Please visit THIS PAGE for a list of websites and other links to help with information and support towards the Christchurch Earthquake.

 

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New Zealand Fire Service and USAR media line - 027 591 8837

 

Wednesday 9 March 2011

 

• We continue to make steady progress clearing buildings inside the cordon and out. As areas within the inner city are cleared teams are able to step up our work outside the cordon.
• In the meantime, we continue to urge the public to be very aware of the risk of fire. Many parts of the city are without a water supply and this poses a very real danger that if there is a fire, we may not be able to get enough water in by tanker and fire appliance to control it.

 

USAR update 

• The Urban Search and Rescue teams from the United States and New Zealand completed the search of the Forsyth Barr building overnight. No bodies were found.
• The United States teams are now leaving New Zealand with the first wave flying out today, and the second leaving tomorrow.
  

USAR  

• personnel and firefighters are assisting with the search and clearing of red stickered buildings outside the cordon as part of the multi agency teams’ outreach into the wider city and suburbs.
• USAR personnel are also assisting with the deconstruction of red stickered buildings to allow searching of areas that have been too dangerous to enter.

 

Fire safety

 

• We are conscious that as the days and nights get colder that people without electricity are reliant on gas for cooking and heating. While we understand that cooking on a barbecue outside in the cold is unpleasant, it is the safest and recommended option. Carbon monoxide given off by the burning gas from these types of can build up very quickly and could overcome people in a small enclosed room. This also applies to gas LPG heaters, such as those commonly used on patios. These are particularly dangerous.
• For those people without electricity, please keep your stove tops clear, make sure your heaters are well away from combustibles as the supply could return unexpectedly. If you have any exposed wiring, turn your electricity supply off at the main and have the wiring checked by an electrician.

  

11 am Tuesday 8 March 2011

 

USAR 

• Forsyth Barr building – New Zealand and United States USAR teams are continuing work on clearing the stairwell.  This is the only area of this building that has not yet been cleared.  It is a complex operation requiring a methodical approach.  We anticipate it will take another 48 hours to complete, subject to any complications arising.
  
  
• Within the cordon, multi-agency teams will today continue controlled deconstruction and debris clearance as part of the ongoing search process.
  
  
• USAR uses the term deconstruction to mean the careful removal of parts of a structure, layer by layer, to enable search and rescue crews to safely search for victims. 
  
  
• Outside the cordon, across the city multi-agency teams including New Zealand and international USAR team members, firefighters, police, and a welfare representative are ensuring red-placarded buildings are clear of victims and offering assistance to the community.
  
  
• Civil Defence is the main point of contact for inquiries about access to and status of buildings.
  
  
• There are currently 150 NZ and just under 200 international USAR personnel on the ground.  International teams are here from Australia, United States, China, Japan and Singapore.

 

Fire

• Overnight, the Fire Service responded to a vegetation fire at Taylors Mistake.  The Sumner fire appliance, a rural appliance, four tankers and a helicopter with a monsoon bucket were needed to bring it under control. There was a temporary closure of some roads but they are all now open again.  DOC rural fire crews are still on site. Southerly winds meant the fire spread quickly.
  
  
• This fire reinforces the need for the total fire ban which is in place.
  
  
• Overnight the Fire Service also responded to 15 calls relating to loose roofing, insecure chimneys and a need for tarpaulins.
  
  
• People who have to use barbecue, gas cookers or candles because they have no electricity are reminded to be careful about the fire risk.  We also remind people to be very wary of the risk of fire when electricity and gas are reconnected.
  
  
• Fire Service will continue to attend community meetings throughout Christchurch over the coming days and be available to provide assurance, fire safety advice and any other assistance required.  The Fire Service is also delivering pamphlets about fire safety throughout the quake-affected suburbs.
  
  
• If anyone is in any doubt, don't hesitate to call Fire on 111.
  

 

Fire Service and USAR welfare

Fire and USAR personnel from Christchurch and around the country are continuing to work long hours but are being rotated for rest.  Welfare support is in place for all personnel. 

The Fire Service continues to assist our staff and their families impacted by the earthquake, including the 70 firefighters whose homes have been damaged. Assistant National Commander Russell Wood says "the Fire Service has been flooded with offers of practical support and assistance from individuals and businesses all around New Zealand over the two weeks since the earthquake.  On behalf of all our people, I want to thank everyone who has offered to help, even if we have not been in a position to take up their offer."

 

 

6.30 pm Monday 7 March 2011 

 

USAR

 

• Forsyth Barr building - work is continuing on clearing the stairwell.  This work is around 60 percent complete.
  
  
• Multi-agency teams including New Zealand and international USAR team members, firefighters and police have today been continuing controlled deconstruction and debris clearance. This includes includes assessing and clearing smaller red and yellow stickered buildings, both within the central city and in the suburbs. More than 500 buildings have now been cleared.
  
  
• From tomorrow, each of the multi-agency teams will include a welfare representative from the Ministry of Social Development to provide advice and assistance to home owners.
  
  
• As noted this morning, Civil Defence is the main point of contact for inquiries about buildings.
  
  
• The UK USAR team – of 70 members – is departing Christchurch this evening. We thank them for their huge contribution to the rescue and recovery effort here – and for responding so quickly in our time of need.

 

Fire

 

• The Fire Service continues to help residents facing weather-related problems, such as putting tarpaulins on damaged roofs.  Today we have responded to around 55 calls in relation to earthquake damage – including in the eastern suburbs, St Aubans, Opawa, St Martins, Sumner and Lyttleton.
  
  
• Residents who need help with damaged roofs or chimneys should contact us by phoning 111 – ask for the Fire Service. We will prioritise your call and respond as soon as possible.
  
  
• Again, we'd like to emphasise the importance of being very careful about fire risks when electricity and gas are reconnected.
  
  
• The fire ban remains in place. 
  

 

 

Monday 7 March 2011

 

USAR

 

• Forsyth Barr - Work is continuing on clearing the stairwell in the Forsyth Barr building.  Progress is being made but is slow work. The United States USAR team is working on this site with support from the New Zealand Fire Service, other emergency services and private contractors.
  
  
• Grand Chancellor - this building has now been cleared by USAR and operations there have concluded. 
  
  
• The focus for other USAR operations includes controlled deconstruction and debris clearance. It also includes assessing and clearing smaller red and yellow stickered buildings, both within the central city and in the suburbs. 
  
  
• Multi-agency teams including New Zealand and international USAR team members, firefighters and police were yesterday able to clear about 300 buildings and will be continuing to operate today.  They have a priority list of buildings that has been decided in association with Civil Defence, the City Council and Police but will also try to assist other building owners they come across, where possible.
  
  
• Civil Defence is the main point of contact for inquiries about buildings.

 

Fire

 

• With the cold and damp weather conditions, the Fire Service continue to be able to  help residents facing weather related problems, for example putting tarpaulins on damaged roofs. Contact the Fire Service.
  
  
• Power is continuing to be reconnected in some areas of the central city, and we remind people to be very careful. Any queries about the resumption of power to your property please contact Orion on 0800 363 9898.
  
  
• The fire ban remains in place.  This means no open fires. Barbecues and gas cookers can be used outside. This fire ban is in place to ensure vital resources remain where they are needed.

 

 

7 pm Sunday 6 March 2011

 

USAR

 

• Today, teams - comprising a fire crew, fire appliance, two USAR technicians (one from Mew Zealand and one from Singapore) and a police officer – were working outside the cordon to check placarded and damaged buildings.
  
  
• Within the CBD, USAR teams continue to work on the Forsyth Barr building and carry out comprehensive secondary searches in all other CBD sites.

 

Fire

 

• We are working with surrounding rural fire authorities to support a fire ban for the next seven days. We ask that the public respects this in order to ensure vital resources remain where they are needed. 
  
  
• We urge any Christchurch residents wishing to use their fireplace or log burner, to first check that it is safe to do so. If there are any safety doubts - use your common sense and call a builder to come and check it.
  
  
• The Fire Service has been assisting our staff and their families impacted by the earthquake. Many of our people, who have been continuing to front for duty, have themselves suffered significant loss. This includes 70 firefighters whose homes are damaged.
  
  
• The Fire Service family has rallied together and is providing accommodation and many other forms of assistance for our own people to support them as they continue to serve their communities. We urge these families to get in touch with us if they have any concerns.

Midday Sunday 6 March 2011

 

New Zealand Fire Service and Urban Search and Rescue (USAR)    
Media update from Assistant National Commander Paul Baxter

 

USAR

 

• Recovery phase continuing.
  
  
• CTV

o   USAR teams from New Zealand, Japan and China have now finished their work at the CTV building.

o   This has been a difficult operation because of the extent of destruction caused by the earthquake and subsequent fire. 

o   The families of people believed to have been in the CTV building have been kept fully up to date on the search progress and the difficult nature of this recovery process.

o   Recent photos of the teams at work at the CTV building are available from the Fire  Service at www.flickr.com/photos/nzfireservice

• Forsyth Bar
  
  
  o   Work was suspended temporarily last night because of safety concerns after the 4.8 aftershock. The operation is underway again this morning.
  
  o   The United States USAR team is continuing to work on clearing the collapsed stairwell. This is heavy and hard work, and is expected to take another two to three days, depending on whether the teams encounter any unexpected engineering difficulties.
  
  
• Grand Chancellor – New Zealand USAR team is continuing work on clearing collapsed stairways. This is expected to take several days.
  
  
• Cathedral – USAR operations have finished. The site remains unstable and is cordoned off. 
  
  
• Other USAR operations – teams are working throughout the inner cordon in association with Civil Defence and Police to clear buildings and debris, and to reduce the risk from unstable structures. This will include a fresh USAR team from Australia, drawn from all states and territories, that will be on the job today. 
  

 

Fire

 

• Community meetings - New Zealand Fire Service representatives will be attending community meetings to answer any questions about fire safety and related issues.
  
  
• Over the last 24 hours, fire crews have been busy assisting people with issues such as lose chimneys and masonry, particularly after last night's 4.8 aftershock.
  
  
• It is important people re-entering the 'green zone' today take particular care when checking whether their electricity or gas is connected. Fire safety advice is available on www.fire.org.nz and being widely distributed in Christchurch.
   

7pm Saturday 5 March 2011

New Zealand Fire Service and Urban Search and Rescue (USAR)
Media update from Assistant National Commander Paul Baxter

 

USAR

• Recovery phase continuing
  
  
• Cathedral – Search and rescue operations have now finished on this site. The inside of the Spire was cleared overnight and USAR teams have today been re-checking other parts of the interior of the building and the immediate surrounding area outside. They have now completed this task and have not found any victims. The Cathedral is still unstable and remains cordoned off.
  
  
• CTV – Chinese, Japanese and New Zealand teams are close to completing their work here and expect to be finished in approximately the next 24 hours.
  
  
• Forsyth Barr – 24 hour operation continues, clearing the collapsed stairwell. This is heavy and hard work but the United States USAR teams have made good progress today. Work will continue through the night.
  
  
• Other USAR teams are continuing to assist with deconstruction work on other buildings within the CBD to make them as safe as possible.
  
  

A message of thanks

Assistant National Commander Paul Baxter this afternoon acknowledged the efforts of all the many people from a wide range of emergency services and other organisations who have supported the USAR crews in their search and rescue work.

"As we near the end of our large scale operations on significant sites, I want to thank all those who have worked with us – our sister services, the police, ambulance, defence, international and New Zealand USAR specialists, who have all worked so well together and continue to do so," Mr Baxter said.

"Work on these sites would not have been possible without the assistance of many supporting agencies, organisations and private contractors. This includes heavy machinery operators, suppliers of materials crucial to the rescue, catering people, security, electricity suppliers and telecommunications providers.

"I also want to thank the people of Christchurch and New Zealand who have helped and supported us in so many ways. To all of you, a very sincere thank you."

 

Fire

• Fire fighters have been in the suburbs of Addington, Papanui and Dallington, giving fire safety advice on the reconnection of electricity and gas, checking chimneys and answering any questions.
  
  
• Total fire ban in place.
  
  
• As people start coming back into the Green Zones within the cordon tomorrow, it is important that they take note of fire safety messages:
  
  
• Ensure all home appliances and power outlets are turned off.
  
  
• Ensure all electrical chords and appliances are unplugged from the wall socket.
  
  
• Inspect electrical appliances for any visual damage and if damage is found do not use when electricity is restored.
  
  
• The main switch will isolate the entire electrical installation and should be used where extensive damage or exposed wiring is present. However, the main switch should never be relied upon for complete safety – always treat exposed wires with care. Remember turning off at the main switch does not mean that the wires feeding power to the house will be safe.
  
  
• Take extra care wherever water is present.
  
  
• If circuit breakers trip or fuses blow, this is a warning that something is wrong and qualified advice should be obtained and the circuit left off.
  
  
• If you received 'tingles' when touching electrical appliances or water taps, turn off the main switch immediately and seek assistance from a qualified person.
  
  
• Remember to be watchful of children near electrical equipment.
  
  
• Do not attempt to make temporary repairs to damaged or faulty electrical equipment.

2.30 pm Saturday 5 March 2011

 

Christchurch Cathedral site 

Fire Service Assistant Commander Paul Baxter media interview 

 

Q: What unfolded overnight and this morning at the Cathedral?

 

A:  Well quite an unusual circumstance because our USAR crews were tasked with clearing that building, with information that indicated from eyewitness accounts that there could have been a considerable amount of people, varying from about 15 to 22 people in the building. So the operation was to find those people and it was thought they were located inside what's known as the Spire and there was a large operation to shore that up and get right down to the bottom of that. Overnight they actually cleared that entire part of the building and the remains of the rest of the internal part of the Cathedral and found absolutely nothing.

 

Q: Were you there as this unfolded?

A: No but I spoke to the crews early this morning and it was quite a surreal feeling for them.  However they still didn't feel that they had actually completed that job and they still wanted to go back and just check some other parts of the building and the immediate surrounding area around the outside of the structure where rubble had fallen on the day of the earthquake and possibly could have had someone underneath it and so they are finishing that today. 

Q: What's the situation with the rubble, what can we report at 6 pm tonight?

A: We are hoping that by that time this evening that our crews will be able to say thereÕs no more work for urban search and rescue crews to complete.

Q: What did you think?

A: It's absolutely astounding.

Q: Was it frustrating, having put so many people and so much resource into that site, to find nothing?

A: No absolutely not frustrating; any place where there were reports that people may have been is worth putting effort in to and those crews know they have done the job as required.  Also because what remains of the building has been shored as much as possible to protect its heritage value to Christchurch and obviously all of New Zealand.

Q: So do we know where these people are?

A: Well that's the unknown and obviously there's a huge effort being made on the part of the police and the Disaster Victim Identification teams.

Q: So can you comment on whether the number of missing people will change as a result of that?

A: That's entirely a Police matter.

 

 

12 pm Saturday 5 March 2011

 

USAR

• USAR teams are today continuing the recovery phase work.
  
  
• Cathedral - USAR teams have completed clearing the inside of the spire and are pleased to report that it is clear. There are additional checks yet to be completed in other parts of the building and surrounds .
  
  
• Forsyth Barr - all internal shoring work is completed allowing good progress on clearing the stairwell debris.
  
  
• USAR teams will be working with police outside the cordon area on buildings that have been identified to undergo a precautionary re-checking process before they are demolished or cleared. A substantial number of buildings will require this process.

Fire

• Total fire ban still in place.
  
  
• Thousands of fire safely leaflets are being distributed over the weekend focussing on the eastern suburbs and those zones within the CBD that are due to reopen on Sunday. People are advised to check this information on returning home or before power is restored to their properties. This information can also be found on www.fire.org.nz