That was the first-time then-student, now alumnus, Andrew Simpkin had been deployed to help as a member of UWERT.
Andrew’s second deployment was to Hawkes Bay earlier this month to help in the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle.
A Bachelor of Arts and Commerce graduate, Andrew, now a co-team leader of UWERT, joined three other members of the team and spent five days supporting a number of remote communities in the wider Hawke’s Bay Region, including Patoka and Dartmoor.
The team stepped into roles including traffic and people management, assessing the development of slips, as well as assessing the suitability of remote back roads as alternate routes for the community to use.
Two particularly interesting tasks the team took on were helping run community distribution hubs, and monitoring an inflatable boat being used to transport people across where the Dartmoor Bridge was washed away.
“The community distribution hubs were like free supermarkets, which were set up in locations like school halls and filled with goods for those in the area who needed them”.
The team helping with this gave local people who had been working there the chance to have a break, and to try and get back to their normal daily lives.
At Dartmoor the team put their water skills to the test working alongside locals and responders from across the country to ensure the safety of those on a boat—which was being used as a pontoon bridge—and to be there for anyone who fell in the water.
“We ensured the safety of walking school buses, as well as two tonnes of dog food which needed to get across the river on that boat”.
The days were long, and included some 4.30 am starts, but they always ended with a debrief and plan for the following day.
“We made sure to talk through our day, share stories, and have a laugh. It was important to have that time to decompress after seeing the scale of damage and the impact it had on people’s lives.”
It wasn’t until their first day out in the community that they realised the scale of the damage the Cyclone caused.
“You could see exactly where it had been. We saw silt as high as the roof of a house, and cars which had been carried away and then buried in silt. There were whole bridges that had gone. In one case, it had moved to the side, but in another, there was no sign that it had ever existed.”
Acting Chief Operating Officer Simon Johnson thanked the four volunteers from UWERT for stepping up and responding to the call for help.
“Our community is lucky that we have a committed group of student, staff, and alumni who volunteer their time to be part of our rescue team.
“I hope that they do not need to be deployed again in Aotearoa any time soon, but I know that when they are required, they will be ready to help in any way they can.”
Andrew was inspired to join UWERT by his grandfather who was a policeman. Tales of him helping in the community inspired Andrew to see if there were any local opportunities which led him to discover the University’s Search and Rescue team.
“Although there’s dangers and the risks, it’s a great feeling knowing that in an emergency, I know what to do and how I can help others.”
Andrew is already back on campus training with the team every Monday evening to ensure he and the team are ready to go again when the next emergency happens.
The Victoria University of Wellington Emergency Response Team provides light rescue, welfare and emergency response services to the University and wider community. They play a crucial role when other emergency services are stretched or unavailable.
If you’re keen to get involved, or find out more information, send an email to uwert@vuw.ac.nz