The Need for Speed

Civil emergencies often arise with little forewarning, leaving limited time to act for those in charge of passing on crucial information to affected areas.

The time-critical nature of civil emergencies makes communication efficiency paramount. The quicker an alert is received, the more time people will have to attend to their safety.

The immense death toll of the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami and subsequent disasters could have been minimised, had an efficient early warning communications infrastructure been in place at the time.

Apart from coastal cities and towns, New Zealand has an extensive coastline which is populated by small and isolated communities - many of which are vulnerable to tsunami inundation.

Emergencies are, however, not limited to tsunamis. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, floods, freak weather conditions, fire, chemical spills, terrorism and air assault - will pose a threat at some time.

The Meerkat Alert System is designed to reach every person in New Zealand, by using the most effective communication channels available, including the country's extensive electrical network.