The web sites/links below, and the attachments to this email, should provide you with some additional training and planning assistance. Please maintain a liaison with BIA Emergency Management Coordinators (EMC), Lenore Lamb, for the BIA So. Calif. Agency, and Jay Hinshaw, for the BIA Pacific Region Office. See Contact info below.
In reference to the issues you raise in your email let me share the following:
1. Red Card training: We are working on Incident Command System Training, including training for ‘Command and General Staff’ of Incident Management Teams (IMT) and Incident Management Assistance Teams (IMAT) to be available to Tribes during incidents, that may not ‘take over’ but provide expert ‘assistance’ to the Tribes IMT. Realistically, it is time consuming and expensive to establish, train, equip, exercise and maintain such a team; so we are encouraging Regional Tribal Emergency Management (EM) organizations and a hopefully soon to be established National Tribal EM organization. The place to start is local training in cooperation with local (county or state, EM or Fire, etc., sponsored courses) which have the advantage of building relationships between Tribal members and local EM agency personnel that may be the ones needed to assist the Tribes… or the Tribes may be the ones needed to assist them. See also the “ESP (Env. Safeguards Plan) Training Courses-FEMA… “attachment for links to self study courses, which may also be presented by Fire and other Emergency Service personnel locally. We, ASIA- BIA/BIE are working with FEMA, IHS, and State Emergency Management Agencies/Offices to develop training courses for presentations nationwide. We hope to provide something in your region within the next year, but with the budgets as they are, we will continue to distribute Computer Based Training, and encourage the Train-the-Trainer programs currently available. Again, see Lenore, Jay, and contact me for additional assistance. http://training.fema.gov/IS/crslist.asp
2. Cascadia (Quake) Planning Project: This seems a good opportunity to form such relationships/liaison as described above. If any of the Tribes in your organization are in need of Plans, or Grants, the contacts below may be able to assist you in finding reputable, reasonably priced contractors, or give you assistance. FEMA also has personnel who can advise them as to what Grants are available. See also the attachment “Public Assistance”, and http://www.DisasterAssistance.gov.
3. Communications: This is a more complex and very important issue. There are many contractors who will sell Tribes expensive equipment, but beware of high cost, low effectiveness systems, with little or no servicing after sale. I suggest that we talk, and that you have your communications people contact and work with local emergency management agencies (e.g. Calif. Emergency Management Agency [CalEMA], and Fire Agencies). Several of the Tribes with Casinos in your region have very good Emergency Operations Centers (EOC’s), and can likely also be good resources. Jay Hinshaw can also help, and refer you to good sources for Satellite Phones, for one quick partial solution. See the Tribal Emergency management Program Planning-Needs…” attachment for other suggestions, like establishing relationships with local armature (Ham) radio clubs; most have classes for beginners if Tribal Members, even Teens, would like to become Hams, and all I’ve known are more than willing to assist anyone asking for their help. These groups are typically very well equipped, and can provide vital communications in disasters. These are ‘quick fixes’ to the challenge of Inter-operable communications… but they are a start. NOTE: The States have a responsibility to assist in training and provision of interoperable communications systems, as no State can be ‘Certified’ as National Incident Management System (NIMS) ‘Compliant’, which FEMA requires them to be (to receive FEMA funds), unless ALL Tribes within their States are also NIMS Compliant/Certified… this can encourage States to assist Tribes in getting compliant, which requires ‘Interoperable Communications’. See http://www.fema.gov/emergency/nims/ and http://www.google.com/#sclient=psy&hl=en&site=&source=hp&q=NIMS+compliance&aq=f&aqi=g5&aq l=&oq=&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&fp=402385d6e4c18238&safe=active Also, I would recommend that Tribes within your organization consider using an emergency notification system, such as “Send Word Now”, which can make notifications, within a very few minutes, to large groups of emergency managers, responders, or even all Tribal Members if needed for evacuations ( ). ASIA-BIA/BIE has just enrolled all of its employees, and hopes as funds are available to include emergency contacts (Leadership & EM) form all Tribes nationwide. The cost is, for large numbers, only about $10/person, and they can enter 6 phone/c-phone numbers, and 6 email/fax addresses, to be contacted. Administrators can print contact database info, and see who has been reached, and can notify and get responses back from individual sub-groups (1 or more Tribes, Emergency Managers, Tribal Council Members, CERT Members, etc.). Conference Calls for those contacted can also be set up to discuss detailed notifications, or coordinate efforts: http://www.sendwordnow.com/Company/Contact. ‘Reverse 911’ systems are also helpful.
And every Tribe should have Emergency Contact Rosters of Leaders, Emergency Managers/Responders, and all local/State/Federal agencies/offices that can assist them (FEMA, IHS , CalEMA, Corps of Engineers, USDA (Surplus Food [Human & Livestock], BIA/BIE… If the Tribes work with BIA Emergency Management Coordinators, and notify them of ‘Unmet Needs’, the BIA Agency and/or Regional BIA EMCs will use their resources to provide what they can, facilitate other agencies provision, and coordinate with my office to get further assistance from the national interagency Tribal Assistance Coordination Group (TAC-G). There are many programs and forms of assistance, including providing advise/counsel to Tribes regarding how to request such assistance. I recommend that you or a representative of your organization join us at the annual TAC-G Conference to meet, establish liaisons, and share information regarding those resources that can be provided: http://www.indianaffairs.gov/WhoWeAre/AS- IA/OHSEM/workshop/index.htm
NIMS Compliance of Tribal Nations
FY 2009
NIMS Implementation Objective Chart [3/09] (PDF 254KB, TXT 7KB)
FY 2008
NIMS Compliance Memorandum [2/08] (PDF 811KB, TXT 1KB) NIMS Compliance Objectives and Metrics for Tribal Nations [2/08] (PDF 471KB, TXT 60KB)
FY 2007
NIMS Implementation Matrix for Tribal and Local Jurisdictions [10/06] (PDF 141KB, TXT 29KB) NIMS Compliance Metrics Tribal/Local [12/06] (PDF 127KB, TXT 28KB) NIMS Compliance Metrics Fact Sheet [10/06] (PDF 41KB, TXT 6KB)
Guidance Don’t be overwhelmed by these… I suggest you first find people at each Tribe or in your organization to form a committee, or sub-committee, to focus in emergency services/management, and start with some goals/objectives that are more easily attainable, working on establishing relationships with local, regional and state and federal EM agencies (especially their Tribal Liaisons), and work with them on those issues that are most important to you and the Tribes you serve.
NIMS Compliance Objectives Chart [03/08] (PDF 51KB, TXT 7KB) NIMS Compliance Memorandum [02/08] (PDF 811KB) NIMS Compliance Objectives and Metrics for States and Territories [03/08] (PDF 461KB, TXT 62KB) NIMS Compliance Objectives and Metrics for Tribal Nations [03/08] (PDF 470KB, TXT 61KB) NIMS Compliance Objectives and Metrics for Local Governments [03/08] (PDF 426KB, TXT 58KB) 4. Regarding legislative changes that will affect Tribes related to emergency preparedness and funding, NCAI is a good source of information. Liaison with other regional Tribal organizations, especially those specifically involved in Emergency Management is also helpful; Indian Health Boards, and Tribal sub-committees of Emergency Management/ Services organizations are other sources, and of course news organizations dedicated to Tribal issues. I will include contact information below for some of those with which we work; I am sure they would be happy to hear from you and establish a liaison. There is a current movement to amend the Stafford Act to allow Tribes to go directly to FEMA for disaster assistance, without going through the States for instance. Which seems like a good idea, but needs to be considered, and wording made carefully, so as not to incur ‘un-intended consequences’. The Tribes would likely not want to lose FEMA’s ability to ask for less than the current matching funds which currently FEMA asked the States, which it does for Tribes. Nor would Tribes likely want to lose the State assistance for funding/presenting Planning, Training, etc. These are examples of the need for cooperative Tribal organizations, to discuss mutually beneficial positions, and assistance needed.
5. As we discussed, starting with Citizens’ Emergency Response Teams (CERT) [see web link below] is also a good starting point, as these people will be the ones who are most interested, most concerned, and most likely to become leaders in planning, preparation, and liaisons with other people with similar interests in the various specialties and planning/response/remediation phases of emergency management/services.
6. It is also most helpful to establish and maintain contact with Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), ‘Faith-Based’ (Salvation Army, Seventh Day Adventists, Mennonite Relief, Catholic Services, and many others) as well non-Faith-Based, such as the Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity, Good Will, etc. These organizations can provide invaluable assistance in emergencies, and there are several national organizations of organizations which can coordinate efforts to maximize the provision of ‘un-met needs’. It is always best to work with local churches involved in the emergencies/disasters, but to expedite such services national organizations may be better able to put you or Tribes in contact with regional emergency assistance organizations of local congregations. . See http://www.crwrc.org/pages/crwrc.cfm & http://www.crwrc.org/pages/crwrc_drs.cfm.
7. Please don’t forget to incorporate Counseling Services, psychological and/or faith based, for Tribal Members who are survivors of emergencies/disasters. IHS, and Faith Based Non- Governmental Organizations can assist you in the provision of such services in general, and BIE can do so for school children (See BIE EMC contact info below.) Need for immediate counseling is often seen, but ongoing, and at times delayed stress counseling is needed to cope with the loss experienced by ‘Survivors’ of these incidents.
We are individually “Only One”… but we are one, and we can individually do much, and encourage and teach others, and spur them to action, and in the end, together, we can accomplish much, and better prepare for the inevitable incidents, emergencies, and disasters that we see almost literally every day, impacting the 565 federally recognized Tribes throughout the United States, and throughout Indian Country. I hope this addresses if not answers your questions. I hope that there is not so much information that you are disheartened… It is a complex field, but over a little time you will no doubt feel more comfortable with the acronyms, and organization of the NIMS / ICS.
Start with one of the online ICS/IS (Independent Study) -100 course and build on it:
Introduction to Incident Command IS- 100.a System - General http://training.fema.gov/IS/crslist.asp IS- Introduction to Incident Command 100.Lea System – for Law Enforcement IS- Introduction to Incident Command 100.SCa System - for Schools IS- Intro to Incident Command System Please work closely with Lenore Lamb, and Jay 100.FWa(ICS 100) for Federal Workers Hinshaw, and contact me if you need further assistance.
Bill