If you live in Methven, keep the afternoon of Saturday 7 October free - the Methven Community Response Team wants to show you it is ready to jump in and help in the event of an earthquake, major flood, or other natural disaster.

The CRT team was formed many years ago, but has had a new lease on life in the last couple of years with a recent call for help made during the covid pandemic lockdowns. It has a formal plan, updated regularly, and it is primed to respond to an emergency and ensure the residents of Methven survive if their town is isolated.

CRT chair Rob Markillie said there were two aims to the event on 7 October.

“The plan for the afternoon is to reinforce the message about being prepared in a natural disaster and also to showcase what Methven has available at its fingertips.

“We will have all of our operations set up and running in the Mt Hutt Memorial Hall and there will be displays about what the different services do.”

Methven can expect to be isolated in the aftermath of a major quake in the Alpine Fault – scientists say these major quakes happen every 300 years and one is overdue.

“We might be unlucky to have a natural disaster, but we are lucky with the resources our little town of Methven has.

“Our Community Response Team has members with a huge range of skills that can help, or arrange help, for the people of Methven until outside help can get to the town,” Mr Markillie said.

“We have a very capable and experienced group that can call on medical help, support, physical labour or searchers.

“We’re calling our event on 7 October Are You Ready, Methven? and we’ll have the local Methven volunteer fire brigade there with a truck and search and rescue gear, as well as our local Methven St John, and Methven LandSAR and Methven Red Cross.”

Council’s Emergency Management Officer Jim Henderson will also be there, telling people about Civil Defence and its role in emergencies. He will do a presentation in the hall on the magnitude 8 alpine fault that is predicted.

Mr Markillie said there would be giveaways and displays that would appeal to children and help inform adults.

“We’ll also get the Lions on board to run a barbecue because they are also a big group of volunteers that can be called into action by the community response team.”

The event will be at the Mt Hutt Memorial Hall in Methven on Saturday 7 October, 1pm-4pm.