First Aid
First Aid
Hāwea has no hospital, no pharmacy, no doctor's surgery, and no ambulance station. On a normal day, residents drive to Wānaka for a GP or pharmacy, and to Clyde, or Dunedin for serious care.
In a major event, those options largely disappear. Roads to Wānaka and beyond will likely be closed for days. Regional hospitals will be operating under enormous demand from much wider communities than just Hāwea. Helicopters will be working at capacity, prioritising the most urgent cases across the whole South Island.
This means two things: the first responder for any injury in your household will be you, and serious injuries that would normally be sent to hospital may have to be managed locally for hours, days, or longer.
The most useful thing every Hāwea adult can do is learn basic first aid before an event. The kit on your shelf matters less than what you know how to do.
You cannot learn first aid on the day. Every Hāwea adult should know how to:
Stop bleeding with direct pressure
Recognise and respond to shock
Put an unconscious person in the recovery position
Perform CPR
Clear a blocked airway (Heimlich manoeuvre)
Treat burns, cuts, and sprains
Move someone with a suspected back or neck injury safely — and know when not to move them at all
Recognise the signs of a heart attack, stroke, or serious head injury
The St John First Aid Library is a free, comprehensive online reference covering all of these and more. The link is at the foot of this page. Reading is a start. A formal first aid course is much better. St John, NZ Red Cross, and several private providers run courses in Wānaka and Cromwell. A two-day course gives you skills that last for years and is one of the best investments any household can make in its own resilience.
There is an automated external defibrillator (AED) on the verandah of the Lake Hāwea Community Centre, on the side facing the bowling green. It is accessible 24 hours a day.
AEDs are designed to be used by anyone — they give clear voice instructions and will only deliver a shock if one is needed. In a cardiac arrest, an AED used in the first few minutes alongside CPR more than doubles the chance of survival.
Know where it is now, before you need it. The St John AED Locations website (aedlocations.co.nz) maps every registered AED in New Zealand, including this one — useful when you are away from home as well.
Before an event, know:
What chronic conditions household members have, and what medications they take
Where prescription medications are kept and how much is on hand
Any allergies, including common medications
Any conditions your immediate neighbours have, particularly those who live alone or are elderly
In a community looking after itself, this information matters. A neighbour who knows the diabetic next door and their medication routine can make a real difference if that diabetic is injured, shocked, or unconscious and cannot speak for themselves.
This is the kind of information neighbourhood groups exist to share — see the Neighbourhood Groups page.
Hāwea may be cut off for two weeks or longer. Your kit needs to support that, not just an "until help arrives" scenario. Wound care:
Crepe and gauze bandages of various sizes
Sterile gauze pads and larger dressings
Adhesive tape
Triangular bandages (useful for slings and as ties)
Crepe bandages - Antiseptic wipes
Saline solution for wound cleaning
Disposable gloves (several pairs)
Tweezers and scissors
Instant cold packs (frozen pea packs are useful here)
Common earthquake injuries are cuts from broken glass, head wounds, sprains, and crush injuries.
Your kit should be able to handle these.
Medications:
A two-week supply of any prescription medications. Talk to your pharmacist about how to keep ahead of repeats so you always have a buffer.
Paracetamol and ibuprofen for pain and fever
Antihistamines for allergic reactions
Anti-diarrhoea medication
Hydration salts (for dehydration, vomiting, or diarrhoea) - a homemade Oral Rehydration Solution recipe: "1 litre of clean water, 6 level teaspoons of sugar, ½ level teaspoon of salt
Any specialised items relevant to your household — asthma inhalers, EpiPens, insulin, blood pressure medication, glucose
Other:
A printed first aid manual. Your phone may be flat or your internet down. A book on the shelf will work.
Thermometer
Notepad and pen for recording what has been done — important if a patient eventually reaches a doctor
Keep the kit somewhere everyone in the household knows. Check it once a year — supplies expire, batteries go flat, prescriptions change.
This is the hardest part of household preparedness for many people to think about, but it is real. After a major event, an ambulance may not come. Roads to Wānaka and Dunedin may be closed for days. A helicopter rescue is possible but not guaranteed and depends on weather, demand, and priority.
Things you can usefully do:
Stop major bleeding immediately — direct pressure, then a pressure bandage. This is the single most important first aid skill.
Treat for shock — keep the person warm, lying down, calm, and reassured.
Stabilise suspected fractures — splint with whatever is available, immobilise (rolled up newspaper and crepe or triangular bandages).
Keep the airway clear and the person breathing.
Record what has happened and what you have done. Time of injury, time of any medication, observations. This is critical information for any doctor who eventually sees the patient.
Send word to the Community Emergency Hub. The CRG has communications equipment that can request a helicopter or relay information to emergency services. Do not assume your phone will work.
Things to know your limits on:
Major surgery, internal bleeding, severe head injuries, and complex fractures cannot be managed at home. Stabilise as best you can and get word to the hub.
CPR has limits. After a cardiac arrest with no professional help available, survival rates are low. This is not a reason not to try — but it is a reason to also know how to support a family afterwards.
Major earthquakes are followed by aftershocks for weeks or months. The Christchurch experience showed that anxiety, sleep disruption, and emotional reactions are normal and widespread — not signs of weakness.
Watch for these in yourself and others:
Difficulty sleeping
Persistent anxiety, particularly during aftershocks
Children regressing — bedwetting, clinginess, nightmares
Withdrawal, irritability, or short temper
Talking helps. Routines help. Limiting children's exposure to news coverage helps. So does keeping busy with practical tasks — there will be plenty of those.
If symptoms persist or worsen, professional support will eventually be available again. In the meantime, neighbours checking on neighbours matter more than people realise.
A local medical team is forming within the Hāwea community. In the event of a serious medical emergency during a major event, contact the Community Emergency Hub — the Hub team will be able to connect you with available medical assistance and relay urgent requests to emergency services.
St John First Aid Library — free online first aid reference, covering everything from minor cuts to CPR
St John NZ courses — find a first aid course near you
St John AED Locations — find the nearest registered defibrillator
NZ Red Cross — first aid courses and resources
Get Ready NZ — household first aid kit guidance
Last reviewed: May 2026.