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Scoop
14-06-2025
- General
- Scoop
Christchurch Tsunami Sirens Face Axe After Failed Test, Communication Breakdowns
Article – RNZ The number of tsunami sirens along the Christchurch coast could be cut to as few as four, after an alert system review that found they cause confusion and delays during emergencies. The city has 45 sirens between Brooklands and Taylors Mistake, but next week, Christchurch city councillors will consider a recommendation that would see them only positioned in evacuation zones with limited cell phone coverage. The report recommended the council primarily uses emergency mobile alerts to raise the alarm, in accordance with national and international best practice, moving from a 'fragile, unreliable, over-complicated and inconsistent' alerting system to one that was 'straightforward and effective'. Fewer strategically positioned sirens – in the range of 4-6 – and emergency services, television, radio, website and social media messages would become the secondary alerting method. Christchurch's tsunami sirens failed to sound during a planned test in April, because the Auckland-based contractor responsible was dealing with a car crash outside their property at the time. The council initially blamed human error, then conceded having an emergency system so dependent on one person was unacceptable. The test was rescheduled for 13 July. The council said a 'local-source' tsunami could inundate Christchurch and Banks Peninsula evacuation zones in less than 60 minutes, so its top priority was preventing loss of life with an alert system that gave a clear message to evacuate. The review noted sirens caused confusion and delays because: Warnings could be mistaken for different hazards, because of multi-purpose sirens like rural fire alarms Sirens could create a false sense of security, with people waiting for official warnings that might not be issued in time Sirens could distract from public education messages about responding to natural tsunami warning signs Limited information was provided, requiring the public to seek further information before evacuating Sirens were prone to damage or failure in an earthquake Sirens could be inaudible in windy conditions Sirens were established on ageing technology and infrastructure, and the network trigger could not be operated locally Civil Defence and Emergency Management manager Brenden Winder said the emergency mobile alert method aimed to minimise confusion. 'In the rare event of a tsunami, our top priority is preventing loss of life,' he said. 'This relies on having a straightforward and effective alerting system, giving residents a clear message to evacuate. 'Sirens are no longer considered to be a suitable primary tsunami alerting method, as they cause confusion and delay communities responding effectively. 'Mobile alerts are used nationally as the main alerting method in an emergency. This sends a clear message straight to the user's phone on what action to take. 'We want people to act quickly and decisively in an emergency, and a text alert provides that direction.' Staff said another option to upgrade the existing 45 sirens and add 41 sirens for adequate coverage across a new national tsunami evacuation zone issued by the National Emergency Management Agency would come at a substantial cost to the council. Following the magnitude 7.8 Kaikōura earthquake in 2016, a communication breakdown meant Christchurch's sirens did not sound until two hours afterwards at 2am – an hour after Civil Defence issued an alert.
Scoop
14-06-2025
- General
- Scoop
Christchurch Tsunami Sirens Face Axe After Failed Test, Communication Breakdowns
A scheduled test never happened, when the Auckland-based contractor was distracted by a car accident. The number of tsunami sirens along the Christchurch coast could be cut to as few as four, after an alert system review that found they cause confusion and delays during emergencies. The city has 45 sirens between Brooklands and Taylors Mistake, but next week, Christchurch city councillors will consider a recommendation that would see them only positioned in evacuation zones with limited cell phone coverage. The report recommended the council primarily uses emergency mobile alerts to raise the alarm, in accordance with national and international best practice, moving from a 'fragile, unreliable, over-complicated and inconsistent' alerting system to one that was 'straightforward and effective'. Fewer strategically positioned sirens – in the range of 4-6 – and emergency services, television, radio, website and social media messages would become the secondary alerting method. Christchurch's tsunami sirens failed to sound during a planned test in April, because the Auckland-based contractor responsible was dealing with a car crash outside their property at the time. The council initially blamed human error, then conceded having an emergency system so dependent on one person was unacceptable. The test was rescheduled for 13 July. The council said a 'local-source' tsunami could inundate Christchurch and Banks Peninsula evacuation zones in less than 60 minutes, so its top priority was preventing loss of life with an alert system that gave a clear message to evacuate. The review noted sirens caused confusion and delays because: Warnings could be mistaken for different hazards, because of multi-purpose sirens like rural fire alarms Sirens could create a false sense of security, with people waiting for official warnings that might not be issued in time Sirens could distract from public education messages about responding to natural tsunami warning signs Limited information was provided, requiring the public to seek further information before evacuating Sirens were prone to damage or failure in an earthquake Sirens could be inaudible in windy conditions Sirens were established on ageing technology and infrastructure, and the network trigger could not be operated locally Civil Defence and Emergency Management manager Brenden Winder said the emergency mobile alert method aimed to minimise confusion. 'In the rare event of a tsunami, our top priority is preventing loss of life,' he said. 'This relies on having a straightforward and effective alerting system, giving residents a clear message to evacuate. 'Sirens are no longer considered to be a suitable primary tsunami alerting method, as they cause confusion and delay communities responding effectively. 'Mobile alerts are used nationally as the main alerting method in an emergency. This sends a clear message straight to the user's phone on what action to take. 'We want people to act quickly and decisively in an emergency, and a text alert provides that direction.' Staff said another option to upgrade the existing 45 sirens and add 41 sirens for adequate coverage across a new national tsunami evacuation zone issued by the National Emergency Management Agency would come at a substantial cost to the council. Following the magnitude 7.8 Kaikōura earthquake in 2016, a communication breakdown meant Christchurch's sirens did not sound until two hours afterwards at 2am – an hour after Civil Defence issued an alert.
Scoop
14-06-2025
- General
- Scoop
Christchurch Tsunami Sirens Face Axe After Failed Test, Communication Breakdowns
The number of tsunami sirens along the Christchurch coast could be cut to as few as four, after an alert system review that found they cause confusion and delays during emergencies. The city has 45 sirens between Brooklands and Taylors Mistake, but next week, Christchurch city councillors will consider a recommendation that would see them only positioned in evacuation zones with limited cell phone coverage. The report recommended the council primarily uses emergency mobile alerts to raise the alarm, in accordance with national and international best practice, moving from a "fragile, unreliable, over-complicated and inconsistent" alerting system to one that was "straightforward and effective". Fewer strategically positioned sirens - in the range of 4-6 - and emergency services, television, radio, website and social media messages would become the secondary alerting method. Christchurch's tsunami sirens failed to sound during a planned test in April, because the Auckland-based contractor responsible was dealing with a car crash outside their property at the time. The council initially blamed human error, then conceded having an emergency system so dependent on one person was unacceptable. The test was rescheduled for 13 July. The council said a "local-source" tsunami could inundate Christchurch and Banks Peninsula evacuation zones in less than 60 minutes, so its top priority was preventing loss of life with an alert system that gave a clear message to evacuate. The review noted sirens caused confusion and delays because: Warnings could be mistaken for different hazards, because of multi-purpose sirens like rural fire alarms Sirens could create a false sense of security, with people waiting for official warnings that might not be issued in time Sirens could distract from public education messages about responding to natural tsunami warning signs Limited information was provided, requiring the public to seek further information before evacuating Sirens were prone to damage or failure in an earthquake Sirens could be inaudible in windy conditions Sirens were established on ageing technology and infrastructure, and the network trigger could not be operated locally Civil Defence and Emergency Management manager Brenden Winder said the emergency mobile alert method aimed to minimise confusion. "In the rare event of a tsunami, our top priority is preventing loss of life," he said. "This relies on having a straightforward and effective alerting system, giving residents a clear message to evacuate. "Sirens are no longer considered to be a suitable primary tsunami alerting method, as they cause confusion and delay communities responding effectively. "Mobile alerts are used nationally as the main alerting method in an emergency. This sends a clear message straight to the user's phone on what action to take. "We want people to act quickly and decisively in an emergency, and a text alert provides that direction." Staff said another option to upgrade the existing 45 sirens and add 41 sirens for adequate coverage across a new national tsunami evacuation zone issued by the National Emergency Management Agency would come at a substantial cost to the council. Following the magnitude 7.8 Kaikōura earthquake in 2016, a communication breakdown meant Christchurch's sirens did not sound until two hours afterwards at 2am - an hour after Civil Defence issued an alert.
Scoop
04-06-2025
- General
- Scoop
Hurunui's Emergency Preparedness Builds Rural Resilience
Hurunui District Council is strengthening community resilience and preparedness as part of its Civil Defence and Emergency Management (CDEM) work, recognising that in rural areas, emergencies are not 'if' but 'when'. An update presented to Council recently revealed the scope of work undertaken over the past six months. A highlight was last month's Hanmer Springs evacuation exercise, which saw over 100 responders, volunteers from the community, and community groups working together to successfully evacuate 120 people and check on 400 properties in just two hours. Hurunui District Mayor Marie Black, who participated in the exercise, said what was achieved in Hanmer Springs showed the incredible power of community, 'with locals taking the lead'. Council provides training and support to community-based volunteers organised in nine teams across the district. Allan Grigg, Emergency Management Officer for Hurunui District Council, said the members of these Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) manage local response operations within their communities, using local knowledge. 'The Hanmer evacuation demonstrated the value of this community-based training.' The district is also enhancing its communications capability with Starlink satellite units to be rolled out, ensuring communities can stay connected when traditional networks fail. Backing the work of the CERTs is the ongoing development of Emergency Operations Centre staff — trained Council officers who coordinate emergency responses. Over 40 staff members train monthly for the EOC, with two major exercises held a year. Hurunui youth are also stepping up to build district-wide resilience. The Youth in Emergency Services (YES) Camp in April saw 19 young people mastering emergency skills under the guidance of experienced responders. They had an opportunity to put what they had learnt to the test in the final day exercise, locating, assessing and rescuing 25 'casualties', including Mayor Black, in just 90 minutes in an earthquake scenario. 'Natural events are part of the landscape of rural life and it's vital we ensure our communities are ready when an emergency happens,' Grigg said.
