Cook Islands: Strategic roadmap for emergency management 2018-2023

The Strategic Roadmap for Emergency Management (SREM) in the Cook Islands was developed after extensive consultations with key stakeholders involved in national response to emergencies and disasters with the view to reform the emergency management arrangements in the Cook Islands.

Two major ‘gap areas’ were identified within the Cook Islands emergency management sector:

1. The coordination of local emergencies that do not require declaration of a National Emergency but nevertheless have the potential for major impacts at the local level if not effectively addressed
2. The need for establishment of a National Fire Service in order to effectively coordinate and manage the operations of the Volunteer brigades and provide the mandate and resources for their continued operation in close collaboration with the Airport Fire Authority

The Cook Islands SREM will identify priority actions that contribute to establishing the necessary governance structure and legislation to provide the mandate to address these ‘gap areas’. A new Civil Defence Emergency Management (CDEM) coordinating body and structure is being proposed in the SREM. The consensus among the key stakeholders is that the proposed CDEM structure will address both these ‘gap areas’.