New Zealand Response Teams

New Zealand Response Teams (NZ-RTs) are teams of qualified volunteer first responders who support Civil Defence Emergency Management (CDEM) Groups and their communities during and after emergency events. They work alongside emergency services and other responding agencies, providing surge support in large-scale emergencies. Teams are located throughout New Zealand and are owned and supported either by Territorial Authorities or by non-government organisations. Because each team is based on the local hazards and risks within its region, the specific capabilities of NZ-RTs vary from place to place. Documented NZ-RT capabilities include foundation skills, light rescue, flood response, storm response, Civil Defence Centres and welfare, swift water rescue, rope rescue, mass casualty support, out-of-region deployment, and USAR first responder roles. The programme is guided by national documents including the NZ-RT Capability and Competency Framework and the NZ-RT National Operating Guidelines, and it sits within the wider New Zealand civil defence and emergency management system led by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). NZ-RT members are volunteers who are attracted to physically and mentally challenging environments during emergency situations and who share a desire to serve their community in times of need. Most team recruitment processes involve an information evening, an application form and an interview, followed by selection as a probationary recruit. The typical time commitment is a two- or three-hour evening training session each week, plus occasional weekend training courses or exercises and deployments. People interested in joining are directed to contact their local Civil Defence Group to find out about NZ-RTs in their area. NZ-RTs are not a single corporate company but a nationally recognised volunteer emergency service brand operating under the civil defence umbrella. The National Emergency Management Agency, established in December 2019, is the Government lead for emergency management and provides leadership in reducing risk, being ready for, responding to and recovering from emergencies. NEMA works with central and local government, communities, iwi and business, and its key functions are steward, operator and assurer of the emergency management system. NEMA has been a departmental agency since 1 December 2019, and its hosting responsibilities transferred from the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet to the Department of Internal Affairs on 25 September 2025. Dave Gawn is NEMA's Chief Executive. Within this system, NZ-RTs represent the volunteer surge-capability layer that communities can call on when local resources are stretched.

New Zealand Response Teams (NZ-RTs) are volunteer emergency service teams that operate within New Zealand's Civil Defence Emergency Management (CDEM) system. They are described as teams of qualified first responders who support Civil Defence Emergency Management Groups and their communities during and after emergency events. NZ-RT volunteers work alongside emergency services and other responding agencies to provide surge support in large-scale emergencies. Teams exist throughout New Zealand and are owned and supported either by Territorial Authorities or by non-government organisations. Their capabilities are based on the local hazards and risks within their regions, so the mix of skills and equipment differs from team to team. The national framework for NZ-RTs is maintained under the civil defence umbrella. Documented capabilities include foundation skills, light rescue, flood response, storm response, Civil Defence Centres and welfare, swift water rescue, rope rescue, mass casualty support, out-of-region deployment, and USAR first responder roles. Two key national documents guide the programme: the NZ-RT Capability and Competency Framework and the NZ-RT National Operating Guidelines. The teams are part of the wider emergency management system led by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), which is the Government lead for emergency management and works with central and local government, communities, iwi and business. NEMA was established in December 2019 and has been a departmental agency since 1 December 2019. Its Māori name, Te Rākau Whakamarumaru i te Mate Ohotata, meaning "The Tree that Shelters and Protects", was bequeathed by the Māori Language Commission, Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori, in August 1999. NEMA's hosting responsibilities transferred from the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC) to the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) on 25 September 2025. Before 2014, the Department of Internal Affairs had hosted NEMA's predecessor, the Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management (MCDEM). Dave Gawn is NEMA's Chief Executive. NZ-RT volunteers are recruited through local processes that typically involve an information evening, an application form and an interview, followed by selection as a probationary recruit. The usual time commitment is a two- or three-hour evening training session each week, plus occasional weekend training courses or exercises and deployments. Members are people who enjoy a physically and mentally challenging environment during emergency situations and who share a common desire to serve their community in times of need. Prospective volunteers are directed to contact their local Civil Defence Group to find out about NZ-RTs in their area. The teams can be followed on Facebook at @NZResponseTeams.

• The Māori name Te Rākau Whakamarumaru i te Mate Ohotata was bequeathed to the organisation by the Māori Language Commission, Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori.

• NEMA's predecessor, the Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management (MCDEM), transferred from the Department of Internal Affairs to the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.

• A 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Kaikōura and North Canterbury, with wide-reaching impacts on New Zealand's North and South Islands.

• The November 2016 Earthquake Recovery Story was published, drawing on content from local councils, central government agencies and Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu.

• NEMA became a departmental agency, hosted by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.

• The National Emergency Management Agency was established.

• Hosting responsibilities for NEMA transferred from the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet to the Department of Internal Affairs.

A nationally recognised volunteer emergency-response capability that supports Civil Defence Emergency Management Groups and communities during and after emergencies, working alongside emergency services and other responding agencies.

• Foundation skills

  Core skills forming the base of NZ-RT capability.

• Light Rescue

  Light rescue capability listed among NZ-RT capabilities.

• Flood Response

  Flood response capability listed among NZ-RT capabilities.

• Storm Response

  Storm response capability listed among NZ-RT capabilities.

• Civil Defence Centres and Welfare

  Support for Civil Defence Centres and welfare functions.

• Swift Water Rescue

  Swift water rescue capability listed among NZ-RT capabilities.

• Rope Rescue

  Rope rescue capability listed among NZ-RT capabilities.

• Mass Casualty Support

  Mass casualty support capability listed among NZ-RT capabilities.

• Out-of-Region Deployment

  Capability to deploy outside the team's home region.

• USAR First Responder

  Urban Search and Rescue first responder capability listed among NZ-RT capabilities.

1. 1New Zealand Response Teams (NZ-RTs) » National Emergency Management Agencycivildefence.govt.nz
2. 2Our history » National Emergency Management Agencycivildefence.govt.nz
3. 3Who we are » National Emergency Management Agencycivildefence.govt.nz
4. 4November 2016 earthquake recovery story now live » National Emergency Management Agencycivildefence.govt.nz
5. 5New Zealand Response Teamswikidata.org