He Kōrero mō Mātou About Us
Auckland Emergency Management (AEM) is a part of Auckland Council. We work alongside central government, emergency services and other organisations to help our communities prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies.
Many organisations contribute to emergency management and it’s our role to help coordinate these efforts. How we do this depends on whether we are preparing for, responding to, or recovering from an emergency.
Our operations structure aligns with New Zealand’s national framework for civil defence and emergency management (CDEM). As a unitary authority, Auckland Council has established the CDEM Committee which acts as the CDEM Group for Auckland. This Committee is advised by the Coordinating Executive Group which implements decisions and oversees the monitoring and delivery of the Group Plan.
AEM serves as the administering authority for the Committee. We are responsible for day-to-day planning, project work and managing operational arrangements on behalf of the Committee and CEG. Our staff work across a range of different fields including:
- Hazard and risk analysis
- Welfare
- Planning and intelligence
- Public education and community engagement
- Logistics and operations
We operate 24/7, with a Duty Team always on-call. This team monitors incidents and coordinates initial responses. This may include sending warnings and alerts or briefing the Initial Assessment Group, made up of the Group Manager, Duty Controller, Duty PIM Manager, and if required, a technical hazard expert.
Many agencies are responsible for managing emergency responses and AEM will play either a lead or a support role depending on the type of event. We are the lead agency for geological hazards (e.g. earthquake, tsunami, volcano, landslide), meteorological (e.g. floods, severe wind) and infrastructure failure (e.g. large-scale power outage).
Our response structure is guided by national legislation and follows the Coordinated Incident Management System (CMIS). This system enables staff to respond effectively by:
- establishing common structures, functions and terminology tailored to specific situations
- supporting multi-agency interoperability, considering each organisation’s unique responsibilities, resources, and legislative authority.
In an emergency, everyone has a role to play. Individuals, communities, and businesses may need to take immediate action to protect themselves. After the threat has passed, hey can assist by helping at community hubs, checking on neighbours, or volunteering with recognised organisations.
Recovery is specific to each event and based on the needs of our communities. Recovery arrangements are temporary but will remain in place for as long as they are needed, which could be weeks, months or years depending on the emergency.
We work with various groups to address community impacts. These groups may range from informal arrangements managed by the recovery team, through to more formally established groups, with chairs and terms of reference.
Elected members play a key leadership role in emergency managing. They ensure that risk reduction is prioritised, and that Auckland is well prepared for emergencies.
The Emergency Management Elected Members’ Guide provides key information to help elected members support their communities before, during, and after emergency events. It covers:
The role of elected members in emergencies:
- Auckland's hazard landscape
- Civil Defence and Emergency Management (CDEM) in Auckland
- Auckland's response structure
- Response processes and resources available in Auckland
