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About 200 local primary school children were put through their paces last week to increase their awareness about how to respond in emergencies.
Pupils from nine Eastern Southland primary schools took part in Clued Up Kids — an interactive emergency skills event — held at the Gore Town & Country Club.
Organisations taking part were Southern District Police, Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fenz), Hato Hone St John, Land Search and Rescue New Zealand, Coastguard New Zealand, Police, Emergency Management Southland and Connected Eastern Southland, an organisation that delivers resilience-based programmes and support for young people.
West Gore School pupil Jaxon Mackenzie, 10, said the event was valuable.
“The people that made it must have … thought a lot about it,” Jaxon said.
Pupils learnt how to do cardiopulmonary resuscitation, (CPR) and were painted with mock bloody gashes by Hato Hone staff.
Southern District Police set up an obstacle course, involving hurdles and a plastic tunnel, which was inspired by police fitness tests.
Pupils who completed the course were in to win a trip in a police car.
Southern District Police Senior Sergeant Cynthia Fairley, of Gore, said pupils tended to be watchful when it came to responding to an emergency.
“I think these little ones at this age are usually the most vigilant at home, to be honest,” Snr Sgt Fairley said.
“If we can reiterate the messaging and practice for the kids, they can take this home with them too.”
With Fenz, pupils navigated their way through a dark, inflatable maze, which gave insight into what it could be like escaping from a fire.
Mataura School pupil Bailee Hope, 10, enjoyed the maze.
“It wasn’t scary, it was just like, ‘I can’t see’,” Bailee said.
With Emergency Management Southland, the children practised the drop, cover and hold response in an earthquake simulation trailer, and learnt what belongings mattered most when evacuating due to a natural disaster.
Land Search and Rescue, co-ordinated partly through the New Zealand Police, walked pupils through how to be prepared for outdoor excursions, which was also demonstrated on their website (https://saferwalking.nz).
Coastguard Riverton emphasised the importance of appropriately sized life jackets, which pupils tried on, and taught the children how to respond when things went wrong in the water.
Connected Eastern Southland educated on how to normalise and learn from mistakes, and increase resilience.
Pupils, mainly in years 5 and 6, participated from Knapdale, Mataura, Pukerau, Riversdale, St Mary’s, Te Tipua, Waikaka and West Gore primary schools and Gore Main School.
The Clued up Kids event was first held in 2019.