Rapid Building Assessor programme

The Rapid Building Assessor programme ensures that Aotearoa/New Zealand has enough experts ready to complete rapid building assessments when there has been damage to buildings because of an emergency event.

MBIE has several legal obligations to coordinate, train and maintain the national capability of Rapid Building Assessors, ensuring there is sufficient availability, expertise and leadership across the country, and there are consistent approaches to deploying or mobilising Rapid Building Assessors in the event of an emergency.

What is a Rapid Building Assessor?

Rapid Building Assessors are qualified building officials who can be deployed to carry out rapid building assessments. There are different tiers of Rapid Building Assessors:

  • Tier 1 Technical Leads
  • Tier 2 Team Leaders
  • Tier 3 Assessors.

Rapid Building Assessors are generally building officials or engineers. They must meet certain competencies and complete the MBIE rapid building assessment training programme.

Teams of Rapid Building Assessors assess damaged buildings and existing or potential hazards. They record details of the damage and assign appropriate placards to buildings to identify use, for example if entry to a building is restricted or prohibited.

They often work in dynamic situations across changing environments. They can be deployed to unfamiliar areas with others that they may not know.

Rapid Building Assessors are also likely to encounter people who have been displaced or traumatised. This can make for a stressful working environment.

MBIE maintains a register of trained Rapid Building Assessors.

Deploying Rapid Building Assessors

Rapid Building Assessors are deployed when there has been damage to buildings because of an emergency event.

State of national emergency

Under a state of national emergency, MBIE may organise the deployment of registered Rapid Building Assessors and may cover deployment costs.

Once deployed, Rapid Building Assessors will be managed by the local response team who has the responsibility for leading rapid building assessment operations for their area.

The local territorial authority may take the responsibility for costs (such as food, transport on the ground, and accommodation). This is usually organised through the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC).

State of local emergency

Under a state of local emergency or designation, the local EOC will manage the rapid building assessment operation. Usually this will be able to be completed using local Rapid Building Assessors. If additional support is required, the EOC should contact MBIE for help with the deployment of more resources.

MBIE's Rapid Building Assessor Competency Framework

It is important that Rapid Building Assessors have the competencies required to make quick decisions about buildings that may have been damaged after an emergency event.

MBIE has developed a new competency framework for Rapid Building Assessors. The Rapid Building Assessor Competency Framework specifies the technical competencies, practical experience and personal attributes required for:

  • Tier 1 Technical Leads
  • Tier 2 Team Leaders
  • Tier 3 Assessors.

An image showing the three tiers of capability and training required for Rapid Building Assessors: Tier 1 assessors – technical leads: national resources capable of leading an assessment operation; Leadership training. Tier 2 assessors – team leaders: Chartered structural & geotechnical engineers, senior building officials capable of leading field teams; Advanced, refresher and preparedness training. Tier 3 assessors: Building officials, structural & geotechnical engineers to support large scale responses as team members; Awareness training online.

Download the Rapid Building Assessor Competency Framework [PDF 825KB]

Rapid Building Assessor training

MBIE is responsible for the Rapid Building Assessor training programme at a national level to ensure that:

  • professional learning and development approaches for training are applied
  • Rapid Building Assessors are trained using approved collateral and content
  • consistency in approaches is taken to building assessments across the country
  • there is a national register of trained Rapid Building Assessors available for nationwide deployment
  • competency standards for Rapid Building Assessors are maintained.

MBIE will ensure that the training programme is regularly reviewed to consider innovations and learnings from recent events.

Updated training programme for Tier 2 and Tier 3 Rapid Building Assessors

MBIE have commenced the rollout of a refreshed training programme for applicants who meet the competency requirements as Tier 2 and Tier 3 assessors. Training sessions are prioritised according to regional needs and existing assessor numbers.

The training includes:

  • legislative frameworks relating to managing buildings in an emergency
  • knowledge of roles and responsibilities
  • health, safety, and wellbeing
  • rapid building assessment overview and scenario training
  • information systems and document management (eg how to complete assessment forms)
  • dealing with people.

Become a Rapid Building Assessor

To become a registered Tier 2 or Tier 3 Rapid Building Assessor you need to:

  1. meet the competencies set out in MBIE's Rapid Building Assessor Competency Framework, and
  2. complete the training programme.

For Tier 2 assessors, this involves:

  • completing the online learning modules available at: Building Performance: All courses
  • completing an in-person scenario-based training session facilitated by MBIE.

For Tier 3 assessors, this involves:

  • completing the online learning modules available at: Building Performance: All courses
  • participating in any in-person scenario-based training session facilitated by the local territorial authority or MBIE.

Once training has been completed, Rapid Building Assessors are added to the MBIE register and MBIE will issue them with an ID card.

Rapid Building Assessors must maintain their competency in order to stay on the register and are expected to be available for deployment when needed.

Contact

To register your interest or discuss training needs for your area, email buildingemergencymanagement@mbie.govt.nz

This information is published by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s Chief Executive. It is a general guide only and, if used, does not relieve any person of the obligation to consider any matter to which the information relates according to the circumstances of the particular case. Expert advice may be required in specific circumstances. Where this information relates to assisting people: