5 CDEM Sector Readiness 5.1 Overview This Section focuses on the readiness of emergency response organisations, emergency services, lifeline utilities and other CDEM stakeholders. In addition to the duties listed with the CDEM Act, the National Civil Defence Emergency Management Plan states several requirements for agencies (including lifeline utilities). The readiness requirements are as follows: Develop, review, and improve their emergency plans. Maintain arrangements to respond to warnings. Incorporate risk management principles to form part of normal business operations. Incorporate emergency response and recovery planning into their business continuity arrangements. Plan, train, exercise, and equip themselves in coordination with interdependent agencies. 5.1.1 Principles The CDEM Group and key CDEM agencies with a role in CDEM (note in Appendix A) will: Maintain and regularly review plans, arrangements and systems for response and recovery. Maintain and regularly review their capability and capacity to respond and recover from CDEM emergencies. 5.1.2 Issues Marlborough CDEM has identified the following issues in relation to CDEM sector readiness: Retaining and recruiting volunteers is becoming increasingly challenging. Volunteers are generally limited to training that can be provided outside usual work hours and without personal cost. There are currently no succession plans for key roles such as Controller and Recovery Manager. Incident management personnel are crucial for managing an emergency, but do not always have ready access to training. 5.1.3 Objectives In response to the issues identified above, Marlborough CDEM has set the following objectives: 1. Maintain a strong Readiness and Response Committee membership focused on working in a collaborative manner. 2. Develop strong working relationships with key volunteer organisations such as NZ Red Cross, LandSAR and Coastguard. 3. Continue to support the development of Community Response Plans. 4. Continue to carry out multi-agency exercises which focus on local stakeholder hazards. 5. Maintain the Marlborough Emergency Response Team as an effective and highly trained unit which meets Marlborough’s needs in initial response. Marlborough Civil Defence Emergency Management Plan, 2017-2022 Page 36