Lifeboat Buildings
Here are some quick emergency-related questions for you
How big is your apartment?
Does it have enough room to store emergency supplies for 7 days per person? ( For example ideally 20 litres of water per day per person, 3 buckets to use as emergency toilets (and sawdust or kitty litter to put in them!), enough food that doesn’t need cooking, a first aid kit, batteries, torches, a carry case for your pet, a power bank for your phone etc etc)
Do you have tools, like a crowbar or an axe, to help you open your front door if it has gone a bit wonky after a big shake?
Does your building have some space where supplies could be stored for an emergency?
Do you know if your next door neighbours need help?
Do they know if you need help?
17,000 of us live in ‘our patch’ - inner-city Wellington – many in our over 125 apartment buildings.
That’s a lot of people living in places that, unlike our leafy suburbs, are sometimes small, and have restricted entry access and isolated living. When the big one hits - or adversity arrives - what have we done to help ourselves - and each other – to be ready?
Lifeboat Buildings is an ICW initiative which aims to create help folks think about how their building could be a ‘lifeboat’ for them.
If you live in an inner-city apartment building and want to know more - please contact us because we’d love to have a chat about our ‘lifeboat building’ idea.
What does ICW want to achievement with ‘Lifeboat Buildings’
Resilient Residents.
We want to help apartment building residents to consider what they can do - individually and together - to be better prepared for an emergency. This includes residents thinking about things like:
who lives here? ways to get to know my neighbours - on my floor and in the building - and if any have special needs that might mean they need extra help in an emergency (eg: mobility, power to medical equipment etc)
what to store? how much food, water, resources and tools do I need to store in my apartment if I need to stay in place for seven days (eg: food, water, buckets, batteries, first aid supplies, fire extinguishers, tools, torches, carry cases for pets etc)
can we share? can my neighbours and I share some of these supplies (eg: a set of shared tools such as crowbars, torch, rope, power packs etc)
extra storage? where - on my floor or in my building - could supplies be stored if my apartment is too small to hold everything I will need (eg: is there a supply cupboard? could an emergency supplies locker be added on the floor? etc)
do I stay or do I go? planning and practising what to do in an emergency (eg: do I stay or do I go? and if I go, where would I go?)
what’s in the neighbourhood? what buildings in my immediate area might be places for supplies or shelter (eg: local church hall, local diary, local retailers with space, other apartment buildings)
how to power? what alternative power supplies could I have (eg: powerpacks, batteries, solar power, wind-up, EV car network and chargers etc)
And
how can they get in (to help me)? how emergency services can reach me if I need help - because swipe cards may be needed to open my building’s secure front door, use the lifts and access my floor
We are working with WREMO on this - so where does Neighbourhood Support fit in?
We think that Neighbourhood Support’s experience, infrastructure and resources is a great fit for Lifeboat Buildings.
Emma McGill, Senior Area Coordinator | Greater Wellington Neighbourhood Support
explains the resources and infrastructure that Neighbourhood Support can offer:
If you were to start a Neighbourhood Support group for your floor or building you would have the following:
a group of your neighbours to connect/ engage/ support with
registration on our database which allows us to connect those needs and wants within your building in the event of emergency/need (e.g who needs physical help/ who has what resources)
a monthly newsletter from Neighbourhood Support with crime states, local info and events.
a coordinator with whom to engage and help initiate any projects you may be interested in running in your building/ with your community.
help in building resilience plans with key partners
a general sense of wellbeing - we know that connected neighbours feel safer, less isolated and have a greater sense of engagement.
How is ICW working with WREMO (Wellington Regional Emergency Management Office)
We have been working with WREMO to ensure they consider how their advice and resources match the realities of apartment living. For example, WREMO is drafting an emergency guide specifically tailored for residents in apartment buildings and we will be facilitating input from residents so that it fits the needs,
How can you help?
Please contact us
If you live in an inner-city apartment building & are interested in knowing more about our Lifeboat Buildings project - please do contact us because we’d love to have a coffee catchup.
Partners:
