North Island emergency response teams were put through their paces over the weekend, 10 - 11 October, as Auckland Emergency Management hosted an exercise simulating a real-life severe weather event in Tāmaki Makaurau.
Exercise Tri-Force | Mahi Ngātahi was held across three sites – Camp Adair, Wero Whitewater Park and Ward Demolition in Meremere – in conjunction with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
Councillor Alf Filipaina, chair of Auckland Council’s Emergency Management Committee, was extremely pleased with the efforts of over 100 response team participants and additional support from 160 volunteer role-players.
“I was thrilled to see an excellent turnout of response team members and volunteers from around the North Island for this important exercise,” Cr Filipaina says.
“Regular severe weather events in the Auckland region and around New Zealand highlight the need for training events, and we’re grateful to these every-day Kiwis who give their time to make this happen.”
“A big thank you to each and every one of the volunteers who participated and thank you to Auckland Council, NEMA staff and NZ Response team members who organised the event.”
Participants included all three Auckland volunteer New Zealand Response Teams (NZRTs), Fire and Emergency New Zealand, Hato Hone St John, New Zealand Police, Amateur Radio Emergency Communications, Rescue 3 New Zealand and NZRT Steering Group.
Dave Gawn, NEMA chief executive, says critical skills for real-life emergency responses were developed and enhanced during the exercise.
“Exercise Tri-Force provided an invaluable opportunity to test procedures, strengthen relationships, practise decision-making under pressure, and gain experience working as part of a coordinated multi-agency response.
“It was great to see participants from a range of agencies and from different parts of the North Island working together, adding to their skill base and forming valuable relationships that will prove useful in a real emergency event.”
The exercise is held every two years and 2026 was the first year it was hosted by Auckland.
More than 250 people participated in Exercise Tri-Force | Mahi Ngātahi.
Adam Maggs, General Manager of Auckland Emergency Management says he’s proud of the contribution made by everyone involved on the day.
“It was a privilege to host this event, and I’d like to thank everyone involved who participated, particularly those who travelled from out of the region.
“Following the exercise we will assess, in collaboration with our agency partners, what worked well and identify areas for improvement, to enhance our emergency preparedness and response capabilities for future real-life emergency events.”