'Holler as loud as you can': 911 service in Shamattawa still down
In case of fire, people in Shamattawa have to call RCMP or the fire chief personally
Shamattawa First Nation finally has a working fire truck, but 911 service in the remote northern community remains down, forcing people to personally track down the fire chief if a fire breaks out.
"They would have to run to their next door neighbour. Holler as loud as you can," Shamattawa Chief Jeffrey Napaokesik told CBC News. "That's how it is at the moment."
Emergency telephone service was knocked out in a fire on Sept. 22 that completely destroyed the community's band office, only store and radio communication. RCMP say six children set the blaze. A 12-year-old boy was charged with arson, but the five others are too young to be held criminally responsible.
Two mechanics recently flew into the community to fix the sole fire truck that was broken down and parked in the fire hall just meters from last month's blaze, Napaokesik said.
The truck stopped working shortly after it was purchased in 2015 and efforts to fix it had been unsuccessful.
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"It makes a big difference to have that fire truck running in the community," he said, adding it already saved a home that caught fire on Monday.
Napaokesik said the band is working with several partners including Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada to re-establish local radio communication services and other infrastructure lost in the band office blaze.
In the meantime, Napaokesik said people are making due by calling in emergencies to the nursing station, RCMP or the fire chief's personal home phone.
Manitoba reserves lag in firefighting resources
Shamattawa is just the latest community highlighting fire prevention inadequacies on reserves.
The federal government stopped tracking fires on First Nation reserves in 2010, raising questions about how officials determine where to put resources for firefighting and prevention.
A 2012 survey of 61 Manitoba reserves found many of the communities "lack the infrastructure, staffing and training to reliably respond to fires quickly and effectively," the report said.
The survey found a mere 15 per cent of communities said they have enough hose to battle a fire, almost one-third didn't have a fire truck and 39 per cent did not have a fire hall.
"As the incidence of fires in First Nation communities is significantly higher than in non-First Nation communities, and the capacity for responding to fires is generally lower, it is very concerning how few of these communities have fire prevention programs in place," the report said.
A spokesperson for Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada said efforts are being made to address fire protection on First Nations across the country.
In 2012, the federal government committed $4 million to boost fire protection in the province. The funds purchased six fire trucks, three garages and 227 gear and breathing sets for Manitoba First Nations.
In March 2015, INAC funded the purchase of three new fire trucks for Berens River, St. Theresa Point and Shamattawa and installed more than 12,500 smoke alarms in homes on 18 Manitoba First Nations, a spokesperson said.
A fire prevention working group comprised of INAC officials, the Office of the Fire Commissioner, tribal councils, the Province of Manitoba and the Assembly of First Nations also meets quarterly.
with files from The Canadian Press