STEERING COMMITTEE

CHARTER
AUTHORITY

The role of the Urban Search and Rescue Steering respective authorities of the Director, Ministry of Civil
Committee is to manage the development and Defence Emergency Management and the Chief
maintenance of an integrated national urban search Executive, New Zealand Fire Service.
and rescue capability in New Zealand.
This Charter authorises the formation of a Steering
The Ministry of Civil Defence and the New Zealand Committee, sets out its roles and responsibilities and
Fire Service are the initiating agencies for the identifies the relationships, structures and funding
Steering Committee and operate under the arrangements.

The Steering Committee Charter is approved by:

John Norton Mike Hall
Director Chief Executive
Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management New Zealand Fire Service

Signed .......................................................................................................... Signed ..........................................................................................................

Date ................................................................................................................ Date ................................................................................................................

And endorsed by the Strategic Partner agencies:

New Zealand Police

Name .............................................................................................................. Signed ...........................................................................................................

Title................................................................................................................... Date ................................................................................................................

Ambulance New Zealand

Name .............................................................................................................. Signed ...........................................................................................................

Title................................................................................................................... Date ................................................................................................................

Local Government New Zealand

Name .............................................................................................................. Signed ...........................................................................................................

Title................................................................................................................... Date ................................................................................................................

STEERING COMMITTEE CHARTER 3

 BACKGROUND

The Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management and the New Zealand Fire Service have set up
the Urban Search And Rescue (USAR) Steering Committee (“the Committee”) to develop, implement and
manage the provision of a USAR capability in New Zealand.
• This charter sets out the objectives and • The Chairperson is authorised to sign agreements
responsibilities of the USAR Steering Committee. on behalf of the Committee where this does not
conflict with individual partner agencies.
• The Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency
Management will provide the Chair of the
Committee unless otherwise agreed by the
majority of the Committee.

MEMBERSHIP OF USAR STEERING COMMITTEE AND WORKING GROUPS

Member agencies of the Steering Committee are:

• Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Member agencies will maintain senior level
Management, representation on the Steering Committee and on
Working Groups as appropriate. Costs associated
• New Zealand Fire Service, with such representation will be met by the
• New Zealand Police, individual member’s organisation as apportioned
by agreement with Committee members.
• Ambulance New Zealand,
• Local Government New Zealand.

OBJECTIVES

The Steering Committee has the following objectives for USAR in New Zealand:

• The development and maintenance of an urban • Rescue operations at a multi-site structural

search and rescue capability based upon national
and international best practice.
• Urban rescue operations associated with a
single–site structural collapse to be carried out
using New Zealand resources in support of local
emergency response agencies.
collapse to be undertaken using New Zealand
and international resources.
• Rescue operations in a regional scale
disaster to be prioritised and undertaken using
New Zealand and international resources.

4 Urban Search & Rescue

RESPONSIBILITIES
The responsibilities of the Committee are to provide
strategic direction, governance and support for all
elements of USAR New Zealand to:
• ensure the development of policy and
frameworks within which the objectives of the
national USAR capability can be met.
• establish the linkages between all of the strategic
partner agencies which contribute to the
national USAR capability. The names of such
agencies are listed in Annexure 2.
• ensure that international and national best
practice standards are implemented for USAR
qualifications and training.
• ensure that the approved USAR taskforces,
registered response teams and other specialist
skill assets are appropriately resourced and
capable of being deployed; the Committee,
as part of its responsibilities, will request that
sufficient funding is available for that purpose
• ensure that appropriate arrangements are in
place for international teams coming into New
Zealand to give assistance, and for New Zealand
teams who may provide assistance overseas.
• establish and maintain a national exercise
programme to test and evaluate USAR capability.
• monitor and report on the integrated USAR
capability to all stakeholders
• establish and maintain all the components of a
comprehensive, multi agency USAR capability.
• ensure operational readiness of all elements of
the USAR capability.
• ensure integration of the USAR capability within
CDEM and NZFS operational arrangements.
Subject to a majority decision of its members, the
Committee may from time to time alter or add to
the above responsibilities.
The broad allocation of responsibilities between
MCDEM and the NZFS as initiating USAR agencies
are shown diagrammatically in Annexure 1.
STEERING COMMITTEE CHARTER 5
 ANNEXURE 1 – USAR PRINCIPAL TASK ALLOCATIONS

Urban Search and Rescue

NZFS MCDEM
Functions Functions

Steering Committee
• MCDEM (chair)
• NZFS
• NZ Police
• Ambulance NZ
• Local Government NZ

Task Forces NZ USAR Team Relationships

Provision, maintenance and management Comprises 3 national level Task Forces
complete with specialists, supported • INSARAG 1 • Govt agencies
of multi-agency taskforces and associated
by local Registered Response Teams • UNDAC 2 • NZ Aid
structures

Operational Management Registered Response Teams

Oversight and management during Development and registration of RRT’s
RRT
operational deployment both TA and private

Training Ian Craig Scholarship

Program development and delivery

Policy National Exercise

Development and deployment of Develop an exercise program that tests

operational policy the skills of all facets of multi-agency
response and recovery operations

Relationships
• AFAC 3
• INSARAG 1 (TF leaders)

Joint MCDEM/NZFS Activities

Training & Standards Response Operations Specialist Skills Working Group

Working Group Working Group • Engineers
• Search dogs
Multi-agency group led by NZFS Multi-agency group led by NZFS
• Medics
Multi-agency group led jointly by
NZFS and MCDEM

Management of Operational (Database) Publication of USAR documentation Management of Information/

Website • Course material Promotional Website
• FactSheets/ Guidelines

NZFS JOINT NZFS/MCDEM MCDEM

FUNDING ARRANGEMENTS
1
International Search and Rescue Advisory Group, 2
United Nations Disaster Assessment Coordination, 3
Australasian Fire Authorities Council

6 Urban Search & Rescue

ANNEXURE 2 – DETAILS OF STEERING COMMITTEE AGENCIES

Ministry of Civil Defence

& Emergency Management

PO Box 5010
Wellington
Ph. 04 473 7363

New Zealand Fire Service

PO Box 2133
Wellington
Ph 04 496 3600

New Zealand Police

PO Box 3017
Wellington
Ph 04 474 9499

Ambulance New Zealand

Level 8
25-33 Victoria Street
Wellington
Ph 04 499 2621

Local Government New Zealand

PO Box 5362
Wellington
Ph 04 494 0576

STEERING COMMITTEE CHARTER 7