Tsartlip First Nation has initiated a regional emergency preparedness project in partnership with the Pauquachin, Tsawout and Tseycum First Nations.
Shown above, Richard Elliott, the EOC’s Emergency Program Coordinator.
Currently, emergency preparedness and coordination between the bands aren’t formally coordinated, and there’s still a reliance on colonial emergency services.
The Emergency Operations Centre, or EOC, when completed will provide a centralized hub for Indigenous Emergency Preparedness, right in each community. Out of this hub, emergency supplies will be stored, an emergency plan will be live, and local community members will receive training on how to access and operate the supplies.
This hub concept is similar to how the EMBC operates. From their EOC on Keating Crossroad, they are able to support the communities of Central Saanich, North Saanich, Sidney, and Deep Cove.
A large part of the EOC plan is to roll out training programs that will emphasize equipping community members to operate the Emergency Operations Centre and the equipment and supplies that might be needed. In this way, capacity, resources, education and preparedness are all enhanced.
In addition to learning how to enhance the safety and security of community members, training will also be provided on how to use industry-standard emergency response communications equipment and protocols, in order to work together with outside Emergency Response Services effectively.
The training is scheduled to begin in late fall and will include 7 different training sessions, 3 workshops and a series of drills to reinforce training outcomes.
The training program is built specifically to guide individuals without any previous emergency response experience to be able to work in the EOC. All training sessions will be open to the four Nations and will be run multiple times to maximize participation and attendance in each.
Because all four bands will receive the same training as local government-employed emergency personnel, the EOC will be able to operate at an enhanced level of efficiency, delivering enhanced support for any or all bands needing help, as well as potentially acting as a resource for neighbouring communities.
Equipment and supplies accessible in the EOC will include Whiteboards, ICS vests, Laptops (and hard case) Printer, Misc Computer peripherals ie: (Keyboard, Mouse, Power bar) Pop tents, Satellite phones (MSAT), EOC Totes, EOC form and template holder, Food and Water for 72 hours as well as a Portable Generator.
Equipment will be stored at each of the four bands but will be provisioned in the same manner, allowing bands to easily combine resources if needed. In addition, should one facility become inaccessible, three more remain.
The EOC is far more than a centre with some supplies. The entire plan, coordinated by Pauquachin’s Richard Elliott, will produce several cohorts of trained people in each community that can work together during a disaster. Whether it’s a plane crash, earthquake, storm, or another emergency, the hub acts as the centralized location to work together. Whether that means creating shelter, finding people who are missing, and caring for people who are injured; it means enhanced capacity to care for and support people from all four bands.
A side benefit from the creation of the Emergency Operations Centres is uniting Indigenous people of BC in a common pursuit. One of 14 EOC Coordinators in BC, Richard Elliott, the Emergency Plan Coordinator shares, shares,
“At one time the four bands were all one family, it was the Europeans that separated us with their policies and roads. The EOC is a step in the right direction to remedy the colonial system” Richard continues, “It is a historical moment, this is something that hasn’t happened in a very long time. This EOC is going to be the hub to keep all four communities safe, and our neighbours if needed. This will show who we are and how we can work together. “
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