
Stay Prepared for Flood Season: A Message from Naut’sa mawt Tribal Council
At Naut’sa mawt Tribal Council, we care deeply about the safety and well-being of our Member Nations and their communities. As we move...
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At Naut’sa mawt Tribal Council, we care deeply about the safety and well-being of our Member Nations and their communities. As we move through this winter season, a mix of mild weather and wild events—such as strong windstorms and heavy rainfall—serves as a reminder of how unpredictable weather can be. These events highlight the importance of being prepared for unexpected disruptions, and it’s crucial to plan ahead. Taking the necessary steps to ensure your household is prepared can make all the difference when the unexpected happens.
As colder weather approaches, now is the perfect time to review and update your emergency plans. Here are some essential flood preparedness steps to help ensure you’re ready for whatever the season may bring.
Essential Flood Preparedness Steps:
Develop an Emergency Plan: Discuss evacuation routes and establish a meeting place for your household in case of an emergency. Make sure everyone knows what to do and where to go if flooding or another emergency occurs.
Assemble an Emergency Kit: Create a kit with the essentials you’ll need to stay safe and comfortable during an emergency. Items should include non-perishable food, water, medications, a flashlight, extra batteries, and important documents like identification and insurance papers.
Stay Informed: Stay updated with local weather forecasts and alerts. Reliable sources, such as weather apps or local news outlets, can provide you with the most current information, allowing you to make informed decisions.
Protect Your Property: Ensure that your property is as safe as possible by checking drainage systems around your home. Consider using sandbags to divert water away from your property during heavy rainfall, which can help minimize damage.
Review Insurance Coverage: Check your insurance policy to ensure it covers flood-related damages. Understanding your coverage can provide peace of mind in the event that flooding affects your property
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For a more comprehensive guide on flood preparedness, visit the PreparedBC Flood Preparedness Guide at www2.gov.bc.ca.
We’re here to help ensure that all of our Member Nations are ready for the season ahead. We encourage you to take these steps to heart and prepare your household in advance. Stay safe, stay prepared, and know that together, we can support each other and keep our communities strong through any storm.
We are proud to introduce Hawk Solutions, an innovative emergency management tool designed to support Indigenous communities in building resilience and ensuring safety. Hawk Solutions offers a powerful combination of technology and practicality, empowering communities to navigate emergencies with confidence and efficiency.
Why Hawk Solutions? A Tool for Every Emergency
Emergencies require clear, reliable tools that empower leaders and communities to respond effectively. Hawk Solutions is designed to meet those needs, offering:
Customizable Emergency Plans: Access, update, and distribute tailored emergency response plans specific to your community.
Critical Notifications: Deliver real-time alerts to community members, ensuring everyone is informed and prepared.
Incident Reporting: Simplify and streamline incident reporting with quick data capture and tracking.
Asset and Resource Management: Monitor and manage key resources, including personnel, equipment, and supplies.
Command and Control Features: Strengthen your response capabilities with tools that support communication, coordination, and decision-making during crises.
This all-in-one platform adapts to your unique needs, ensuring a seamless integration with existing community processes.
Tailored for Indigenous Communities
Hawk Solutions was developed with a deep understanding of the challenges and priorities facing Indigenous communities. It incorporates cultural and operational considerations, ensuring it aligns with local governance and values.
The app isn’t just about managing emergencies—it’s about fostering confidence and preparedness in every aspect of community safety, from everyday readiness to disaster response.
Proactive Preparedness with Hawk Solutions
Hawk Solutions emphasizes proactive planning and preparation, equipping communities to:
Mitigate risks through data-driven decision-making.
Strengthen communication channels between leadership and community members.
Respond quickly and effectively to natural disasters, health crises, or other emergencies.
By integrating Hawk Solutions, you can ensure your community has the tools and support needed to face challenges head-on.
Join the Movement for Safer Communities
NmTC encourages Member Nations to explore how Hawk Solutions can enhance their emergency preparedness and response. This app provides a robust framework for leadership and community members to collaborate, plan, and act with confidence.
To learn more about Hawk Solutions or arrange a demo, visit their website: https://www.hawksolutions.net/solutions/.
T'Souke First Nation exemplifies what it means to be stewards of the land. In collaboration with organizations such as the Coastal Restoration Society, work continues on projects such as the monitoring of green crab populations, marine shore clean-up, emergency response, and monitoring of wild salmon populations. The Coastal Restoration Society supports environmental remediation projects in alliance with First Nations and government agencies, as well as community members and businesses in the marine industry like Vancouver Island Lodge.
Chief Gordon Planes, T'Sou'ke First Nation
The monitoring and controlling of the European green crab population is a challenging one, given that they are a thriving, invasive species which poses a danger to native eelgrass beds, juvenile clam beds, and wild salmon rearing habitat.
"Invasive European Green Crab are being found up and down the West Coast in larger numbers than ever. These crabs outcompete native species and destroy sensitive and ecologically important habitat.
Coastal Restoration Society, in partnership with BCSRIF (British Columbia Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund), Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Ahousaht, Tla-o-qui-aht, and T'Sou-ke First Nations have launch a project to study industrial trapping as a way to mitigate the impacts of European Green Crab on the West Coast of Canada. "
As well, the Clean Coast, Clean Waters Initiative is aimed at the removal of anthropogenic debris from shoreline environments and removal of derelict vessels from near and inshore marine environments.
"In partnership with the T’Sou-ke First Nation, the beaches around Sooke got a deep clean this summer thanks to the Clean Coast, Clean Waters Initiative, which funded the T’Sou-ke Shoreline Beach Clean Up. A team built of T’Sou-ke Nation members, local businesses, and community members retrieved a staggering 10 tons of debris, with the majority headed to the The Ocean Legacy Foundation recycling facility in Vancouver."
Naut'sa mawt Tribal Council raises our hands to Chief Gordon Planes as he continues to inspire others and show that T'Souke First Nation is the embodiment of Indigenous Land Guardians. Hay čxʷ q̓ə.