Red Cross wants to help Manitoba First Nations better prepare for disaster

The next time a wildfire or flood breaks out in a Manitoba First Nation, the Canadian Red Cross wants the community to have a plan in place for quick action.

And 12 communities do now, after the first year of a five-year project to develop emergency response plans for all 63 Manitoba First Nations.

The Red Cross is contracted to organize evacuations of Manitoba First Nations, but that may be upendedby a committee of parliamentreviewing issues with emergency responses.

Last year, levels of government traded blame afterGarden Hill communities had to take late-night boat rides to flee a wildfire, then slept on cots at the Winnipeg Convention Centre while hotel rooms were mobilized. MP MaryAnnMihychuk and MLA Judy Klassen came under fire for allegedly yelling at Red Cross workers and volunteers.

But Mihychuksays the drama was caused by the lack of clear plans for emergencies. "In Manitoba, the chiefs were saying 'we don't know who to phone,'"she told CBC Newspreviously.

Similar concerns were raised this year about wildfire of Little Grand Rapids and Pauingassi.

• 'I am not to blame here,' says Little Grand chief about delay in fire evacuations
• New report finds 'significant gaps' in emergency response to remote First Nations during wildfires

Cailin Hodder, the Red Cross' senior manager of emergency management for Manitoba And Nunavut, says the goalis to ensure communities are prepared for the worst.

"The end goal would be to understand what's available as far as resources out there, the big risks out there. We know that fire and flood are two of the biggest but we also know that other risks can be associated, so understanding what that is, and having 63 communities with an updated emergency response plan," she said.

"And we want it to be a plan that's simple to update on a yearly basis.So whether we're still a part of that process down the road or not, we want the community to be self-sufficient."

Right now, Hodder says the Red Cross is choosing the communities for the next round, aiming foranother 12 communities each year.

They've approached Pauingassi to be part of this year's round.

Hoddersaid she hopes Little Grand Rapids can be involved soon as well.