Civil defence wardens needed in Ohakune and Raetihi

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 3, Issue 47, 6 May 1986, Page 3

Civil defence wardens needed in Ohakune and Raetihi

Don Robinson, the Waimarino civil defence organiser spoke to Raetihi and Ohakune Borough councillors recently. He told Ohakune Councillors about the shortage of wardens in Ohakune and asked them to take on the responsibility. He said that a warden's responsibility was to know the people, resources and hazards in an assigned area and to report to the controller on the state of that area during a civil defence emergency. Mr Robinson assigned councillors to particular areas, near where they lived or worked.

Mayor Taylor reminded councillors that civil defence was primarily the legal responsibility of local authorities. If councillors could not fill the position, it was suggested they find others who would be suitable. Mr Robinson reminded Raetihi councillors that their borough would be administering civil defence in the region from the end of this year after Ohakune Borough relinquished the

job. Civil defence control is rotated among the local authorities. He said that he was there to lookformembers,and for wardens in particular. While Raetihi was smaller than Ohakune with 20 streets measuring 17 km, there was still need for one sector warden and five post wardens. The sector warden would be in charge of the whole of town and answerable to the civil defence controller. Post wardens would be responsi-

ble for two or three streets. He said he was not asking councillors to do the job but wondered if they might volunteer in the interim until townspeople came forward. One of the problems of recruiting wardens was that many people who might be interested were usually already committed to organisations such as search and rescue. Courses run by civil defence regional staff from Wanganui might be held in the Waimarino to train wardens.