EOC closure marks move to recovery
Whanganui’s Emergency Operations Centre
(EOC), led by the Whanganui District Health
Board and Te Ranga Tupua, has now closed, marking a formal transition to recovery for the region under the current COVID-19 situation. In its place, a Recovery Office has been established, led by Leighton Toy and
Charlotte Almond from Whanganui District Council, and Louise Allsopp from the Whanganui District Health Board. Recovery Manager, Leighton Toy, says, “Health, social and economic recovery are very much interlinked so we will be taking a multi-agency, integrated approach with a strong community focus. “It has been a strange and challenging time, but there have been some valuable learnings and opportunities that are being incorporated into our recovery plans. Along with others in our community, we have been gathering information and preparing for recovery at the same time as we’ve been responding to an emergency situation.
“There are many positive initiatives already under way and we are seeing innovation and resilience across our communities. We want to ensure these are recognised and supported in the recovery plan for our region,” Mr Toy says.
The Emergency Operations Centre team, under controllers Louise Allsopp and Stuart Hylton, was operational seven days a week throughout COVID-19 Alert Levels 3 and 4 and during the transition to Alert Level 2.
Recovery Manager, Louise Allsopp, says a huge volume of information had been assessed and co-ordinated through the centre and that the EOC “is ready to be stood up again at any time, should it be required”.