Mita Harris' Unimog - a German-made multi-purpose vehicle - and an ambulance at the ready at Kaitaia Hospital. Photo / Supplied
When recent floods left Kaitaia Hospital isolated from the rest of the country, access to alternative transport became essential.
And one proactive citizen's foresight saved the day.
Mita Harris grew up in Hokianga, where he learned the potential danger of flooding at a young age.
"I dealt with floods all my life while growing up. But back in the day, there was no checking up on each other during a weather event," he said.
"Things have changed for the better.
"We're thinking about access to food and emergency medical care now."
Last week Harris, who has lived in Kerikeri since the 1990s, came to the rescue with a Unimog he had acquired expressly for this reason.
Unimog is a range of German-made multi-purpose vehicles, which Harris obtained when they were decommissioned from New Zealand Defence Force.
"Back in 2016, I was acutely aware that we needed vehicles in the region that would help us move around in an emergency," he said.
"I personally acquired three Unimog and travelled to Waiouru for a week and a half of driver training before bringing them back to Northland."
When flooding had closed SH10, and slips rendered SH1 impassable, Te Whatu Ora Incident Controller Sarah Hoyle contacted Harris to see if the Unimog could go to Kaitaia to assist with patient transport.
"With the airport closed and helicopters unable to land, we needed to ensure we had something in place should we need to move a patient to Whangārei Hospital," Hoyle said.
"Mita and the Unimog were able to help with home evacuations the evening they arrived, and the following day he transported a patient to a waiting ambulance in Kerikeri through the flooding at Kaeo.
"We are extremely grateful for his support. It has benefited the community of Kaitaia immensely."
Harris said it felt "pretty awesome" to do his part for civil emergency response.
On his way back to Kerikeri after transferring a patient, he was swift to acknowledge the Far North community and his employer, Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI).
"I am very grateful for the support from my boss, who allows me to help out when needed, and the hospitality in Kaitaia was amazing."
Harris said police, FENZ, St Johns, and DHB staff were had gathered to prepare to evacuate people in low-lying areas, and he joined to support them.
"If more rain had come through, we definitely would have had to evacuate people from the outskirts of Kaitaia. And also help transport DHB staff to and from work."
Through decades spent working in environmental protection - at Department of Conservation and currently looking after kauri trees at MPI - Harris said he has seen first-hand how our environment is changing, and preparedness is more essential than ever.
"I've worked in the environment most of my life, and things are changing."
Since Harris acquired the vehicles, he said one had been gifted to Ngāti Kurī for the use of the community, and another to Te Rūnanga-Ā-Iwi O Ngāpuhi as an advocacy vehicle for kauri trees.
Harris said he'd taken responsibility for ensuring the third vehicle remained in good working order.
"Over the years, I've forked out personally to keep it ticking over for these inevitable events."
Harris said he was currently collaborating with several organisations to ensure the support would remain available and up to scratch with the necessary tools.
Rachel Thompson, Kaitaia Hospital's clinical nurse manager, said Harris' support was a relief, and a "great initiative", but echoed his sentiment that work remains to be done to ensure emergency transport meets medical requirements.
"When we're isolated like that and run out of equipment or stores, we're out," she said.
"We stock enough to get us through a long weekend, but beyond several days we would have an issue.
"Or if there were an influx of a certain type of patient with a specific requirement - say tubing for machines for people with breathing difficulties - that would be an issue.
"Having Mita meant we didn't have to go without anything - like drugs from the pharmacy, dressings, and other medical supplies.
"It really just put that safeguard in for us."
Thompson said actually transporting patients had highlighted a whole new set of concerns that must be addressed.
"It isn't decked out as a proper medical vehicle, so we need to do a bit of work around that.
"One patient who needed to get through was stable enough to sit in the back; it was just hard for him to get in and out.
"But there was another keen to come home from Whangarei who just wasn't in a position to get in and out. The vehicle is quite high.
"There's also the question of manpower. Who will accompany the patient?
"Is it a nurse, or a paramedic? Mita's in a separate cab so he's literally just the driver.
"It put new, different issues on the board for us.
"It's definitely something I'll be raising at our next meeting with St John and the transport part of the DHB."
Thompson emphasised her amazement at how far above and beyond people are willing to go for each other.
"The willingness of Mita and his daughter, and staff here, to do whatever they had to do to look after patients - that's what everyone does in those situations," she said.
"Yet it never ceases to amaze me.
"We were totally isolated, so it was really great to have an option to move people and essential equipment through.
"It was a relief," she said of Harris' support.
"I love doing these sorts of things for our community," Harris said.
"And it just makes you want to do more when you are working with a community who care about each other."
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