IQALUIT
The territory isn't fully prepared to take on a large-scale emergency but government and organizations are developing solutions, says Nunavut's director of protection services.

Ed Zebedee, director of protection services for the GN, shows the Blackberry-sized portable SPOT device and the Blackberry message he receives when a SPOT's help function is activated. Zebedee says Nunavut isn't yet prepared for a major emergency but solutions are being developed. - NNSL file photo

The territorial government has been working with communities to help them formulate emergency plans over the past few years.

To date, 22 communities have finished the work although efforts were stalled when the federal government reduced funding for the Joint Emergency Preparedness Plan (JEPP).

Every community in Nunavut has completed a risk assessment.

"I don't want to toot our own horn too loudly because it'll bite me but I think from our perspective we're a little bit farther along than some of the other jurisdictions," said Ed Zebedee. "We have the advantage here of having a more resilient culture than some of the other jurisdictions, with the exception of Iqaluit."

The culture in the capital city is not as connected to the land, compared to many of the other communities, because a larger portion of the population is new to the Arctic, he added.

Zebedee's comments follow the release of a report summarizing discussions during the National Roundtable on Arctic Emergency Preparedness, which was held in Ottawa Feb. 24 to 26.

Participants in the discussion recognized the importance of having emergency plans in place in Northern communities but concluded the document alone doesn't mean hamlets are prepared.

Nunavut faces a number of challenges in its quest to be prepared for major emergencies including limited availability of medical facilities, lack of training opportunities, weak infrastructure, lack of a road system and short runways that limit the types of aircraft that can land in communities.

Delegates determined the best way to overcome these hurdles is by investing in training, according

to the report.

Zebedee, who attended the event, said the territorial government plans to deliver wilderness first aid training at the community level. However, officials first have to find funding and figure out how to develop the training so Inuktitut materials can be produced.

Zebedee said he believes it's important to train residents who are going to stick around.

More than 250 volunteers in Nunavut have been trained in basic search and rescue skills and 75 have been trained in search and rescue co-ordination, the report states. But there is a high rate of turnover.

"For example, new senior administrative officers (SAOs) have started in 14 out of the 25 communities in the last year. It has been the experience of the speaker that as these new SAOs start their jobs, they are not made aware that their community has an emergency plan," reads the report. "It is not unusual to find that the people identified by the plan – the school principal, the nurse, etc. – have all left their jobs and new people in place may not be aware of their responsibilities."

For this reason, the Department of Community and Government Services has developed programs to get Northerners into management positions, including mentorship programs and IT training program.

Currently, the department is putting a beneficiary through the Justice Institute of British Columbia's Emergency Management Division program.

"We feel that individual has the capability and the passion for emergency management, so we need to support her in getting the necessary training," said Zebedee. "Sure it's an additional cost for the government but in the end we'll have somebody who is local, a beneficiary in the position who will hopefully make a career out of it for many years."

Earthquakes occur

Emergency events in the North are becoming more frequent and severe, according to the report. The region is hit by at least one earthquake a week, although none have happened near any communities at this point.

Search and rescues are increasing. Last year, Nunavut's protection services was involved in 222 emergency incidents.

An upswing in the number of cruise ships visiting Nunavut also creates further opportunities for disaster.

In 2010, a cruise ship, carrying 128 passengers and 69 crew, ran aground near Kugluktuk. The community opened the hall for people to sleep and provided water and food from the Northern Store.

In the past, it's been unclear at times which organization is responsible when an emergency happens in Nunavut. But work is being done to clear this up, said Zebedee.

"We have a good understanding now between the coast guard, ourselves and the Department of National Defence, how we'll operate as a team. But it's just some other players that need to be clarified," he said. "We would like to see a procedural document completed at some point that clearly identifies roles and responsibilities … It would be great to have something like that done within a year."

It might also be worth considering how Nunavut can work with its neighbours in an emergency situation, he said. For instance, the Yukon and Alaska have mutual assistance agreements that allow them to provide cross-border assistance for each other.

"They've gone so far as to figure out ways to open up the border without a lot of headaches with border security to help each other," noted Zebedee. "The more you meet, the more you talk, the more you learn."

This summer Nunavut will be testing its emergency response procedures with its partners in the federal government, by conducting a major emergency exercise.

The mock incident, which is still being developed, will involve about 600 military personnel, Coast Guard ships, military ships, aircraft, local residents and the city, said Zebdedee.

"What we're doing, we will be able to carry over into a direct community response if it ever needed to," he said, adding at the end of the day residents still need to be prepared to look after themselves for 72 hours. "Our priority will be the high-risk individuals in the community at the beginning of an emergency and the low-risk people well may be inconvenienced and not have all the day-to-day necessities they think they need, but you have to judge who is at risk first."