Transcript
MIKE HILL - We really are looking forward to having what is a huge number of delegates across the wider Pacific search and rescue family, where not only we can sort of show off and showcase New Zealand and Auckland, but the conversations that we have and the work that we have and the combined interest that everyone shares on safety, it makes it quite exciting as well.
SELA JANE AHOLELEI - What conversations can we expect next week during the conference?
MH - So firstly, one of the big things around search and rescue is around the relationships. It's that much easier that we know someone that we... at the end of the e-mail or that we are picking up the phone and asking them to do something. A big issue for us is the relationships, but we'll also be focused on each own country's governance. We'll be looking at better and more efficient search and rescue co-ordination across the Pacific. We'll talk around improving the operational response, but we're also talking around search and rescue prevention, so how do we grow more of a safety culture right across the Pacific and I include New Zealand in that obviously, so that there's less likelihood of people getting into difficulties. So some of the issues we are dealing with in search and rescue prevention is making sure that there is some sensible planning, that there is safety equipment, whether that... all the way down to life jackets through to reasonable forms of communication or carrying a distress beacon, so that we know where people are.
SJA - What else can we expect from the Pacific Search and Rescue conference?
MH - On Wednesday, what we will be doing is we'll focus that day on more of the operational end, so we'll all be having briefs on some of the capability of the equipment that is available across the Pacific. We'll be heading out to Whenuapai to visit the Royal New Zealand Air Force, where we will have a U.S. coastguard large aircraft there and we'll also look at some of the New Zealand assets that we have from our Air Force. Then in the afternoon, we'll all head out to Mechanics Bay, to where the coastguard unit is there and the police base and the Westpac Rescue facility. We'll be heading out into the harbour, out towards through the channel and we will have a demo roleplay on and in the water, a flare demonstration. There will be the U.S. coastguard aircraft we'll look to drop a package, a life-saving package and then winching people out of the water using the Westpac Rescue helicopter.
