FEWER than half of Wellingtonians feel they are prepared if an earthquake strikes the capital.
Residents have not been motivated by the Christchurch quake to prepare emergency kits and evacuation plans, based on a street poll conducted by Whitireia Journalism students.
Tim Barlow (46) right, said he had thought about making earthquake preparations but couldn’t afford to.
“I’ve made minimal preparations – stored water and a flashlight - but I’ve got no money. If I could afford to go out and buy everything in one big whack I would, even if I had a spare $50,” he said.
In contrast 60% of those polled felt their workplaces and schools had emergency procedures in place.
Loisi Latavao (15) left, told reporters her Lower Hutt school have been holding special assemblies twice a week since the latest Christchurch earthquake.
Students are taught new skills about how to handle earthquakes and other emergencies. “We practise getting under our desks. It makes me feel safer.”
Newswire students asked: How are you prepared if an earthquake struck Wellington? What are your family and friends plans? How is your workplace prepared for an earthquake?
Fred Dread I (36) right, street musician, Lower Hutt
“I know first aid, I guess I could try and help out. Contacting family would be first on the list. The mother of my children, she has a disaster plan, a meeting point and all that.”
Mark Deason (37) bar manager, CBD
Originally from Dunedin and new to Wellington, Mark (left) is not prepared. “I’ve had a good think about it. We’d be pretty screwed really.” His mum has some canned food stored, but he doesn’t think that’s much of a preparation. “It’s interesting: you get all this stuff prepared, and your house could come down.” He doubts his workplace has an earthquake plan.
Ricki Holloway (18), student, Otaki
Ricki (right) says she has been meaning to get a survival kit together, but isn’t prepared at the moment. Her family has plans to meet either at home or a hospital. Her employer, an after school childcare centre, has a standard operating procedure for earthquakes and emergencies.
Matt Boeke (25), student, Germany
Matt (left), from Hanover, says he knows to try to find a doorway or desk to shelter under but has no plans beyond that. His university in Germany has evacuation maps and also lessons in fire drills and safety, he says.
Joanne Vervison (30), lawyer, Haitaitai
Joanne (right) wasn’t prepared at all for an earthquake but felt like she should be. “Especially with my baby, I feel like I should start to get some stuff together just so she’d have clothes and food and stuff.” Some of her friends had been taking steps to prepare their homes. “One of my friends is having her chimney removed and another is putting her kids into low-rise daycare.”
David Powell (55), expediter, Indianapolis
As a visitor, David (left), hadn’t taken any steps to prepare. However, he had met some people who have made him more aware of the danger. “Everyone I’ve talked to here is really conscious about what to do if a quake hits, they make me feel pretty safe if something happens.”
Abby Cummings (17), unemployed, Mt Victoria 
Abby (right) says she would turn to her mother in an earthquake crisis. “I don’t really know what I’d do myself, I’d want to be with my mum. She’s really got it covered. My mum has all those civil defence emergency packs, just in case.”
James Greener (19), student, UK
A travelling student, James (left) was quite blasé about the possibility of an earthquake. “I’m not too concerned, to be honest. There’s just nothing you can do to really be safe, unless you have millions to spend on that kind of thing.” There were several Christchurch people he was friends with, however, who had been taking steps to protect themselves. “My friends were telling me they have torches and heaps of boiled water they’ve saved, designated places to hide. They’ve really gone all out.”
Peter Scott (57), beekeeper, Dunedin
“We haven’t done a lot of preparing back home. I’ve been thinking about it a lot, but so far haven’t got around to actually doing anything,” says Peter (right). He had been considering taking a tip from some of his more prepared workmates. “A few of my colleagues have put some emergency kits together, canned food and first aid materials. I think I’d do that, it seems like the most sensible idea.”
Marie Smith, (Late 40s), self employed, Kapiti
“Yes, I have an emergency kit at my house in Kapiti but if I was in Wellington at the time I would not be prepared.” Marie (left) says some of her family are prepared but many aren’t. “My work is home, so I have the same emergency kit that I have there.”
Konrad Willis (45) unemployed, Kilbirnie
Konrad (right) says his family has put together a emergency kit Tuesday, March 1. “My grandson was in Christchurch and I realised the importance of having one.” He hopes his family is organised. Despite Konrad being unemployed he occasionally does work for a temp agency. “I think they have a plan and an emergency pack.”
Charley Samau (24), actor, Porirua
Charley Samau (left) says he is most definitely not prepared. “I’m just too lazy to put one together.” He isn’t sure if his family has plans, but there is a family bach they would vacate to in an emergency. “I think my agency has an evacuation plan. Not sure what I would do if I was on a job at the time,” says Charley about his workplace.
Anna Muir (22), student, Newtown
Anna (right) says she isn’t ready for a earthquake. “I haven’t got around to making an emergency kit yet.” “My sister is prepared, but that is about it. I have an escape plan,” she says in regards to her family. Anna says her university has an evacuation plan but she isn’t sure of the exact details.
Tim Barlow (46) Te Papa preparator
Instead of stockpiling supplies, Tim is saving towards moving house. He feels his Thorndon home is unsafe, and has been jolted into action by the latest quake. “It’s a terrible place to live, right on the intersection of two fault lines. I’m going out to Wainuiomata.” Working at Te Papa, Tim isn’t convinced of how reliable their prevention measures are. “It worries me.”
Emily Friedlander, primary school teacher, Featherston
Emily (left) has done a little preparation. “I have a first aid kit, some water and canned food at home but can still do more to prepare.” Her family is not prepared but her workplace is. “The first time in the three years I’ve been there, we had an earthquake drill, just recently.”
Brody Fraser (18) student Victoria University, Te Aro
Brody (right) and his flatmates are not really prepared. “I’m not very prepared, just some canned food we got in the cupboard.” He has no plan to meet with family and says Victoria University “probably has an evacuation plan” but he is unsure.
Antonio Emer (17) tourism student
“If an earthquake hits let it be. If God wants us dead so be it. How can you be prepared for that?” He has no plan to meet with family and at his place of study he is not confident about the evacuation plan.
Doug Connell (51) IT worker, Khandallah
Doug (right) and his family have had emergency supplies stored and systems in place at their Khandallah home for some years now. After Christchurch’s September earthquake, they re-checked everything – “Tins of food; torches and batteries; cooking equipment…” The family haven’t taken any new steps since the most recent earthquake.
Laurent Loudeac (41) chef, Petone
“I’m not prepared at home, no safety box, nothing,” Laurent (left) says. “It’s so good to be prepared but if shit happens then all your plans of evacuation might be ruined. I think you need to be ready on the day and find out and see what you can do.” Laurent works at the Museum Hotel where he thinks they are prepared for an emergency but he’s unsure of the procedures.
Jesse Farmar (22) Canterbury student, Christchurch
“You can be prepared in the sense that you stock up on food but you’re probably more prepared because you’ve experienced it before.” Jesse (right) felt sufficiently prepared for the recent Canterbury earthquake. “My plans were to go to my parent’s house…away from the CBD.” Jesse was at Canterbury University when the quake struck where he thought they were well organised for the disaster.
Loisi Latavao (15) student , Lower Hutt
Loisi’s family started making earthquake preparations after the earthquake in September, storing water and some cans of food. “We don’t have an escape plan or anything, though.” Her school in Lower Hutt has recently begun holding special assemblies twice a week. Students learn about being prepared for earthquakes, “We practise getting under our desks.” Loisi appreciates the measures. “It makes me feel safer.”
Dawn Marrs (38) Saatchi and Saatchi, Wellington Central
Dawn (left) feels unprepared for a disaster, “I’m not prepared at home really, at all. So I need to be. I don’t have any family [in New Zealand]. But if I had my own family, obviously I’d have a plan.” Dawn says recent events in Christchurch have shaken everyone at her workplace into getting ready. “Since the Christchurch earthquake [everyone] has geed up quite considerably, with people having sneakers by their desks.“
Isobelle Thomson (19) Victoria University student, Wadestown
Isobelle (right) feels more prepared than other students. “We have stores of water and canned food at our house. My family has a designated meeting spot – we’ll try and get home together.” Working part-time in Parliament, she has been through earthquake drills and evacuation plans but it’s a different story at her place of study, “I work at parliament part-time, so I know that they definitely have plans.” She’s unsure whether her university is prepared.
Blair Styra (50) therapist, Mount Victoria
Blair (left) feels as ready as he can be. He says he has a survival kit at his house that will probably last a couple of weeks and has organised evacuation plans for his home which is also his workplace. “The last earthquake has woken us up to everything. It’s one of those times when it’s not about individuality, it’s about community.”