An app-based notification system promises to get the right information to the right people quicker when hazardous spills happen in the territories of rural and remote First Nations.
B.C. Environment Minister George Heyman said 22 First Nations have already adopted the system following its launch as a pilot project in 2020. 含羞草研究社淲e are really encouraging other Nations to express interest to us and we have staff ready to work with them to ensure that it is implemented smoothly.含羞草研究社�
Current users include among others Council of Haida Nation, Squamish Nation and Nanwakolas Council.
Heyman added that he does not foresee any costs for Nations wanting to join, noting that government will provide the necessary training and support to ensure the system含羞草研究社檚 implementation as part of a collaborative effort.
Responding effectively to hazardous spills starts with alerting the right local authorities, which can be a challenge.
含羞草研究社淥ne of the unique features of this app is that it can be programmed to contact a landline for those Nations that may have spotty Internet or cell service,含羞草研究社� Heyman said. 含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 really been designed to ensure that we are not just contacting the right people in the Nation, but tailoring our procedures and the app for remote locations 含羞草研究社� hence we trialed it with the coastal First Nations and the North Coast.含羞草研究社�
Heyman said the system currently focuses on spills, but pointed to a potential expansion.
含羞草研究社淚n collaboration with the (Ministry of) Emergency Management and Climate Readiness, which has overall responsibility for emergency response, we含羞草研究社檙e looking at how we can effectively integrate all the other potential emergencies that we want to contact First Nations effectively to address.含羞草研究社�
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Heyman said the app is the latest example of government using the latest available technology to make contact and response more efficient and more targeted than it has been.
含羞草研究社淭he beauty of the app system is that we can work with every First Nation to make it work,含羞草研究社� he said. With 22 First Nations signed on, Heyman said the province wants to hear from the other 180-plus First Nations.
含羞草研究社淲e all become hyper-aware of what our response capacity is like when there is an environmental emergency, whether it is a wildfire or a spill and we are really trying to ensure that the tools and the plans and the procedures are well-entrenched and well in place before a crisis happens,含羞草研究社� he said. 含羞草研究社淲e all hope they don含羞草研究社檛 happen, but they do. So this (app) is part of working hard to address the gaps that the auditor-general identified含羞草研究社s well as the ones, we knew were there from our own observation.含羞草研究社�
A recent audit of the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy含羞草研究社檚 management of hazardous spills looked at how the province notified nearby communities, including First Nations, of high-risk incidents.
The report found that the response officers notified non-First Nations governments in all 12 high-risk incidents that took place between Nov. 23, 2020, and March 1, 2023. But response officers did not follow procedures in notifying First Nations in three of those cases.
Pickup含羞草研究社檚 report acknowledges the ministry含羞草研究社檚 recognition that with 含羞草研究社渙ver 200 distinct First Nations含羞草研究社� in B.C, the ministry 含羞草研究社渉ad difficulties consistently notifying potentially affected First Nations含羞草研究社� in noting that it 含羞草研究社減lanned to pilot an automated notification system for 14 coastal First Nations.含羞草研究社�
That system was not online at the time of the audit.
Pickup含羞草研究社檚 report recommended that the ministry 含羞草研究社渋mplement a process to help ensure that First Nations are notified about hazardous spills含羞草研究社� and the ministry said in its response that it has taken 含羞草研究社渟teps to improve First Nations notifications including the launch of a pilot program using a web-based software system.含羞草研究社�
