and
business continuity plans. Many thanks to all who participated!
The Emergency Planning Team organised activities to test
preparedness of individuals, the DHB and stakeholders. A
quiz tested both staff and external stakeholder’s knowledge.
Those who answered correctly went into a draw to win a
Grab & Go bag.
In New Zealand emergencies can happen anywhere, any
time and without warning. When they do, Civil Defence and
emergency services are depending on residents to be prepared
to look after themselves. For more information on how to do this
go to https://happens.nz/
New Chaplain welcomed
By Shelley Gilmore Chaplain,Tauranga Hospital.
Rev. Matiu Best was commissioned into his
new role as an Ecumenical Chaplain with the
Tauranga Hospital earlier this month. Matiu says
for him to be appointed to this position has been
the culmination of a journey he has been on
since a young child and is a joy and a privilege.
Matiu was a nurse at Tauranga Hospital for nearly 20 years in the
80’s and 90’s and says he sees chaplaincy as ‘completing the
circle’. Matiu sees nursing and chaplaincy tuitui (weaving) with
the common values of manaakitanga (compassion, listening, and
caring). Part of spiritual care means journeying with the patient at
whichever stage of life they are at.
Matiu was adopted as a baby and raised in the Bay of Plenty. For
the last four years Matiu has embraced his tikanga Maori culture
and is enjoying learning about his cultural identity.
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