Are You Ready For Fire Season? It's Here!

When a wildfire swept through this mobile home park early one morning, residents had no time to think about what they wanted to take with them, they just had to run for it, before everything they had burned to the ground. Even small shifts in the weather can make a wildfire grow in unpredictable ways and travel faster than people can mobilize to stop it.

Devastating wildfires are, unfortunately, a fact of life these days. Drought across the West, combined with bad beetle infestations and a century of fire suppression have created a kind of perfect storm of conditions. This year, the wildfire season is starting months early, with fires burning this week in California, Arizona, New Mexico, Wyoming, Florida, and Alabama.

The approach to emergency planning for wildfires is the same as for any other emergency:
Assemble a Kit-- get together something you can grab as you go, containing clothes, medication, documents, and other things you may need (including food and medication for pets!)
Make a Plan-- talk with other family members about what to do and where to meet
Stay Informed-- stay aware of local conditions

There's also plenty you can do to keep your house safer.

Talking About the Weather

The numbers are in for 2012, and there is no arguing that it was a hot year for those of us in the lower 48. The shifting weather patterns are not just bringing hot days, although people in Oklahoma suffered through two of the hottest days in recorded history. Several states suffered devastating drought conditions, which brought wildfires to some tribes (in Montana, South Dakota, Washington and Arizona, for example) and caused widespread suffering for people and animals alike. Other events included massive outbreaks of tornados, a multi-state derecho, and of course, superstorm Sandy. 

Everyone knows you can talk about the weather all you want and it won't change a thing, but we're facing some serious weather, and by all indications, it's just going to get worse. What we can do is hope for the best and plan for the worst. Tribal officials from council members to department heads will all benefit from our upcoming training on Emergency Management and Public Safety for Tribal Officials. Native communities in the US are expected to be hit hardest by changing conditions, and it's up to us to be ready. In this two-day session, we will not only talk about proposed changes to the way tribes can get disaster relief, but help officials plan how to keep infrastructure intact and people safe, no matter what. To learn how better emergency management can protect your tribe's assets and heritage, read this moving testimony from the governor of Santa Clara Pueblo in New Mexico, recently devastated by the Las Conchas fire.

Feb 2013: Emergency Management and Public Safety For Tribal Officials Training

Many tribes these days are coming to grips with the fact that the damage a natural disaster can bring to a community doesn't stop when the emergency is over. Our Native trainers, and our partners at Risk and Rewards Management Group, have decades of experience with planning for disasters, establishing mutual aid agreements and mitigating the impact of a fire, drought, tornado, hurricane or winter storm on a tribal community.

The training will be held in Albuquerque, NM February 26-27, 2013.

Click here to learn more about this training opportunity.  Click here to register.

Preparation Is Key When Disaster Strikes

Recent wildfires throughout Indian Country recently reminded us that by the time you start smelling smoke, it's too late to make your plan, get a kit together of things you may need for a few days, and make a safe escape. Check out this recent article in Indian Country Today for some tips on what you can do to prepare for this season's hazards.

Ready for the zombie apocalypse?

Have a plan, make a kit, be prepared. Even though the CDC doesn't actually think a zombie apocalypse is imminent, the same strategies that will keep you safe from zombies will keep you safe from the much more real threat of earthquakes, tornadoes and other natural disasters.

Ready for Wildfire Season?

While the fires in Colorado are getting all the attention, fires are burning communities throughout the Western US. The Ash Creek fire burning through the Northern Cheyenne Reservation and in Rosebud County has destroyed 19 homes and is threatening scores more. Our hearts go out to all the people in the country who have suffered from evacuations and the terrible destruction. As the people in New Mexico's pueblos, California's bands and Arizona's reservations have learned, recovering from wildfires can take years.

As emergency preparedness consultants, we can't stress enough that the time to prepare for a wildfire is before it starts. The least you should do to prepare for any natural disaster is to get a kit, make a plan and be informed of current conditions. To truly protect your home or business, read through the wildfire information at ready.gov.