Volunteers key to disaster welfare team

The team helping out with breakfast for firefighters at the Eastown Timber fire in 2022.

DWST stands for Disaster Welfare and Support Team. It's part of the myriad functions of Red Cross and, like the others, proven to be absolutely necessary.
But, like everything else done by the Red Cross, it relies on the expertise and time of volunteers.

Trudy Taylor, secretary of the local branch of Red Cross, is one of those DWST volunteers, and she says they need many more.
DWST is part of disaster management and they are the people you see in an emergency.
"There are 22 teams throughout New Zealand; we all train to the same specifications; we're equipped exactly the same," says Trudy. "We train to help in disaster management, so, for Whanganui, we are Civil Defence's first team they will call on to help with things like flood management." She says if they know things are going to happen — weather bombs etc, DWST and Civil Defence are already in touch, preparing.

"We train to help in any of those events. It might be pre-evacuation door-knocking ... then when it comes time for evacuation, we go and help people evacuate. We'll team up with Fire Service, Police, Neighbourhood Support, and whoever else they've got there to help us."

DWST helps with setting up welfare centres in such emergencies. In the last big flood event they opened up St Paul's Welfare Centre for those who had to leave their homes.
They also connected to the rural community after that event, keeping in touch with isolated farms and communities. They teamed up with Federated Farmers for that.

"We also train for any other disasters, man-made or otherwise." During the first Covid lockdown they had members at the hospital doing psychological first aid — welfare checks on people coming through the hospital.

Training takes place in Whanganui, although once or twice a year — pre-Covid — there would be a large exercise with other teams from around the country.
"We can get deployed anywhere in New Zealand," says Trudy. She was deployed to Kaikoura after the earthquakes as a field operations disaster manager. She was in charge of a team of 30 people.
A lot of DWST training and equipment is a consequence of lessons learned during the Christchurch earthquakes. "That was a huge learning curve."

The team in Whanganui should be 20-strong, but there are only eight people. The natural attrition rate is faster than recruitment. "Our youngest is 20; our oldest is in their 70s." DWST needs volunteers able to train to help people during emergencies.

As an added extra, the Whanganui team does event first-aiding. "Like the motocross every month." It's a kind of real life training, and they get to see the event.

"Each team has a trailer equipped with 50 beds for a welfare centre — 50 camp mattresses, 50 camp beds, 50 pillows, 50 blankets." That is checked regularly and remains ready to go at a moment's notice. "And we've got the basics for setting up a welfare centre: we've got hot and cold drinks, two-minute noodles and soup."

There are also five trucks stationed around the country carrying 200 beds each.

All team members are volunteers, bringing with them a wide variety of skills and experience.

The team at the Turoa Road event this year.

"But we really need more people. Our requisite is 18 years or older, physically fit, a team player — you need to be adaptable to any situation and able to take instruction."

Because it's not always a local event, volunteers may be asked to travel out of town for a few days.

To get involved with the Whanganui DWST, or to find out more, email WNG13@redcross.org.nz — Team Leader is Krystal Boyes.