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Cooperative aims to improve fire safety on First Nations

Mar 7, 2015 | 1:07 PM

The need for better emergency services on First Nations has become apparent during recent fires, where people have lost their lives.

On Friday at the Prince Albert Grand Council the interim chief of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian First Nations (FSIN), Kimberly Johnathan, along with representatives from First Nations communities in and around Prince Albert, spoke about what they would like to see improved surrounding fire safety on reserves.

A cooperative between government and FSIN will aim for “safe communities, and no more deaths,” according to Johnathan.

“Once the Tribal Council Technical Services [Cooperative] is established the federal and provincial governments will have an entity to work with on a government-to-government basis. These developments present a great opportunity for all,” said Johnathan.

In a statement released by Johnathan earlier this week she shared that the FSIN and Tribal Councils have been brainstorming ways to offer the best emergency services to people living on First Nations, but it hasn’t been easy.

“[The] chronic and severe underfunding of programs and services across the board of reserve makes it impossible to address priorities on an equitable basis,” she said. “[We need to] be well-equipped right in our communities [like] other areas in this province [are], so that the response time would be managed properly.”

Part of being able to handle any fire-related situation, Johnathan said they need to have their “own-source revenue” to operate things like fire trucks, which are currently not mobile.

Johnathan said the Centre for the Study of Cooperatives has played a key role in the development of their new model moving forward, which is the only one of its kind in the province.

“The cooperative will enable First Nations through their Tribal Councils to benefit from best practices and experience in technical service program delivery. [This includes] the essential services such as water quality, community planning, fire protection, housing codes and standards and emergency management,” she said.

The cooperative has been agreed on by the FSIN executive council and FSIN members through a formal motion. Johnathan said the cooperative will be legal by June and operating in the spring; it will then be taken to the chiefs in assembly in May, in Saskatoon.

“This announcement is important because FSIN was recently informed that Aboriginal Affairs Northern Development Canada and the Government of Saskatchewan have negotiated a bilateral agreement for Emergency Management Services on reserve, without the participation of those effected,” said Johnathan. “In November 2013 the Federal Government announced that they would work with provinces and territories, not First Nations.”

Any agreements being made regarding emergency services need to include the opinions of First Nations people, said Johnathan, which to-date hasn’t happened.

“Experience and common sense supports that the most effective solutions are those that are informed and created by effective communities, in this case, First Nations,” she said. “The federal and provincial governments have been negotiating these bilateral agreements by developing plans for First Nations, without input by First Nations.”

During a meeting last week in Saskatoon Johnathan said she was told to support this agreement where $10 million will be sent to the province.

“I was told that it was 15 months in the making, that there were discussions that we were left out of…there were no consultations,” she said. “The FSIN Executive Council is demanding that the Government of Saskatchewan and the Government of Canada cease and desist, on all discussions that would see $10 million of Indian money transferred to the province, and redirect those resources to the development and implementation of the Tribal Council Technical Services Cooperative.”

Johnathan said she has reached out to Premier Brad Wall, with no response.

“I implore the Premier of Saskatchewan to set politics aside and come to the table in the spirit of partnership building. As citizens of Saskatchewan, First Nations deserve to equally benefit from the resource revenues generated in this province, despite assurances that this already occurs,” she said.

Despite no comment from Wall, Johnathan said the FSIN is remaining positive and will continue to represent First Nations people.

“Our people have faced pain, sorrow and anguish in the fires…and this attention has been brought forward with the Canadian public,” she said. “In a province with such wealth it’s only reasonable…that we would expect that every citizen be assured safety [no matter the situation].”

Muskoday councillor shares opinion

For around 30 years now the Muskoday Fire Department has been providing service to the residents of their First Nations community as well as surrounding areas. 

One Muskoday councillor, Randy Bear, said they have done a lot of work to become successful as a department. 

“It’s been a fairly long process for Muskoday [but now] we have a full service fire hall, a fire truck, a fire rescue unit, we have about 25 volunteer fire department members, they take training on an ongoing basis; whatever’s required, jaws of life, confined entry,” he said. “Our guys are top notch in terms of training [and] response time and that type of thing, often when there are accidents on the highway our guys are the first ones to respond.” 

Agreeing with Johnathan, Bear said it’s thanks to a mutual aid agreement with the RM of Birch Hills that they have the equpiment they do, not thanks to the government. 

Bear is urging different fire departments to come together and learn from how a “successful model” works. 

“[Learn from] Muskoday because were more than willing to help and obivoiously we’d be there to share whatever we can with…our brothers and sisters,” he said. 

Local M.P. counters Johnathan’s statements

Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River MP Rob Clarke said the recent deaths of two children on the Makwa Sahgaiehcan First Nation are sad and the government is doing all they can to prevent situations like these from reoccurring.

“It’s always unfortunate to see people dying in a fire and it’s very unfortunate to see, especially young children.  Being a first responder in the RCMP you never get used to it and it doesn’t matter if it’s aboriginal or non-aboriginal any fire where it claims a life…is very tragic,” he said. “Everyone points to the federal government but outlook as a community should be raising their children and local leadership, if there is a shortcoming, local leadership has to address those needs.”

But Clarke said it’s the job of the government to allocate $26 million to First Nations communities across the country, not to choose what it’s used for. He added leaders on the First Nations need to alert the government about any equipment problems or any trouble with fire suppression.

“The federal government does supply some funding…per year I believe it was $40,000…to maintain the infrastructure for fire suppression. It’s up to those individuals that are elected to allocate that money in an appropriate way,” he said. “$40,000 could actually provide maintenance for the fire engine but it could also provide…sustainable funding for a fire hall [instead of] leaving the fire engine…parked outside.”

Instead of finger-pointing Clarke suggests open communication is the best way to handle any fire-related talks going forward.

“The fire chiefs across Canada are talking to the Federal Government to…put regulations and standards in place for First Nations communities to have the same standards that’s applied to the rest of Canadians,” he said. “As a Federal Government looking at legislation, but also sitting down with First Nations to try to adopt new legislation…that could help with First Nations in regards to standards of building better homes.”

Clarke said besides working together with each party involved the government suggests bringing in non-aboriginal, expert firefighters from the Fire Chiefs Association of Canada.

“I think with getting the proper expertise out there from individuals that have to fight the daily fires [who know] the standards…provincially and federally, will greatly help in hopefully forming new legislation down the line for First Nation chiefs or First Nation individuals, ” he said.

With files from Chelsea Laskowski

kbruch@panow.com

On Twitter: @KaylaBruch1