Every day, we help communities of all shapes and sizes prepare for emergency events and the disrupting impacts that follow.
Our job is to back the incredible people who step forward to protect their own and the place they call home.
In any emergency, communities are always the first to respond.
Often its whānau, neighbours, friends and complete strangers who band together to start the initial phases of a response.
Civil Defence does their best – but every New Zealand community needs to be prepared to survive on their own for at least three days – sometimes longer.
That’s where we come in.
FIRST72 are experts in building resilient communities from the ground up.
Since 2022, we’ve helped 330+ community groups across Aotearoa prepare for emergency events.
We’ve also partnered with 26 New Zealand councils, 17 not-for-profit organisations, 13 Civil Defence groups and 11 Government agencies to deploy 70+ EPODs and deliver 220+ community resilience projects nationwide.
We know what works, and we can help you get there.
Community emergency hubs are a proven model for local emergency response that’s been growing across NZ since Cyclone Gabrielle.
It’s been increasingly adopted by councils and Civil Defence groups as a core part of their community resilience strategy.
FIRST72 has helped establish, develop and strengthen 200+ community hubs across NZ in partnership with 26 councils and 13 Civil Defence groups.
We also hold contracts with several councils to equip and train community hubs across their regions.
We typically supply standardised equipment and kit packages to help hubs get started quickly, including hi-visibility vests, hub role signage, hub coordinator resources and tailored emergency kits.
We have also deployed EPODs and communications systems capable of connecting directly with Civil Defence, and have helped community groups develop more resilient hub spaces including solar power systems and water storage.
Our team is experienced in the national community hub model and the roles and systems that make it work.
We also offer a range of training programmes specifically designed for community hubs including:
● Community hub training – our own specialist programme developed specifically for the community hub model and hub coordinator roles.
● First aid – practical first aid training for community volunteers and hub teams.
● Psychological first aid – supporting community members and volunteers through the emotional impacts of an emergency.
● Communications training – operating radio systems and communications protocols.
● CIMS – Coordinated Incident Management System training for hub coordinators and team leaders.
If you’re thinking about registering as a community hub, have recently set one up, or want to strengthen an existing one, we can help.
Marae have always been at the heart of community emergency response in Aotearoa.
Long before the term emergency hub existed, marae were opening their doors to whānau and communities in times of need – as they did during the Christchurch earthquakes, Cyclone Gabrielle and countless other events across NZ’s history.
When disaster strikes, marae naturally become places of community shelter, welfare, coordination and connection.
That role is not new – but ensuring marae have the right equipment, systems and training in place means they can be more effective and resilient for their communities.
Since 2022, FIRST72 has worked with 110+ marae across all 16 NZ regions, including in partnership with TPK, Iwi, hapū, councils and Civil Defence.
We’ve also delivered 47 EPODs to marae and supported an 55+ additional marae resilience projects across Aotearoa.
We can supply standardised equipment and kit packages tailored to marae needs, including hi-visibility vests, signage, resources and emergency kits.
We also deploy EPODs and communications equipment capable of connecting directly with Civil Defence, and have helped marae develop more resilient physical spaces including solar power systems and water storage.
We understand tikanga and manaakitanga and work alongside each marae to make sure our programmes reflect the values and needs of the community they serve.
We can also provide a full range of training programmes designed for marae emergency response including:
● Community hub training – our specialist programme adapted for the marae context and marae coordinator roles.
● First aid – practical first aid training for marae volunteers and coordinators.
● Psychological first aid – supporting whānau and volunteers through the emotional impacts of an emergency.
● Communications training – operating radios and critical communications networks.
● CIMS – Coordinated Incident Management System training for marae coordinators and team leaders.
We also have strong relationships with funders who support marae resilience work including TPK, NEMA, the DIA and a range of community trusts and corporates.
If required, we can help identify the right funding pathway and support a strong application.
Community response teams go beyond individual community hubs.
They are organised groups of experienced volunteers who can coordinate and lead emergency response across their wider community when a disaster strikes. They often have specialist skills, equipment, training and systems to do so safely and effectively.
FIRST72 works with several community response teams across NZ to help ensure they have what they need to respond, without putting themselves or others in danger.
Our training for response groups is focused on basic emergency response skills, safe working practices and making sure volunteer teams can operate confidently within their role and their limits.
A great example is the Pohutukawa Coast Community Response Team. In partnership with AMI Insurance, FIRST72 delivered a SMART EPOD at Clevedon Hall capable of supporting 500+ people, a FIRST72 Flood Response Trailer for rapid use by the community response team, and team kits for seven hubs across the Pohutukawa Coast.
Our training programmes for community response teams can include:
● Sandbagging and flood response – practical flood response techniques for community volunteers.
● Traffic management and evacuation – managing traffic, access and evacuation routes safely during an emergency.
● Advanced first aid – advanced first aid for community response team members.
● Communications training – operating radios and Civil Defence communications networks.
● Chainsaw training – safe chainsaw operation for clearing roads and access routes following storm events.
● Team leadership – building the capability and confidence of community response team leaders to coordinate their team safely and effectively.
Whether your community response team is just getting started, or you’re looking to build on what you already have, we can help.
Community resilience groups take a longer term view of emergency preparedness.
Rather than focusing on immediate response, these groups are focused on building the overall resilience of their community over time – often working within the emergency management system, connecting with Civil Defence and helping their wider community understand and prepare for the risks they face.
FIRST72 works with community resilience groups across NZ to support their work – helping them to build resilience and connect with the right people across the emergency management sector.
We understand the emergency management landscape deeply, and we can help community resilience groups navigate it.
Whether your group is focused on a specific hazard, a geographic area or the broader resilience of your community, we can help you.
Schools play a critical role in communities during emergencies.
They are often used as welfare and evacuation centres for the surrounding community – but they also have a responsibility to keep their students and staff safe during and after an event.
FIRST72 works with schools across NZ to make sure they have the right skills and systems in place.
We have supplied EPODs and tailored emergency kits for schools, first aid equipment and training, and communications equipment to keep schools connected.
A good example of this is Napier Central School. FIRST72 worked with the school, its board of trustees and the community hub group that operates out of the school to design and deliver an EPOD that transitions Napier Central School into a community operations centre – capable of hosting thousands of evacuees from the Napier CBD in the event of a major earthquake or tsunami. The project was designed collaboratively to make sure it worked for the school, the hub and the wider Napier Hill community it serves.
Churches are trusted community anchors, and like marae, are often among the first places people turn to in a crisis.
Many churches already play informal welfare and support roles during emergencies, and increasingly church communities are looking to formalise and strengthen that capability.
FIRST72 works with churches and faith communities across NZ to strengthen readiness and resilience.
We have partnered with several faith based groups, including ADRA, to deliver emergency preparedness programmes across their network, including a 300-person household preparedness workshop.
Community organisations of all kinds play a vital role in supporting the communities before, during and after disasters.
From neighbourhood support groups to community and whānau health providers, these groups have existing relationships, networks and trust within their communities that are invaluable during a crisis.
FIRST72 works with a range of community organisations across NZ to help them integrate emergency preparedness into their existing programmes and services.
NZ’s most trusted community resilience solution – EPODs give communities everything they need to be self-sufficient for the first 72 hours and beyond. Customised to specific community needs with 70+ deployed across NZ since 2022.
Grab bags, generators, radios, first aid kits, community hub kits, emergency food, bedding, PPE plus 500+ other emergency equipment items to fully prepare communities before, during and after events.
Tier 3 digital radio systems capable of connecting with Civil Defence, plus FIRST72 Starlink Rapid Deployment Kits that operate on 12+ hour batteries with immediate satellite internet anywhere in New Zealand.
Specialist training programmes designed for community hubs, marae and response teams – covering hub coordination, first aid, communications, CIMS, flood response plus 14 more.
Solar power and battery systems, water storage and purification, backup generators and other critical infrastructure to make hubs, marae and community centres fully self-sufficient.
Preparedness expos, open days, workshops and community events designed to build skills, awareness, capability and connection across your community.
In February 2023, FIRST72 delivered 25 EPODs to Wairoa communities just three days before Cyclone Gabrielle.
When it struck, Wairoa became completely cut off.
Roads were destroyed, power and communications went down, and entire communities were isolated for days (and in some cases, weeks).
But thanks to the EPODs already in communities, 25 marae and community groups had immediate access to food, water, power, communications and medical supplies – enabling them to look after themselves for the first 72+ hours.
FIRST72’s EPODs were later recognised by the NZ Government’s Independent Inquiry into the Response to Cyclone Gabrielle, led by former Governor-General Sir Jerry Mateparae, as a proven model for community resilience.
It’s a story we’re proud of, and a powerful example of how our EPODs can prepare entire communities to survive on their own for 3+ days.
We’ve also partnered with community groups to provide co-branded or white-labelled FIRST72 products as part of their fundraising, awareness, community engagement and/or sponsorship campaigns.
This includes products for internal use (i.e. volunteer kits or member gifts) and external activations (i.e. community giveaways, raffle prizes or fundraising prizes).
We can apply your branding across our full range of products, from grab bags through to EPODs.
If you’re interested to learn more, get in touch to start a conversation.
We work with community groups of all shapes and sizes across Aotearoa and beyond.
If you’re interested in working with us, get in touch.
Find out how our EPOD Emergency & Disaster Pods can build resilience and self-sufficiency in your community. Download our helpful guide.
