Photograph captioned by Fairfax, "Aftermath of the earthquake in Christchurch where the cleanup has begun. Teams of building inspectors gathered at the Linwood Service Centre before heading into the eastern suburbs en masse. Gary Marshall, left, building inspector from Napier, and Kent Wilson, City Council planner work at a property on Dallington Terrace".
Welcome to the Recover issue 3 newsletter from the Marine Ecology Research Group (MERG) at the University of Canterbury. Recover is designed to keep you updated on our MBIE funded earthquake recovery project called RECOVER (Reef Ecology, Coastal Values & Earthquake Recovery). In this third instalment we are looking into recent paua, whitebait, and … work our team has undertaken.
A photograph of people dressed up as various ingredients of a bacon buttie for All Right?'s 'Bacon Bombing' project. The project involved All Right? team members serving bacon butties to rebuild workers. All Right? posted the photograph on their Facebook page on 10 December 2013 at 8:43am.
A photograph of Jenny Cooper taking a break in front of the Crack'd for Christchurch armchair artwork. The Crack'd for Christchurch team have been working on the artwork in a garage.Crack'd for Christchurch comments, "February 2014. The work continues through the summer and into the winter."
The University of Canterbury's E-Learning team's temporary office in the James Hight building. The photographer comments, "First looks at our new temporary (maybe) office space. Our group will stay here until April or May 2011, then will move to another floor in the Central Library. House bar. This reception desk is not used now. A small kitchen is at the right".
Photograph captioned by Fairfax, "Aftermath of the earthquake in Christchurch where the cleanup has begun. Teams of building inspectors gathered at the Linwood Service Centre before heading into the eastern suburbs en masse. Gary Marshall, left, building inspector from Napier, and Kent Wilson, City Council planner work at a property on Dallington Terrace".
Alan Hoskin, a member of the University of Canterbury's E-Learning team, in their temporary office in the James Hight building. The photographer comments, "First looks at our new temporary (maybe) office space. Our group will stay here until April or May 2011, then will move to another floor in the Central Library. Bean bag. Alan wanted the beanbag but Jess said no".
One official black and yellow coloured uniform, comprising overalls, boots, helmet, goggles, ear protectors and head light, worn by the New Zealand Fire Service Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team in the aftermath of the 22 February 2011 earthquake. 'USAR' in yellow letters on the back of the overalls. This uniform was worn by Paul Burns, who w...
A video of an interview with Sean Duxfield, the exhibitions and collections team leader at the Christchurch Art Gallery, about installing Michael Parekowhai's bull sculpture, 'On First Looking into Chapman's Homer', in the Christchurch Arts Centre market square. The sculpture was installed in secret on a patch of grass.
A photograph of a member of the New Zealand Police using a search dog to examine the rubble of the Caledonian Hall on Kilmore Street. There are two crushed cars amongst the rubble. To the right a member of an Urban Search and Rescue team is watching on.
Background: We are in a period of history where natural disasters are increasing in both frequency and severity. They are having widespread impacts on communities, especially on vulnerable communities, those most affected who have the least ability to prepare or respond to a disaster. The ability to assemble and effectively manage Interagency Emergency Response Teams (IERTs) is critical to navigating the complexity and chaos found immediately following disasters. These teams play a crucial role in the multi-sectoral, multi-agency, multi-disciplinary, and inter-organisational response and are vital to ensuring the safety and well-being of vulnerable populations such as the young, aged, and socially and medically disadvantaged in disasters. Communication is key to the smooth operation of these teams. Most studies of the communication in IERTs during a disaster have been focussed at a macro-level of examining larger scale patterns and trends within organisations. Rarely found are micro-level analyses of interpersonal communication at the critical interfaces between collaborating agencies. This study set out to understand the experiences of those working at the interagency interfaces in an IERT set up by the Canterbury District Health Board to respond to the needs of the vulnerable people in the aftermath of the destructive earthquakes that hit Canterbury, New Zealand, in 2010-11. The aim of the study was to gain insights about the complexities of interpersonal communication (micro-level) involved in interagency response coordination and to generate an improved understanding into what stabilises the interagency communication interfaces between those agencies responding to a major disaster. Methods: A qualitative case study research design was employed to investigate how interagency communication interfaces were stabilised at the micro-level (“the case”) in the aftermath of the destructive earthquakes that hit Canterbury in 2010-11 (“the context”). Participant recruitment was undertaken by mapping which agencies were involved within the IERT and approaching representatives from each of these agencies. Data was collected via individual interviews using a semi-structured interview guide and was based on the “Critical Incident Technique”. Subsequently, data was transcribed verbatim and subjected to inductive analysis. This was underpinned theoretically by Weick’s “Interpretive Approach” and supported by Nvivo qualitative data analysis software. Results: 19 participants were interviewed in this study. Out of the inductive analysis emerged two primary themes, each with several sub-factors. The first major theme was destabilising/disruptive factors of interagency communication with five sub-factors, a) conflicting role mandates, b) rigid command structures, c) disruption of established communication structures, d) lack of shared language and understanding, and e) situational awareness disruption. The second major theme stabilising/steadying factors in interagency communication had four sub-factors, a) the establishment of the IERT, b) emergent novel communication strategies, c) establishment of a liaison role and d) pre-existing networks and relationships. Finally, there was a third sub-level identified during inductive analysis, where sub-factors from both primary themes were noted to be uniquely interconnected by emergent “consequences” arising out of the disaster context. Finally, findings were synthesised into a conceptual “Model of Interagency Communication at the Micro-level” based on this case study of the Canterbury earthquake disaster response. Discussion: The three key dimensions of The People, The Connections and The Improvisations served as a framework for the discussion of what stabilises interagency communication interfaces in a major disaster. The People were key to stabilising the interagency interfaces through functioning as a flexible conduit, guiding and navigating communication at the interagency interfaces and improving situational awareness. The Connections provided the collective competence, shared decision-making and prior established relationships that stabilised the micro-level communication at interagency interfaces. And finally, The Improvisations i.e., novel ideas and inventiveness that emerge out of rapidly changing post-disaster environments, also contributed to stabilisation of micro-level communication flows across interagency interfaces in the disaster response. “Command and control” hierarchical structures do provide clear processes and structures for teams working in disasters to follow. However, improvisations and novel solutions are also needed and often emerge from first responders (who are best placed to assess the evolving needs in a disaster where there is a high degree of uncertainty). Conclusion: This study highlights the value of incorporating an interface perspective into any study that seeks to understand the processes of IERTs during disaster responses. It also strengthens the requirement for disaster management frameworks to formally plan for and to allow for the adaptive responsiveness of local teams on the ground, and legitimise and recognise the improvisations of those in the role of emergent boundary spanners in a disaster response. This needs to be in addition to existing formal disaster response mechanisms. This study provides a new conceptual model that can be used to guide future case studies exploring stability at the interfaces of other IERTs and highlights the centrality of communication in the experiences of members of teams in the aftermath of a disaster. Utilising these new perspectives on stabilising communication at the interagency interfaces in disaster responses will have practical implications in the future to better serve the needs of vulnerable people who are at greatest risk of adverse outcomes in a disaster.
A photograph of members of the Wellington Emergency Management Office walking down Lichfield Street towards the intersection of Madras Street. Buildings on either side of the street have been damaged by the earthquake. Plastic fences have been places around piles of rubble on the street as cordons.
A member of the Los Angeles County Fire Department Search and Rescue Team looking at the maps at the entrance to 'Camp Hollywood', the headquarters of the American Civil Defence Forces in Latimer Square. After the 22 February 2011 earthquake, emergency service agencies set up their headquarters in Latimer Square.
A member of the Los Angeles County Fire Department Search and Rescue Team looking at the maps at the entrance to 'Camp Hollywood', the headquarters of the American Civil Defence Forces in Latimer Square. After the 22 February 2011 earthquake, emergency service agencies set up their headquarters in Latimer Square.
A photograph of an Urban Search and Rescue team member walking past workers from HireQuip outside Alice in Videoland. The photograph was taken on 29 April 2011 during the Residential Access Project which gave residents temporary access within the red-zone cordon in order to retrieve items from their homes after the 22 February 2011 earthquake.
Members of the University of Canterbury's E-Learning team, Rob Stowell, Herbert Thomas and Alan Hoskin, in their temporary office in the NZi3 building. The photographer comments, "University of Canterbury administration all fits into one building! Well, sort of. Our 4-desk bay; Rob & Herbert discussing plans, Alan dealing with academic support. I've been doing Moodle admin; adding courses and users, mostly - plus occasional how-to advice".
An image from a Army News March 2011 photo compilation titled, "All in a Days Work". The image is captioned, "Searching through the rubble". In the image, members of the South Australian Urban Search and Rescue team are digging through rubble in the central city. In the background, a digger can be seen.
A member of the New Zealand Police photographed with a member of the Los Angeles County Fire Department. Personnel from the Los Angeles County Fire Department travelled to New Zealand to help out with the search and rescue response to the 22 February 2011 earthquake.
For six weeks after the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake millions of litres of raw sewage - along with lots of liquefaction - poured into the Avon and Heathcote Rivers. A team of biologists quickly got to work to measure the impact of this catastrophe on life in the Heathcote River and as they tell Alison Ballance, they were surprised by what they recorded over the next few months.
Welcome to the Recover newsletter Issue 2 from the Marine Ecology Research Group (MERG) at the University of Canterbury. Recover is designed to keep you updated on our MBIE funded earthquake recovery project called RECOVER (Reef Ecology, Coastal Values & Earthquake Recovery). This second issue profiles some of the recent work done by our team out in the field!
A video of an interview with Chris Bartholomeusz, Construction Manager at Downer Construction, about the work the team has been doing to stabilise a former quarry on Gleaning Spur. More than 12,000 cubic metres of soil have been removed from the hillside in order to remove a risk of a landslide hitting the houses below.
A photograph looking south down Manchester Street from the intersection of Lichfield and High Streets. Rubble has been cleared from the street and stacked next to the earthquake-damaged stores to the right. A member of an emergency management team is standing on the street in the distance with a truck and an excavator behind them.
A photograph of All Right? team member Donovan Ryan holding a sign which reads, "If only there was a way I could support All Right?", in preparation for the Public Relations in NZ (PRINZ) conference. All Right? posted the photograph on their Facebook page on 31 May 2013 at 9:02am.
A photographs of members of a China Urban Search and Rescue team on Worcester Street near the Christchurch Art Gallery. The art gallery served as the temporary headquarters for Civil Defence after the 22 February 2011 earthquake. In the background, the earthquake damage to the dome of the Regent Theatre can be seen.
A photograph of High Street taken from across Tuam Street. Wire fencing has been placed across the entrance to High Street and a USAR team member is standing in front of this cordon as a guard. Building supplies have been stacked on the left side of the road, behind the cordon.
Members of the University of Canterbury's E-Learning team in their temporary office in the NZi3 building. The photographer comments, "University of Canterbury administration all fits into one building! Well, sort of. The e-learning corner; Alan Hoskin (learning adviser) in the foreground, some guy in a blue shirt at my desk, Rob Stowell (our video guy) arriving, Herbert Thomas (group leader), Lei Zhang (elearning developer/sysadmin)".
Lei Zhang, a member of the University of Canterbury's E-Learning team, in their temporary office in the University Printery building. The photographer comments, "The University restarts its teaching, and the techies in e-learning move out of NZi3. We are sharing an office at the printery building. Richard Holliday and Aimee Leaning do their pre-press and outsourcing work, while Lei configures a new video streaming system".
A photograph of members of Crack'd for Christchurch taking a break. The team have been working on their armchair artwork in a garage.Crack'd for Christchurch comments, "February 2014. The work continues through the summer and into the winter. From left: Jayne White, Marie Hudson, Jennie Cooper, and Helen Campbell."
A photograph of a car on Gloucester Street which has been crushed by falling bricks from the Canterbury Times and Star building. There is a pile of bricks on the front of the car. A USAR team have spray-painted codes on a plywood board and wedged it into the back of the car.
A member of the Los Angeles County Fire Department Search and Rescue Team with an Australian Police Officer at the entrance to 'Camp Hollywood', the headquarters of the American Civil Defence Forces in Latimer Square. After the 22 February 2011 earthquake, emergency service agencies set up their headquarters in Latimer Square.