Minister of Emergency Management and Recovery, Mark Mitchell at the centre with Ruapehu Mayor Weston Kirton.
Search and rescue operations across much of the Central North Island will be directed from a facility which opened at National Park last week.
National Park Senior Constable Conrad Smith said the centre was crammed with the latest digital technology, which was designed to aid and coordinate searches.
Emergency Management Minister Mark Mitchell said Central Plateau Emergency Management Centre, (Te Whare Whakaora o Waimarino), would now provide a central point for search and rescue operations and emergency management for the entire Central Plateau.
“It will serve as an incident control point, training space, equipment store, and staging area for operations. It gives a new home to the Ruapehu Alpine Rescue Organisation (Raro), Ruapehu Land Search and Rescue Group, and Ruapehu Civil Defence,” Mitchell said.
Ruapehu Mayor Weston Kirton said the Central Plateau was now one of the busiest search and rescue sectors in the country and one prone to natural disasters.
“Te Whare Whakaora o Waimarino provides a beacon of hope and resilience that embodies the spirit of manaakitanga, a commitment to care and support for both residents and visitors to the region,” Kirton said.
First responders would be better equipped to do their job with a home base enabling a much faster, better coordinated, and more effective response, helping to ensure the safety and well-being of all those impacted by emergencies.
Mitchell noted that in the six months since taking over national emergency management he had been to six local states of emergency.
“It became obvious to me very early on that we need to have a network of these emergency management centres throughout the whole country as part of building local resilience and being well prepared.”
Mitchell said the Ruapehu community had delivered an outstanding emergency management centre that placed them well in being able to get help and support to people when they need it most.
He was proud to be part of the opening which had a personal element for him, having been a police dog handler based in Taupo and a member of the search and rescue team involved in operations on the Central Plateau.
While at the opening the Minister was able to meet some of the first responders, he worked with on some of these rescue operations.
