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Montana “Big Sky Country” Working with our First Nations to prepare for all hazards disasters

Montana “Big Sky Country” Working with our First Nations to prepare for all hazards disasters. Sandy Sands, Special Populations Coordinator for Public Health Emergency Preparedness Montana DPHHS February 22 – 25, 2005. Approach .

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Montana “Big Sky Country” Working with our First Nations to prepare for all hazards disasters

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  1. Montana “Big Sky Country”Working with our First Nations to prepare for all hazards disasters Sandy Sands, Special Populations Coordinator for Public Health Emergency Preparedness Montana DPHHS February 22 – 25, 2005

  2. Approach • Contracts in place with all 7 land based reservations for public health emergency preparedness funding • Recognize sovereignty, but fund in the same manner as counties (base amount, plus additional based on on-reservation census data)

  3. Reception • At first onset of this project, the process of negotiating contracts was cumbersome • Once contracts in place, and point of contact designated, tribes work toward performance based tasks which are based on focus area objectives to enhance public health emergency preparedness

  4. Challenges • Changes in personnel greater with tribes than with counties • Some tribes contracted for a single individual to complete “deliverables” work which secured payment for deliverable, but did not build infrastructure or promote long term sustainability • Lack of clarity regarding surveillance and reporting between IHS and tribal health

  5. Accomplishments • Two Cross Border Terrorism Preparedness conferences in 2004 • Significant Native American tracks in each of the conferences • Accentuating tribal culture in opening and intermittent ceremonies • Native American theme dinner • Highlighted “Shadow Wolves”

  6. Accomplishments cont’d. • Inter-weaving on Native American tradition throughout conference • Reaching across border with invitations to Canadian First Nations • Native American Roundtable to discuss issues specific to their preparedness efforts

  7. Collaboration • First Nations Subcommittee of the Governor’s Homeland Security Task Force (meets monthly via teleconference, with several face to face working groups throughout the year) • Shadow Wolves brought to Montana to highlight Native American work in border protection

  8. Collaboration cont’d. • Discussions between Shadow Wolves and Blackfeet Nation regarding expanding to Northern border (US/Canada) • Technical Assistance contracted by DPHHS to assist tribes in completion of deliverables and advancement of preparedness planning efforts

  9. Planned Activities • On-site visits to each reservation to work with tribal health and IHS to better clarify roles with regard to communicable disease surveillance and reporting • Offer assistance to tribes in development or refinement of tribal code as it relates to public health emergency preparedness activities and responsibilities

  10. Contact Information • Mr. Sandy Sands Special Populations Coordinator for Public Health Emergency Preparedness Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (MT DPHHS) 1400 Broadway Rm C-214 Helena, MT 59620 (406) 444-3583 ssands@mt.gov

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