The Wellington Region Civil Defence Emergency Management Group, in partnership with the Regional Partnerships Team from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), exercised a multiagency response to a significant Civil Defence emergency on June 29 at Sky Stadium.
Exercise Rūaumoko involved the mobilisation of several agencies and organisations with the common goal of minimising any negative consequences caused by a significant emergency such as a large-scale Wellington earthquake.
The focus of the exercise was on enhancing partner agencies’ understanding of each other’s capabilities and capacities.
The following agencies and organisations established capability displays on the walkway of Sky Stadium:
- The Wellington CDEM Group (includes the nine councils of the Wellington Region)
- The National Emergency Management Agency
- The Emergency Management Assistance Team
- Fire and Emergency New Zealand
- Wellington Free Ambulance
- Westpac Rescue Helicopter
- The New Zealand Defence Force
- New Zealand Response Teams
- Red Cross
- Rapid Relief Team
- Animal Evac
WREMO Group Manager Jeremy Holmes says Exercise Rūaumoko provided all involved a great opportunity to understand each other’s capabilities and equipment, as well as to practice a realistic response to a major disaster such as an earthquake.