Director

Dave has a range of interests within the Emergency Management field, with a current focus on promoting infrastructure resilience and the implementation of new national post-disaster building safety evaluation arrangements. He is the National Engineering Lifelines Co-ordinator, and is a Past-President of the New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering.

An earthquake engineer by origin, Dave has observed first-hand the impacts of a number of significant events including the Kobe and Taiwan earthquakes, and this has generated a passion for improving Civil Defence Emergency Management planning in New Zealand.

Dave's particular field of expertise is in the strategic project co-ordination of multi-agency projects and programmes.

Recent projects include the facilitation of the national exercises 'Ruaumoko' in 2007/08, 'Capital Quake' in 2006, and 'Taurus', a Foot and Mouth Disease Simulation for the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry in 2005. In 2007 he facilitated a disaster response simulation for the gathering of FRANZ partner representatives from France, Australia and New Zealand. He has also been involved in the establishment and oversight of a World Bank-funded project to enhance Samoa's Disaster Management capability.

Dave is the Chair of the Steering Committee for the University of Canterbury-led Resilient Organisations research programme.

Dave's contact details.

Projects

• Development and Delivery of Group Emergency Operations Centre Training (December 2007)
• Mass Evacuation Plan for the Auckland Region (December 2007)
• Niue Island – Development of National Disaster Plan (October 2007)
• Maritime New Zealand - BCP Development and Training (October 2007)
• Exercise Capital Quake (November 2006)
• Assessment of the Capacity and Capability of the Auckland Region CDEM Group (August 2006)
• Greater Wellington Regional Council - Flood Procedures Operations Plan
• Government of Samoa/World Bank - Sustainable Infrastructure Asset Management (C4) Project
• Northland CDEM Group - Marsden Point Community Response Plan (November 2005)
• Auckland Engineering Lifelines Group - Report on Resources for Lifeline Utility Response and Recovery (September 2005)
• Shell Todd Oil Services - Annual Exercise (December 2003)
• Gas Association of New Zealand - NGOCP Exercise (September 2003)

Gavin brings a unique skillset to comprehensive emergency management in New Zealand. His background includes tertiary studies in management science, information systems, geographical information systems (GIS) and emergency management.

He is a certified USAR Category 1 Responder, and has been a Civil Defence Emergency Management (CDEM) volunteer for ten years. In 2002, Gavin spent five months with the District of Columbia Emergency Management Agency in Washington, D.C. as an intern, where he gained unique experience and training in emergency management in the age of terrorism.

Predominantly, Gavin focuses on Readiness, and Response. He specialises in reviewing emergency management arrangements, developing plans, and co-ordinating exercises. His experience covers a range of sectors including health, central government, utility and the private sector.

Gavin is also a member of the Board and the Project Management Committee for the Sahana project – a free-and-open source Disaster Management System. This project started as a response tool in Sri Lanka following the 26 December 2004 earthquake and tsunami. He has taken an active voluntary role in this rewarding project, including co-facilitating a workshop in Columbo, Sri Lanka in September 2005.

Gavin's contact details.

Projects

• Mass Evacuation Plan for the Auckland Region (December 2007)
• Niue Island – Development of National Disaster Plan (October 2007)
• Risk Reduction Gap Analysis and Reporting Framework for the Auckland Region (July 2007)
• Exercise Capital Quake (November 2006)
• Review of Manukau City Council Emergency Response Capacity and Capability (September 2006)
• Assessment of the Capacity and Capability of the Auckland Region CDEM Group (August 2006)
• Auckland Region CDEM Group - Recovery Arrangements (December 2005)
• Northland CDEM Group - Marsden Point Community Response Plan (November 2005)
• Auckland Engineering Lifelines Group - Report on Resources for Lifeline Utility Response and Recovery (September 2005)
• Canterbury District Health Board - Exercise (April 2005)
• Canterbury District Health Board - Corporate Emergency Response Plan Review (March 2005)
• Community and Public Health - Emergency Response Plan Review (June 2004)
• Community and Public Health - Exercise (May 2004)
• Shell Todd Oil Services - Annual Exercise (December 2003)
• Gas Association of New Zealand - NGOCP Exercise (September 2003)