Te Ahi Kaa, based in the isolated community of Kennedy Bay on the Coromandel Peninsula, took significant steps to boost their emergency preparedness following the widespread disruption caused by Cyclone Gabrielle.

In partnership with FIRST72, the Te Ahi Kaa team invested in a comprehensive emergency communications solution designed to connect the local Kennedy Bay community.

This included:

• 3x Tait Emergency Base Kits – enabling key community sites to establish fixed communication points across the rohe, acting as hubs during emergencies.

• 22x Tait TP200 Handheld Radios – distributed across whānau, response team members, and key locations to ensure on-the-ground communication.

Together, these items form a dedicated local network, allowing the community to stay in touch across Kennedy Bay and coordinate effectively during any emergency event.

We also supplied customised first aid kits and other resources to support their local emergency response capabilities.

This is a powerful example of a community-first approach to disaster resilience — where local leadership, local capability, and trusted tools come together to protect whānau and whenua.