TRU study suggests increasing communication with First Nations to address future wildfires
KAMLOOPS – A study of B.C.’s wildfire communications practices during the 2017-18 seasons by Thompson Rivers University (TRU) experts suggests revisiting existing approaches, due to climate change increasing the frequency, scale and duration of wildfires in the province.
The 89-page document – A life cycle based model to risk and crisis communication during wildfire events in British Columbia – was jointly funded by the BC Wildfire Service (BCWS), Canada Wildfire and TRU. It looks at existing risk and crisis communications models being used by wildfire organizations and offers six recommendations.
Some of the report’s recommendations include:
- organizations making meaningful distinctions between risk and crisis communications, and that they put in place an approach that recognizes life cycle differences
- the role of local and Indigenous knowledge needing to be recognized at all stages of a wildfire event, and a focus should be put on the safety and mental health of affected individuals and communities
- building and maintaining trust between emergency management organizations and remote and First Nations communities continuing to be a priority
- developing a program to increase the supply of satellite phones in remote and Indigenous communities, looking At the use of community alert systems, and supporting amateur radio operators
- lobbying for support to improve broadband services in remote and First Nations communities so that social media can be a more valuable tool; also looking at cell phones to use SMS alerting
- looking at communities that have demonstrated success in wildfire communications, such as the Simpcw First Nation, and drawing on examples from other parts of the world to use them for training and development within emergency management organizations