The Pacific faces some of the world's most complex disaster risks, from cyclones, earthquakes, landslides and tsunamis to climate-induced emergencies. Fiji's recent National Emergency Response Team (NERT) Induction Training demonstrates how coordinated, multi-agency preparation can transform disaster response capabilities across the region.
Held in Lautoka, Fiji from August 17-24, 2025, the intensive programme brought together 38 first responders representing Fiji's whole-of-society approach: government agencies, military, police, private sector partners, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). Under the guidance of 10 facilitators from government agencies, United Nations organisations, and the Pacific Community (SPC), participants faced realistic scenarios designed to mirror the unpredictable nature of real emergencies.
The training's centerpiece was a full-scale simulation of a 7.3 magnitude earthquake striking offshore near Volivoli Town. Teams worked through the cascading disaster impacts: ground shaking causing building collapse and landslides, 3-5 meter tsunami waves inundating eastern and northern coastal districts including Volivoli, Keleva, Makanoa, and Orohiti. The scenario challenged responders with mass casualties requiring trauma care, approximately 15,000 displaced people needing emergency shelter, and critical infrastructure disruption affecting roads, bridges, utilities, and telecommunications.
Fiji has faced disasters that cost lives and billions in recovery. Cyclone Winston alone caused over FJD 2 billion in damage. Without trained responders and coordinated systems, the first 48 hours can spiral into weeks of chaos, escalating humanitarian needs and financial losses.
By investing in National Emergency Response Team (NERT) training, Fiji can save lives more quickly, reduce the financial burden of emergency response, and accelerate recovery efforts across affected communities. Every dollar spent on preparedness can save up to $6 in disaster response and recovery, according to global studies.
Fiji’s NERT model is not just a training, it's a cost-effective strategy to protect communities, infrastructure, and the economy.
"I came in with maybe 30% knowledge on emergency response, and now I'm going back with 80-90%," reflected Taina Silikiwa, a Training Officer from Fiji's National Disaster Risk Management Office (NDRMO). "I feel confident that I can teach others and execute my learnings in the field."
Facilitators continuously introduced new complications throughout the exercise, testing inter-agency coordination under pressure. Teams navigated food security challenges for displaced populations, water crises from destroyed reservoirs requiring emergency trucking, education sector disruption, and protection concerns for vulnerable groups including children, women, persons with disabilities, and displaced families.
The programme explored practical challenges like humanitarian logistics and information management. A field visit to the Blackrock Camp humanitarian warehouse in Nadi provided hands-on insights into emergency preparedness systems, showing how relief items are pre-positioned, deployed rapidly, and tracked in real-time, critical capabilities when seaports close and airports become humanitarian lifelines.
"The training was intense, but we made it through the simulation exercise and learned a lot," said Roneel Sharma of the Fiji Police Force. "I feel I can now confidently be part of a disaster incident management team handling complex, multi-sector emergencies."
The emphasis on information management proved particularly valuable, exploring how critical data flows from community to national levels when coordinating responses across multiple sectors—from medical care and shelter to infrastructure repair and livelihood restoration.
"This training enhances Fiji's response capabilities nationally and also at the regional and international level," noted Napolioni Boseiwaqa, Acting Director of Fiji's National Disaster Risk Management Office (NDRMO).
The success of Fiji's NERT model offers valuable lessons for other Pacific nations facing similar multi-hazard challenges. The combination of realistic scenarios, multi-agency participation, and emphasis on coordination creates a template that could strengthen regional disaster response capabilities across the Pacific.
The Pacific Community (SPC), through its Building Safety and Resilience in the Pacific II (BSRP II), Pacific Humanitarian Warehousing Program (PHWP), and Pacific Islands Emergency Management Alliance II (PIEMA II) projects, collaborated with Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), the World Food Programme, and the Australian Humanitarian Partnership to provide funding and technical support for the training.
