DISASTER ACTION

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31841, 20 November 1968, Page 18

DISASTER ACTION

“111-informed Criticism”

Although some of the cri[ticism of lack of action by ;Civil Defence organisations .during the storms which hit New Zealand in April was [justified some, however, was ill informed, the Secretary [of Civil Defence (Mr P. J. O'Dea) said at the annual conference of civil defence controllers at Lincoln College yesterday. This arose, probably through lack of knowledge of the purpose of Civil Defence and what it was designed to do or not to do, he said.

“Where Civil Defence organisations did go into action they handled their tasks amazingly well. The decision to bring Civil Defence into . action must be made by the local authorities concerned. and I well appreciate that decisions of this kind are not easily made. ! “In the legislative changes [ now before the House we have sought to make it easier [for people in positions of responsibility to make these decisions. “Despite some criticisms of the handling of the earlier (disaster situations, there was almost universal praise for the way local, regional and national Civil Defence organisations and personnel carried out their tasks during the disastrous floods in Southland and the severe earthquake on the West Coast.” Mr O’Dea said that small things went wrong. Problems 'arose that had not been foreseen in planning, and there 'were inevitable small breakdowns. “But substantially the plans worked. Now we want to learn from these experiences and to be even better prepared next time. “To me Civil Defence is simply the community planning for and acting to meet emergencies. It is therefore [only logical that the whole community must be inivolved,” Mr O’Dea said.