Did the recent floods in Napier make you think about climate change?

Recent floods in Napier were a reminder of how our climate is changing and the likelihood of these events becoming more frequent.

Paul Turner, National Manager Response Capability says the floods highlight the importance of completing the Working Safely Around Water Training.

“Although we are in late Spring and we know it rains, it was still a surprise to hear that two months of rain fell in Napier in 24 hours. While the rain predominantly fell in the suburbs we need all our firefighters to do the training.”

Paul says it is possible check the predicted impacts of climate change in every region in New Zealand on the Ministry for the Environment website.

“The Ministry has some interesting and useful information about climate change including scientific evidence for it and the risks it poses. If you want to check out what it means for your region, have a look at the site(external link).” 

The Working Safely Around Water training module is on Learning Station(external link) (in the search box type in 'Working safely around water'). If you are based in a rural fire district or volunteer brigade and have any problems getting on to Learning Station, please contact WorkingSafelyAroundWater@fireandemergency.nz  – the project team will send you a USB to use for the training and will talk to you about completing the training records.