Whakaari/White Island: No approved emergency response plan at time of eruption

Tuesday, 4 February 2020

Deputy Commisioner Mike Clement gave an update on the recovery operation on Whakaari/White Island. The recovery team returned and went through a decontamination process.

An emergency response plan for a Whakaari/White Island eruption was a draft document when the island blew.

The Bay of Plenty Emergency Management document included just two sentences at the end of the report on what to do in a mass casualty event.

A Bay of Plenty Regional Council spokesperson said search and rescue was the responsibility of police.

Tourist Allessandro Kauffmann was on a boat leaving Whakaari/White Island when it erupted, capturing it on video.

Stuff obtained a trove of council documents regarding Whakaari/White Island following the deadly eruption on December 9.

**READ MORE:

HMNZS Wellington and White Island days after the eruption in December.

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* Whakaari/White Island: Country stands still to remember volcano victims

The Royal Caribbean cruise ship Ovation of the Seas arrives in Wellington. Some of the passengers on the ship were caught in the Whakaari/White Island Eruption.

* Hamilton support rolled out for Whakaari/White Island victims' families

* Whakaari/White Island eruption: Owners say tragic event leaves them heartbroken

Whakaari/White Island erupted at 2.11pm on December 9.

* White Island eruption: Emergency shelter was airlifted to Whakaari three years ago

* White Island recovery effort hampered by toxic gases and eruption risks

* Whakaari/White Island: First responders land on 'moon-like' ash after eruption**

Among them was a draft Civil Defence Whakaari/White Island response plan, under review at the time of the deadly eruption.

Sarah Omundsen, council regulatory services general manager, said the response plan was a draft when the volcano erupted.

'The response plan that was in effect the day of the eruption is not a final or approved response plan.'

It was used because it was in its final phase of internal review and considered an 'operational draft', being the most up to date document, Omundsen said.

The document assumed other agencies had their own response plans and did not assign tasks or responsibilities, she said.

Clinton Naude, Emergency Management Bay of Plenty director, said the plan was used in the early stages of the crisis.

'It supported response staff to understand roles and responsibilities.'

Forty-seven people were on the island when it erupted.

Of those, 21 are now dead, including the two whose bodies have not been recovered, while most survivors suffered critical or serious injuries.

The final section of the Emergency Management Bay of Plenty response plan contained two sentences under the heading 'Search and Rescue Plan'.

'In the event of a mass casualty occurrence on the Island the New Zealand Police will lead the coordination of any rescue operation to bring them back to the mainland for treatment.

'The Bay of Plenty District Health Board will support the police in the search and rescue effort providing triage and treatment facilities as will the Bay of Plenty CDEM [Civil Defence Emergency Management] group in providing emergency welfare support where required.'

Evacuation of the injured was undertaken by commercial helicopter pilots and using the vessels of tour operators.