In 2018 more than 70 percent of Otago households had begun taking steps to prepare for an emergency and close to half had plans to do more to get better prepared. 

To find out whether residents are now better prepared than they were in 2018, Emergency Management Otago (EMO) is carrying out its 2022 preparedness survey and asking residents to take part.

The organisation also wants to learn about residents’ knowledge of hazards, where they go for information and any public education campaigns they may have seen, EMO Upper Clutha advisor Oliver Varley says. 

The information from the survey will “help identify gaps and inform our activities across the region,” he said.

By filling out the brief survey (which also puts you in the draw for one of five $200 grocery vouchers) locals can help EMO get an understanding of residents’ preparedness and how they can best support the community.

“The survey will take around 10 minutes to complete and if you could encourage your friends, neighbours and family to fill it out, we would be most grateful,” Oliver said.

Carried out every three years, the preparedness survey provides a detailed snapshot which can inform groups like EMO and other emergency services.

According to new scientific research published in 2021, the chance of the South Island’s alpine fault (which runs for 400km up the spine of the South Island) generating a damaging earthquake within the next 50 years is much higher than previously thought.

This makes it one of the biggest emergency risks facing the Upper Clutha and other affected areas.

Oliver said traditional roadblocks to preparedness include not knowing where to find information, financial constraints, the belief that the risk of disaster is low and that services will be there to help.

“We encourage individuals, family & communities to be prepared - the more prepared we all are, the more resilient we are as we respond to and recover from disasters,” he said.

Fill in the EMO survey here and find more emergency preparedness information here.

PHOTO: Supplied