It’s not an easy task to be part of the New Zealand Emergency Management Assistance (NZ-EMAT) squad, which responds to emergencies like floods, earthquakes or tsunamis all around the country. But it’s even more difficult to qualify for the job. That’s why, despite being launched in September 2019, the team still only has 46 members. Two of them, Lisa Glass and Andrea Thompson, are from Tauranga.
WHAT’S YOUR BACKGROUND BEFORE JOINING NZ-EMAT?
Lisa: EMAT is not a full-time job – everyone on the team also has a day job. Andrea and I work as emergency managers for Emergency Management Bay of Plenty (EMBOP) in Tauranga. Other EMAT members work for agencies like Fire and Emergency (FENZ) or various parts of government, like DOC, Te Puni Kōkiri, GNS Science and DIA. I was a TV reporter for a long time, and worked in journalism training and in communications. Emergency Management actually has a few things in common with working in a newsroom environment – you need to be comfortable with uncertainty, pressure and being sent to places where you might be dealing with people who are having the worst day of their lives.
Andrea: I grew up in Taranaki and have been in Tauranga and with EMBOP for about five years. I had always been in administrative roles before this. I’m now also doing other roles in emergency response, for example, logistics. That’s something that becomes possible when you work in emergency management – we all have formal job titles but during an event we get to perform different roles.
AND WHAT ARE YOUR OFFICIAL ROLES WITHIN THE TEAM?
Lisa: I don’t know if either Andrea or I are the stereotypical emergency managers. Historically, the team had been filled with military and ex-police or fire service personnel, and while there are still some really amazing people with those sorts of backgrounds (both men and women), there are also people like me who had never really heard of it as a career until recently. In an emergency, I generally will be in the PIM (public information management) role. That includes media support and liaison, making sure people know what to do and where to get help, and keeping mayors and other leaders informed.
Andrea: Since I joined EMAT, I have worked in several emergency roles – we pretty much have to be able to do anything that needs to be done. There are specific emergency functions that need to be filled when there is an event, including operations, intelligence, planning, logistics and welfare. I want to build up my expertise so that I can slot into any of them if needed! I enjoy the variety. During the massive flooding in Westport, for example, I looked after the complex welfare cases who needed extra support, and also worked to find emergency accommodation for hundreds of people – this was in a town of 4,000 people where around 500 homes couldn’t be lived in, so it was a huge task.
WHAT EMERGENCIES AROUND NEW ZEALAND HAVE YOU HAD TO RESPOND TO SO FAR?
Lisa: Westport was the most recent one. EMAT people were the first out-of- towners to arrive and they found it almost impossible to get in because of the flooded roads. The local teams were doing a great job but when half of your population has to be evacuated, that’s already a massive task. Andrea was awesome! I wasn’t working alongside her in Westport because we were doing different jobs, but she worked her butt off and really made a difference for the people she was helping.
Andrea: The Edgecumbe floods happened two weeks after I started in this role – it was a big response that went on for several weeks. There were two cyclones and a stopbank breach, so it was a large-scale event. The other big natural disaster was the Whakaari eruption, which was a really difficult time for a lot of people and is still a real trauma for Whakatāne citizens. And of course, I should mention Covid. We’ve been working to support the health response.
I’VE HEARD THAT NZ-EMAT MEMBERS HAVE TO GO THROUGH A RIGOROUS SELECTION PROCESS.
WHAT WAS IT LIKE FOR YOU?
Lisa: The final selection process was a two-week residential training camp in Wainuiomata, near Wellington, earlier this year. Before we went on camp, there was an application, an interview and a testing process and at each stage there were people who did not progress to the next one. The training camp was a mix of leadership, hands-on skills and emergency scenario training. The scenario training was designed to be really stressful – we had to show that we could manage ourselves in a ‘worst case’ environment: setting up tents and generators in the dark, sleep-deprived and eating army rations while trying to respond to a major emergency where unexpected things kept happening. It was intense, but if you’re going to fall over in these sorts of circumstances, it’s better to find out during training rather than in real life!
HOW DOES BEING AVAILABLE TO RESPOND ANYWHERE AROUND THE COUNTRY AND AT ANY TIME AFFECT YOUR FAMILY LIFE?
Lisa: We don’t have to deploy if we aren’t able to, so if there was a crisis at home, nobody would think less of us if we couldn’t go. But at the same time, it’s what we’ve signed up for, so, generally, if I’m physically able to respond, I would want to do so. I have two daughters, aged 11 and 13, and they have been amazing. So has my husband. And I think it’s good for the kids to see me doing this – it reminds them that mums are still interesting people!
Andrea: My dog and I live with friends and they’ve been kindly taking care of him when I need to go away for work. The kind of work we do is often unpredictable, so it’s important for the people in your life to understand that. I am very fortunate to have supportive friends! And our team members are reallygood at making sure we’re getting the support we need.
HOW DO YOU UNWIND AFTER SUCH HARD WORK?
Lisa: It’s so nice to come home and talk to the kids about stupid things, like Harry Styles’ hairstyles and their latest TikTok obsessions. Matt, my husband, and I have totally different jobs so it’s nice to give each other some outside perspective, which we normally do over an unfeasibly full glass of pinot.
Andrea: I have just bought a self-contained van, so the pup and I have been going for road-trip adventures. The van is called Myrtle and there’s a great online community of women with vans so I’m looking forward to some more trips once we’re freetotravelagain!
