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And by volunteering with the Christchurch City Council New Zealand Response Teams, Angela Ward and Samuel Paquier have been able to do just that.
Angela has been volunteering for around six years as a squad leader, coordinating people helping in the response. Samuel has a year of volunteer work under his belt and is an emergency response team member.
Each of their roles mean they are the ones working with, supporting and helping people who have been impacted in an emergency.
“After the 2017 fire and the Kaikōura earthquakes, I just wanted to be able to help. With Civil Defence on the news, I took the first step and got involved in their training. I haven’t looked back,” Angela said.
“Emergencies are an awful time for people but it’s good to be able to do my part and be there in their time of need, it means a lot. You really feel part of the community.”
Angela was involved in the February Port Hills fire response with 53 other volunteers. They worked across eight locations, over five days and nights, helping with cordon management, patrols of evacuated areas and running the welfare centres.
“We were at the bottom of Worsleys Road, managing the cordon which plays such a big role in making sure fire trucks can access the fire grounds,” Angela said.
“We had firefighters working hard around us, covered in soot and exhausted – just knowing you’re helping part of that is so rewarding. It absolutely gives you an appreciation of our emergency services.”
Samuel’s year of volunteering has been “busy but good”.
He started training alongside his partner and has enjoyed connecting with people from all walks of life.
“In a disaster, people are more important than things for me. My role really focuses on people when things go wrong,” he said.
“I grew up in Christchurch so went through the earthquakes, the mosque shootings, and other disasters. We’re a resilient city and it’s nice to be able to contribute to that.”
Both Angela and Samuel would encourage anyone thinking about it, to take the plunge and put their hand up to volunteer.
“It is a bit of a commitment. There is training that the Council puts on and sometimes additional training or team exercises but when you get to respond, you think this is why I did that training, this is worth it,” Angela said.
If you’re interested in volunteering for civil defence, find out more here.