Tokonga Mate Ohotata o Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland Emergency Management
Auckland Emergency Management works in partnership with emergency services, lifeline utilities, and other organisations to coordinate Civil Defence and emergency management within our communities.
Our vision is to strengthen the resilience of Tāmaki Makaurau by managing risks and empowering and supporting everybody to be ready to respond to and recover from emergencies.
Our aim is to:
- Understand Auckland's hazards and the risks they pose to our communities.
- Coordinate planning activities related to hazard and emergency management.
- Encourage cooperation between organisations involved in emergency response.
- Help communities become more resilient to hazards and prepared for emergencies.
What We Do
We operate across the four different areas of emergency management, known as the 4 R’s – Reduction, Readiness, Response and Recovery.
The best way to prepare for emergencies is to reduce the risks. Risk reduction involves analysing potential hazards to life and property and taking steps to eliminate or reduce them. We work with Auckland Council, partner agencies, stakeholders, neighbouring CDEM groups, and the community to understand and manage risks by:
- Hazard mapping and monitoring
- Participating in research forums and advisory groups
- Developing strategies and plans to mitigate risk.
Not all risks can be avoided, so it’s important we prepare for the impacts of emergencies. Readiness includes developing systems and capabilities before an emergency occurs, and planning with emergency services, lifeline utilities, and other agencies. We also support individuals, communities, and businesses with readiness through public awareness and community engagement to build resilience by:
- Collaborating with communities to grow resilience and connectedness
- Promoting public awareness and education
- Strengthening relationships with emergency management partners.
When emergencies happen, we must be ready to support our communities. Response refers to the actions taken immediately before, during, or directly after an emergency to save lives, protect property, and support recovery efforts. We lead response coordination for geological hazards (e.g., earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic activity, landslides), meteorological events (e.g., floods, severe winds), and infrastructure failures (e.g., large-scale power outages).
- To enhance Auckland's emergency response capability, we focus on:
- Coordinating responses with emergency partners
- Ensuring our staff are trained and ready to respond
- Utilising the latest innovative technologies.
Recovery is the process of returning to normal after an emergency, which can take time. Preparing for recovery is a key part of our work, and we play an important role in helping communities navigate this process by:
- Understanding how an emergency unfolds and finding ways to 'build back better'
- Building strong relationships with iwi, government agencies, and stakeholders
- Developing business continuity plans
- Collaborating closely with affected communities.
Preparation for recovery begins before emergencies happen and continues through debriefs and lessons learned after an event, ensuring we're better prepared for future recoveries.