From fire engines to first responders, a Sirens and Services event is being held in Ōmokoroa to showcase the wide range of emergency services and volunteers who turn up when we need them most.

Organised by the Ōmokoroa Community Emergency Hub team, the event will be held at Western Avenue Sportsground on Saturday, November 22, from 10am to 1pm.

Emergency service providers will include the Ōmokoroa Volunteer Fire Brigade, Community Emergency Hub Team, Ōmokoroa Community Patrol, police, Hato Hōne St John, Coast Guard, Surf Lifesaving New Zealand and Land Search and Rescue (Landsar).

Western Bay of Plenty District Council community resilience advisor Kurt Waugh will also be on site with examples of emergency grab bags and virtual reality headsets for people to try out, to get an idea of what might happen in a tsunami or an earthquake.

He will be talking about civil defence and the role of Community Emergency Hubs, which are run by local volunteers, with support and training from Council.

“Community Emergency Hubs are in place to help locals connect and support each other when the unexpected happens. They’re about locals helping locals – and the more people who know where these hubs are and how they work, the stronger and more resilient our communities will be,” explains Waugh.

“This event is a great opportunity to find out more about your local hub and all the services, groups and volunteers supporting the community.”

Volunteers from the Ōmokoroa Boat Club will also be on site, providing information about local rescue boats, while the Rotary Club of Ōmokoroa will have its new health shuttle on display.

Neighbourhood Support will be sharing information about their street network and offering their Safer Plate service, securing car number plates with anti-theft screws.

And, not forgetting our furry friends, Ōmokoroa Pet Vets will share tips and tricks about keeping your pets safe, and provisions you might like to keep handy for them in case of an emergency.

“This event is free to all, but if you’d like to make a donation, there will be collection buckets on site, plus a koha towards your Safer Plate would be most welcome,” says Community Emergency Hub volunteer Liz Farrell.

“So come on down for a fun, informative day. Dogs are welcome, but please keep them on a lead. We look forward to seeing everyone there.”