Digital transformation in emergency response planning for Indigenous communities can significantly enhance preparedness, response, and resilience by integrating technology with traditional knowledge and community-driven approaches. Benefits include:

• Data Sovereignty – own and control emergency data ensuring it is used for the benefit of the community and not externally controlled.
• Customized risk assessments that integrate traditional knowledge and lived experience with scientific data.
• Secure storage of community sensitive data.
• Use of Indigenous languages to ensure communication in culturally relevant way.
• Better situational awareness and connectedness with authorities and outside agencies during largescale events i.e. wildfires, floods.
• Builds long-term documentation of impacts of emergencies on Indigenous communities in support of advocating for better funding and policy change.

• Assess risks: Evaluate the hazards and vulnerabilities in your community.
• Engage the community: Build trust with the public by engaging in community engagement.
• Develop a plan: Create a disaster preparedness plan that includes goals, objectives, strategies, actions, and a plan for implementation and monitoring.
• Establish a communication plan: Communicate the plan to everyone involved in advance.
• Build capacity: Invest in capacity-building efforts, such as early warning systems and disaster preparedness plans.
• Reduce social exclusion: Prioritize reducing social exclusion, as those on the social margin are often the most affected by disasters.
• Foster sustainable practices: Create sustainable systems that address immediate disaster impacts and foster long-term resilience.
• Incorporate local knowledge: Incorporate local knowledge, cultural practices, and community networks.
• Develop social networks: Develop social networks to help people endure and recover.

• Community Paramedicine in BC: Community Paramedicine (CP) within BCEHS expands the role of paramedics to include preventive care, chronic disease management, and health education, particularly in underserved and remote areas. This approach ensures equitable healthcare access, moving beyond emergency response to support overall community health.
• Collaboration with Indigenous Nations: CPs work closely with Indigenous Nations to address healthcare disparities, providing trauma-informed and culturally sensitive care CPs also support community-led health initiatives such as access to traditional medicine and land-based healing practices.
• Access to Healthcare Reduces Emergency Response: CPs focus on proactive care, such as wellness checks and chronic disease management, reducing the need for emergency interventions. This approach alleviates pressure on emergency services, and first responders while supporting better health outcomes by identifying health issues early.
• Building Community Resiliency Through Education: CPs empower communities by increasing health literacy through education on disease prevention, championing healthy living, and first aid. This helps individuals manage their health more effectively, reducing health crises and building overall community resiliency. Specifically, education delivery on CPR and Naloxone administration has helped with community emergency preparedness.
• Empowerment and Self-Sovereignty in Care: CPs adopt a collaborative, community-driven approach, working with local leaders, health workers, and community Elders to create personalized care plans. This model empowers Indigenous communities to take control of their healthcare and move toward self-sovereignty in health governance. Ultimately, BCEHS wishes to partner with Nations to assist them in growing their own CP programs alongside traditional first responder models

• Fire Prevention and Education:
  • Emphasizing fire prevention as the most effective strategy for protecting lives and property.
  • Exploring practical community-based initiatives, such as smoke alarm programs, evacuation drills, and fire education campaigns tailored to Indigenous communities
• Building Capacity in Fire and EMS Services:
  • Highlighting the importance of developing volunteer fire and EMS teams, including recruitment, training, and retention strategies.
  • Discussing how aligning services with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards can improve operational readiness and interoperability.
• Improving Response Times and Community Integration:
  • Addressing challenges related to remote locations and infrastructure gaps.
  • Exploring innovative solutions to reduce response times and create fire/EMS departments that serve as community hubs for education, collaboration, and support.
• Leveraging Funding and Strategic Partnerships:
  • Explaining how the tiered funding model in the Level of Service Standards supports Indigenous communities in building resilient fire and EMS services.
  • Showcasing the value of partnerships with municipal and provincial fire services to enhance training, equipment, and mutual aid agreements.
• Future Trends and Strategic Directions:
  • Aligning community fire services with Canada’s strategic goals for disaster resilience and infrastructure development.
  • Highlighting the importance of integrating fire services into broader emergency preparedness and climate resilience strategies.