We May Need You!

Civil Defence Emergency Management is delivered through a series of partnerships between many different groups: local councils, emergency services, community agencies and the wider community. Southland communities rely upon these partnerships for effective emergency response and relief and volunteers are a vital component of this partnership.

The commitment of devoted and skilled local volunteers greatly enhances the services available to the wider community in the event of an emergency event. Both country and town volunteers are needed to join their closest Civil Defence Emergency Management Sector.

During an emergency event, Civil Defence Emergency Management volunteers are involved in many ways. These include but are not limited to, welfare, registration of evacuees, assistance at local operations centres, sandbagging, catering, animal welfare, reception duties and providing valuable ‘on the ground situation’ information back to the incident management team. Volunteers come from all walks of life and bring with them a wide variety of skills and attributes. 

Civil Defence Emergency Management volunteers will be part of their local Civil Defence Emergency Management Sector and as part of these teams will be offered on-going support and training to enhance their skills and knowledge in emergency management practices. Some time commitment is required to attend meetings and training but the time you devote to volunteering in a civil defence capacity can be both rewarding and challenging.