Red Cross volunteers put disaster response skills to the test

Around 80 New Zealand Red Cross Disaster Welfare and Support Team (DWST) volunteers from around the North Island converged in Tauranga this past weekend to take part in an emergency exercise.

The exercise was part of the National Emergency Management Agency’s (NEMA) national exercise, Exercise Pacific Wave, based on a scenario involving an expected tsunami following a fictitious magnitude 9.0 earthquake off the coast of Peru, and the resulting large-scale evacuations from tsunami evacuation zones across the country.

It gave volunteers the opportunity to work together in a simulated emergency scenario, practise their skills, test emergency welfare arrangements, and become more familiar with Red Cross equipment, systems and operational resources in preparation for real emergencies, such as earthquakes, tsunamis and cyclones.

Getting familiar with equipment

The teams were also able to familiarise themselves with the four brand-new specialist vehicles that are used in disasters and emergencies.

Equipment officer for the West Auckland DWST, Jacob Ryan, says the weekend was an amazing opportunity to meet fellow volunteers from around the North Island. “We are all doing something we are passionate about, so it was great to meet so many people from a wide range of communities.”

A huge thanks to the dozens of Tauranga community members and organisations who turned up to the simulated Emergency Assistance Centres (EAC) to role play people affected by a disaster.

Te Puke resident Mary Ann daSilva says her experience with the DWST volunteers at the Te Puke EAC set up in the Memorial Hall made her feel she was surrounded by people who knew what they were doing.

“They made me feel confident I was in a safe space,” she says.

Ten-year-old Sam Mellow had a great time role playing being separated from his family. “Everyone was helpful,” he says.

Knowing what to do when it counts

Ten year old Sam Mellow role plays being separated from his family in the 2026 North Island Pacific Wave excercise in Tauranga

New Zealand Red Cross Director of Domestic Operations, Jackie Bubb, says regular training and emergency exercises are important to ensure Red Cross people are ready to respond and can provide effective support when communities need it most.

“Exercises like this give our Disaster Welfare and Support volunteers the chance to work together and test their skills in a realistic environment, identify what works well, where we can improve, and prepare for the challenges they may face during a real emergency.”

Teams also visited some homes in the Pāpāmoa area to practise their community outreach skills.

“Team members shared practical emergency preparedness information and talked with residents about simple ways households can be good and ready for an emergency,” says Jackie.

For more information 

Volunteer for our Disaster Welfare and Support team DWST guidance | New Zealand Red Cross

Find out more about the Good and Ready preparedness programme Prepare for a disaster – get Good and Ready | New Zealand Red Cross

Find out more about our Disaster Response Alliance partners, ASB and Woolworths, whose support enables us to continue helping communities. Read more

Header Image: Volunteers from the North Island Disaster Welfare and Support team gathered in Tauranga.