Jason Op de Beeck is a seasoned leadership and disaster risk management professional with over two decades of experience in high-consequence military operations, strategic planning, and emergency response. Having served across domestic and international theatres with the Canadian Armed Forces, he is recognized for developing high-performance teams and leading integrated responses in dynamic, high-risk environments. Jason has collaborated with federal and local law enforcement agencies, Indigenous communities, and emergency management authorities in roles spanning operational training, disaster response, and recruiting.

Jason holds a master’s degree in Disaster and Emergency Management from Royal Roads University, where his research focused on enhancing operational resilience through collaborative and community-based approaches. His capstone work and ongoing academic writing center on decolonizing emergency management frameworks and advancing participatory, inclusionary, and equity-based approaches to reducing risk that leads to stronger rural and remote communities. In his role as Manager of Risk and Business Continuity with Alberta’s Ministry of the Environment and Protected Areas, Jason focuses on building resilient systems that ensure service continuity across the spectrum of risk through collaborative and sustainable practices. He is currently co-authoring two academic articles with his good friend Stephen, one on Indigenous emergency planning, and the other on de-siloing disaster risk reduction and community disaster resilience.

Jason believes effective disaster and risk management begins with empowered communities, strategic foresight, and a commitment to inclusive systems thinking and is excited for this opportunity to contribute to stronger communities through knowledge and experience sharing.

Chief of Police Keith Blake is proud to lead alongside the sworn and non-sworn members of Tosguna, and to serve the beautiful community of Tsuut’ina Nation. Chief Blake believes in the importance of providing community centered policing, adapting to meet the cultural and socioeconomic needs of the Tsuut’ina Peoples and to address root causes of crime. After serving 24 years in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Keith Blake was sworn in as the 5th Chief of Police of the Tsuut’ina Nation Police Service on May 16th, 2013. Keith has been privileged to have completed all of his service in the Province of Alberta and experienced firsthand the culture, pride and honour in being a part of the policing in seven different First Nations communities across Alberta.

Currently, Chief Blake serves as Vice-President of the First Nation Chiefs of Police Association and is an active member of the Assembly of First Nations Policing Taskforce, working to co-develop long-overdue essential service legislation. He also contributes to the National Police Service National Advisory Committee and participates in the RCMP Commissioner’s Chiefs of Police Round Table. Additionally, Chief Blake acts as the Executive Sponsor for the Alberta Association of Chiefs of Police Policing with Indigenous Peoples Committee.

Keith is deeply committed to advocating for First Nations policing, raising awareness of its unique challenges, and championing solutions that celebrate the successes and resilience of Indigenous policing across Canada. Above all, he remains humbled and inspired by the opportunity to serve the visionary people of the Tsuut’ina Nation.

Alanna is an experienced emergency management professional specializing in emergency planning, hazard and risk assessments, and community resilience. With a strong background in Indigenous relations, municipal emergency management, and the Oil & Gas industry, she has worked extensively across Western Canada, supporting Indigenous communities in strengthening their emergency preparedness and response capabilities.

Alanna has played a key role in developing Indigenous-focused emergency management programs, integrating traditional knowledge with modern risk assessment methodologies to create culturally relevant and effective emergency plans. She has supported Indigenous communities ranging in population from a few hundred to several thousand with varying risk profiles, ensuring their unique needs and governance structures are reflected in emergency response frameworks.

She has served in active Emergency Operations Centres (EOCs) during real and simulated emergencies, organized Incident Command System (ICS) training and exercises for Indigenous communities, and developed specialized evacuation and emergency support service plans tailored to integrate Indigenous communities. Alanna continues to work closely with the Indigenous Advisory Monitoring Emergency Management Subcommittee, serving First Nations across the Interior BC.

Holding a Bachelor of Science from the University of Toronto, along with specialized education in Emergency Management (SAIT) and interest courses in Indigenous Studies, Alanna is dedicated to fostering collaborative, community-driven approaches to emergency management that respect and incorporate Indigenous knowledge, governance, and priorities.

Monica Morgan is an uninvited settler of Welsh and English descent, living on the traditional, unceded, and stolen lands of the Coast Salish Peoples, specifically the WSÁNEC and Lekwungen. Monica is the manager of Community Programs for British Columbia Emergency Health Services and oversees the provincial delivery of community paramedicine. Monica holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Victoria and a master’s degree from the University of Guelph where their thesis focused on paramedic narrative performance and the impacts of storytelling within the paramedic profession. Monica is licensed as a primary care paramedic, receiving paramedic training at Centennial College in Ontario and has worked previously for Halton and Toronto Paramedic Services. Monica’s passion is exploring proactive community-based care models and enhancing healthcare access across British Columbia.

My name is Hasibullah Niayesh—you may call me “Hasib”. I am a physician by training with an extensive academic background in public health. I earned my Master’s degree from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in 2009 and my doctoral degree in Public Health from Walden University, with a specialized focus on preventive, health-promotive, and protective care.

I am the author and co-author of multiple peer-reviewed articles published in multiple international journals including JAMA, WHO, International Journal for Quality in Health Care and International Journal of Health Planning and Management. My professional teaching experience includes serving as an Associate Professor teaching in epidemiology at Kabul Medical University and a health promotion lecturer at Laurentian University. Currently, I am teaching Epidemiology at Lakehead University.

I have been working as a Public Health Advisor with Sioux Lookout First Nations Health for over 6 years. Prior to that I had worked with Public Health Sudbury and Districts, World Health Organization, Conseil Sante and World Bank.

Jordan Rekve, a Muskeg Lake Cree Nation band member, is the Community Safety and Fire Protection Coordinator at the Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies. He has experience as a firefighter, paramedic, and emergency management coordinator, specializing in fire prevention, training, and emergency response in Indigenous communities. He holds a diploma in emergency services technology with multiple fire and rescue certifications, a primary care paramedic certificate, and is a certified Red Cross instructor with multiple training certifications. Currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in applied business in emergency services, he focuses on strengthening fire protection and emergency services through training, capacity building, and strategic planning within First Nations communities.

Dakota Stone is the Director of Indigenous Health for BCEHS. He is Montauk and a mixed race on his mother’s side and European settler on his father’s side. Raised in Valemount, BC, Dakota began his career with BCEHS at 16 through the Riding Third program, eventually serving in various roles, including paramedic, dispatcher, and manager. Passionate about cultural safety and community engagement, Dakota works to strengthen relationships with Indigenous Nations, advocating for culturally informed emergency care. He and his husband Paul live in Kamloops, BC, on the unceded, and stolen territories of the Secwépemc and Nlaka’pamux peoples, where they are grateful to have the opportunity to explore the outdoors and time with family.

Stephen Sunkwa is a dedicated and accomplished professional with over a decade of experience in military service, international operations, conflict resolution, and emergency management. He began his career with the Ghana Armed Forces, where he developed strong leadership and crisis management skills. He further enhanced his expertise as an Operations Officer with the United Nations and as a Conflict Mediator on a U.S. government project in South Sudan, where he successfully navigated complex and high-stakes situations with precision and diplomacy. Additionally, Stephen briefly served as an Emergency Preparedness Coordinator, sharpening his focus on readiness and resilience. He applies his skills and knowledge in his role with the Ontario Public Service.

Stephen holds a Master’s in Disaster and Emergency Management from Royal Roads University, BC and has completed numerous specialized courses with Emergency Management Ontario. His academic research centered on integrating Indigenous knowledge and skills into emergency management, a passion he continues to pursue through ongoing study and advocacy. Deeply committed to fostering community resiliency, Stephen believes in the transformative power of togetherness as the foundation for building resilient and adaptable communities. His dedication to bridging traditional and contemporary practices sets him apart as an innovative leader in the field. Stephen and his friend, Jason, are writing an article for EM journal on Indigenous on reserve land resiliency building.