Saturday, September 22, 2012 • Marino Harker-Smith
IT is only a week until the New Zealand ShakeOut “Drop, Cover and Hold” drill next Wednesday morning . . . are you ready?
Tairawhiti District Health (TDH), which takes in the Gisborne Hospital, has been running competitions to make sure workers are ready for the national earthquake drill.
TDH spokeswoman Kathy McVey said workers were embracing the ShakeOut.
For the actual drill, TDH chief executive Jim Green will make announcements about the drill throughout the morning via the hospital’s public address system, with a prepared statement explaining about the drill and inviting participation.
Building the momentum this week, hospital staff members Cyrena Bennett and Candy Hauiti have been giving out emergency preparedness packs and spot prizes for co-workers who complete a simple word search.
So far they had given away about half of their kits, with 200 still available, said Ms McVey.
TDH staff also received a small wallet card for emergency contact numbers and information about New Zealand ShakeOut with their payslips last week.
TDH is one of 252 groups, or 12,495 people, registered in this district to take part in the Civil Defence drill on Wednesday at 9.26am.
Radio stations are asked to participate by playing the Civil Defence ‘sting’.
This is the electronic sound used before making an official emergency announcement. Along with it will be a voiceover announcement to signify the beginning and end of the New Zealand ShakeOut “Drop, Cover and Hold” drill.
Nationally, more than 1.1 million people — about a quarter of the population — have signed up for New Zealand ShakeOut so far.