FIRST72 initially began back in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. As global supply chains became disrupted, our family worked with communities to source PPE and emergency supplies.
Following COVID-19, extreme weather events continued to hit the East Coast of the North Island, and the devastating effects caused by forestry slash were impacting many rural communities.
Being based in Hawke’s Bay, our family wanted to do something about it. Our attention then quickly turned to support communities in preparing for emergencies, particularly those that risked becoming isolated for prolonged periods.
Recognising the need for better solutions, our family developed the EPOD®.
We designed and built these specialist emergency pods to prepare entire communities and make them self-sufficient for the first 72 hours.
Through an initial project partnership with Te Whare Maire o Tapu Whānau Ora, we deployed 25 EPODs across the Wairoa in Hawke’s Bay to prepare at-risk communities and strengthen resilience.
By sheer chance, we delivered the final EPOD of the initial Wairoa project just three days before Cyclone Gabrielle devastated the region.
Many communities were cut-off for weeks and even months following the destruction to SH2 between Napier and Wairoa. This somewhat unbelievable timing underscored the importance of our EPODs – as we later learnt how critical they were to those communities.
Our EPODs made us think bigger.
We quickly realised there was no single place for Kiwis to prepare for the first 72 hours – so we built one.
Since then, FIRST72 has partnered with over 11 government agencies, 26 New Zealand councils, 13 Civil Defence groups and 330+ community groups to help them get ready.
Weather events are hitting New Zealand communities harder and more often, and the need for preparedness has never been greater.
That’s why we’ve set a goal of preparing 500+ New Zealand communities by 2030 – a mission we call Ready Together®.
Ready Together® now shapes everything we do, and we’re not doing it alone. Government agencies, councils, Civil Defence groups, corporates and community partners across the country are backing the mission with us.
Find out how our EPOD Emergency & Disaster Pods can build resilience and self-sufficiency in your community. Download our helpful guide.
