Center for Domestic Preparedness 4th Annual Tribal Nations Training Week

by Marshall Cohen, Public Affairs Specialist, IHS Headquarters

Participants in the Center for Domestic Preparedness 4th Annual Tribal Nations Training Week in Anniston, Alabama.

I recently had the opportunity to attend the 4th Annual Tribal
Nations Training Week at the Center for Domestic Preparedness campus
in Anniston, Alabama. The CDP is operated by the U.S. Department of
Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency and
their mission is to provide free, fully funded training in disaster
preparedness, protection, and response to state, local, tribal and
territorial emergency responders, as well as personnel who are affiliated
with a tribal nation, the Indian Health Service, or those who work directly
with a tribal nation.

The theme of this year’s training week was Strengthening Collaborative Partnerships and it is designed to
broaden the training experience of tribal nations to enhance their response
capabilities in multiple areas and better prepare communities to respond to
emergencies.

“The training courses and scenarios selected for the CDP’s Tribal Nations
Training Week are developed via a focus group of tribal emergency
responders who visit the CDP during the summer to analyze our training,
select courses, and tailor scenarios to meet the challenges and resources
which are most relevant for tribes,” said CDP Public Affairs Specialist
John Van Winkle.

There were 214 participants enrolled in six different training tracks,
representing 46 tribal nations and 45 tribal agencies across 20 different
states. Each person I talked to had the same goal for the training week: to
learn and bring back knowledge and information that will help their
communities prepare for and respond to emergencies.

I spoke to Darlene Begay, a member of the Dine Nation and the IHS Health
Promotion/Disease Prevention Coordinator at the Four Corners Regional
Health Center in Red Mesa, Arizona, about some of the challenges that her
community faces and how they can benefit from this training week. “Most
tribal communities are in rural areas, so in a disaster situation our
immediate response is going to rely on local resources and community
assets,” said Begay. “This training increases our competency and skills in
emergency preparedness, response, and recovery. The knowledge learned from
the CDP allows us to meet the IHS mission and provide quality health care
services to our communities.”

One of the best things about this training week was being able to meet and
talk with people from all over the country, all with different backgrounds,
perspectives, and work experiences. Sharing information with everyone there
and having the knowledge of how to respond to an emergency situation is
extremely valuable, especially for tribal nations who may not have many
emergency response resources or trainings.

Throughout the week, I participated in courses that provided hands-on
training from highly experienced instructors that included learning
practical knowledge of the role of a public information officer, emergency
communication methods, risk communications, and interpersonal skills. We
also learned how to develop an emergency operations plan tailored to a
specific local jurisdiction or region, and how to best determine which type
of plan would work best for different communities. The week culminated with
a practical exercise in which we planned, developed, integrated, and
disseminated public information for a disaster scenario as part of a Joint
Information Center.

The CDP courses are a valuable tool for employees of all levels, from
hospital security staff to tribal emergency response managers, and I would
definitely recommend their training to anyone working with a tribal nation
or for the Indian Health Service.

For more information on the Center for Domestic Preparedness’ training
opportunities for state, local, tribal, and territorial emergency response
providers, visit https://cdp.dhs.gov/ .

Related content:

Center for Domestic Preparedness

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