To provide resilience in an emergency, Timaru District Council’s Emergency Management has invested in a new portable generator.

Timaru District Council Manager - Emergency Management Darryn Grigsby said this generator will add to council’s emergency readiness.

“This generator allows us to continue providing support to communities and other organisations during emergencies,” he said.

The generator is rated at 80kvA, a capacity large enough to provide electricity to a whole building and also has the ability to power individual small electrical items.

It is mounted on a trailer with a multi board that can supply different voltage ratings and plug types, giving it a lot of flexibility in how and where it can be used.

“The portable generator can be deployed to a wide variety of situations and anywhere accessible by car in our district so it can be used where it is needed the most,” Grigsby said.

“This is a great addition to our capability and significantly increases our ability to support during power outages, but we still need everyone to continue to be ready for emergencies.”

Think about what you would do if there was no power for a few days? Some ideas to be prepared for power cuts are:

• Make sure you have torches and batteries somewhere everyone can find them in the dark.
• Have a stock of food that doesn’t need to be cooked (canned is good) or something to cook your food on (gas barbecue or camp stove). Don’t forget food for babies and pets.
• While the power is out, eat the food from your fridge first, then your freezer Then eat the food in your cupboard or your emergency kit.
• Have a solar or battery powered radio so you can keep up with the latest news and alerts. Know which radio stations to tune in to for information during an emergency.

For even more tips check out the Civil Defence section of the Timaru District Council Website or give our Are You Ready? booklet a read which is a guide to emergency preparedness which was tailored to the Timaru District.

Darryn Grisby Timaru District Council Manager - Emergency Management alongside Craig Nicolson from QPower and the new Timaru District generator.