Foxton Beach School students and staff on their Tsunami Hikoi to Mathers Farm, Thursday March 17. Photo/Supplied
Foxton Beach School students and staff on their Tsunami Hikoi to Mathers Farm, Thursday March 17. Photo/Supplied
Do you know what the following phrase relates to? "If an earthquake is long or strong – get gone!"
The students of Foxton Beach School certainly do, as theirs is the only school in the Horowhenua district in a tsunami evacuation zone.
Usually, the school practices its tsunami hīkoi evacuation during the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA)'s Shake Up week in October each year, but were unable to do so in 2021.
Tsunami Hīkoi Week is being marked this month, as part of the "Get Ready" programme run by NEMA, so Foxton Beach School principal Hamish Stuart and Horowhenua District Council (HDC) emergency management adviser Ross Brannigan thought it would be a good time for the school to practice.
Ross Brannigan, HDC's emergency management advisor, reminding the children of the importance of regular tsunami evacuation practices. Photo / Supplied
So on Thursday, March 17, more than 100 students and staff, along with Ross, headed out of the school grounds along Hart St, to Thomas Pl, then Nicholas Pl, and through the walkway to Lakeview Drive.
The final leg took them along Palmer Rd until they arrived at Mathers Farm - a safe wide space outside the tsunami inundation zone.
"We started with a fire drill, met at our evacuation location [on the school grounds], took the roll, then headed off," Hamish said.
The older students set the pace, with staff helping out with the youngest students at the back of the hīkoi.
Foxton Beach School is the only school in the Horowhenua district that sits within a tsunami evacuation zone. Photo / Supplied
Once the school reached Mathers Farm, everyone had a rest and a drink of water while the principal and the emergency management adviser talked to students to reinforce why the tsunami hīkoi is so important.
"[Foxton Beach School] have very slick procedures in place," said Ross. "The principal and staff are very pro-active."
Ross was also impressed by the calmness of the students, who were obviously aware of the seriousness of the mission, and how the older children helped the little ones.
The aim is to complete the evacuation as quickly and as safely as possible and the students were thrilled to hear they had shaved a minute off their October 2020 evacuation, completing the hīkoi in 21 minutes.
In a real tsunami, NEMA would liaise with the school, and help transport the students further inland to Foxton, to be reunited with family.
Once rested from the tsunami hīkoi, the students walked back to the school, where they were rewarded with ice blocks for a job well done.
• To learn more about how to prepare for emergencies such as earthquakes and tsunamis, check out the "Get Ready" website https://getready.govt.nz/ or get in touch with Ross Brannigan at rossbr@horowhenua.govt.nz
