Introduction

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On Tuesday, January 23rd, 2018, there was tsunami warning for Vancouver Island due to a 7.9 earthquake in Alaska. During this tsunami warning, there was a Telus outage which resulted in no phone or internet service in Oclucje from January 22nd, 2018 (12:00pm) to January 24th, 2018 (9:30am).

Because of this outage, Nuchatlaht Tribe did not receive a tsunami warning from EMBC. There was an Ehattesaht member that did come knocking on doors around 6:20am on the day of the tsunami warning to inform Oclucje residents about the earthquake and tsunami, after the tsunami warning was off.

​The Tyee Ha’wilth Walter Michael informed Mason Ducharme (Band Administrator) that a plan needs to be made to prepare for a tsunami. Mason Ducharme held a focus group with the Tyee Ha’wilth and Nuchatlaht Tribe staff to get their input on a Tsunami Preparedness Strategic Plan. This is the final document that accounts for everyone’s comments. 

1. ​Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Challenges (SWOC) Analysis 

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1A) Strengths
 Close-knit community where everyone knows where each other is, and how to contact them
 Have communication devices (VHFs, and Satellite Phones)
 A nice mixture of night owls and early birds which is beneficial as someone is likely to be awake when a tsunami warning is issued
 Experience of some community members in dealing with tsunami warnings. I.e., some members were alive during the 1964 tsunami
 The animals on the reserve can detect when a natural disaster occurs. I.e, during the January 23rd, 2018 Tsunami Warning, the dogs on the reserve were barking like crazy
 Members have the ability to live off the land due to their experience as hunters, fisherman, and gatherers of vegetation
 The Band Administrator and the Tyee Ha’wilth are subscribed to the EMBC alert system which means that they receive a call and email when a tsunami warning is issued in the territory
 There is Telus high speed internet in Oclucje
​ There are generators for each household 

1B) Weaknesses
 Don’t utilize the communication resources efficiently (VHF Radios, and Satellite Phone)
 Insufficient Tsunami Warning Drills
 Reactive, not proactive
 No Tsunami Preparedness Plan in place
 Unfamiliar with the Community Emergency Plan (2010)
 Not enough members trained in First Aid (especially, First Aid Level 3)
 Misplaced Survival Kits
 Members do not have go-bags ready and/or the bags are not easily accessible
 Band buildings (infrastructure) and band houses
 Houses 2, 3, and 4 are in the tsunami zone
 The water treatment centre is in the tsunami zone
​ There are no specific tsunami preparedness supplies for elders and babies 

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1C) Opportunities
 Identifying the muster point
 Ongoing maintenance of the muster point
 Seeking an addition to reserve at a higher elevation to ensure that there is no tsunami impact risk
 Making the buildings earthquake proof
 Getting a sea can to store tsunami preparedness items
 Finding funding to implement this Tsunami Preparedness Strategic Plan
 Practicing safety exercises (i.e, Tsunami Drills) semi-annually
 Buying survival kits
 Deliver First Aid Training in Olucje
 Working with neighbours to create a regional response strategy
 Buying VHFs for each household
 Getting Xplorenet for the Health Clinic
 Setup a Communications Centre in the Health Clinic
 Delivering a community workshop on Tsunami Preparedness
 Setting aside jarred fish for Tsunami Preparedness
 Building a trail/road to reach the muster station
​ Attaching a hose or tap to the water reservoir tank 

1D) Challenges
 Only one road in and out of Oclucje
 Oclucje’s two bridges could break during the tsunami
 Funding is allocated on a competitive basis – it’ll likely be more difficult to secure funding after the January 23rd, 2018 Alaskan Earthquake
 The Telus intern and Phones go out often in Oclucje
 The power goes down in Oclucje often
 Oclucje is semi-isolated
 The Zeballos Forest Road is consistently in rough shape 

2. Strategic Issues

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​Strategic issues are the questions that an organization wants to answer in a strategic plan.
These are the strategic issue questions for this plan.

1. Do we have enough food during a tsunami?

2. Do we have the means to communicate during a tsunami?

3. Can we survive a tsunami for 7 days?

4. Do we have the means to leave Oclucje during a tsunami?

5. Where will our muster station be located?

​6. Do we have everyone’s phone numbers?

7. Do we have the funding to implement this plan?

8. How can we accommodate our elders and children in reaching the muster station?

9. How can we ensure the safety of the muster station and camp?

​10. How can we implement the community emergency plan (2010)?

3. Goals

Strategic Issue	Goals
​Do we have enough food during a tsunami?	​To have enough food during a tsunami
​Do we have the means to communicate during a tsunami?	​To have the means to communicate during a tsunami
​Can we survive a tsunami for 7 days?	​To survive a tsunami for 7 days
​Do we have the means to leave Oclucje during a tsunami?	​To have the means to leave Oclucje during a tsunami
​Where will our muster station be located?	​To identify a muster station location
​Do we have everyone’s phone numbers?	​To have everyone’s updated phone numbers
Do we have the funding to implement this plan? ​	​To secure funding to implement this plan.
​How can we accommodate our elders and children in reaching the muster station?	​To accommodate our elders and children in reaching the muster station
​How can we ensure the safety of the muster station and camp?	​To ensure the safety of the muster station and camp
​How can we implement the community emergency plan (2010)?	To implement the community emergency plan (2010)

4. Objectives

Goals	Objectives
​To have enough food during a tsunami	​There is enough food to last 7 days for 30 people on an annual basis, not exceeding the cost of $4,000.00.
To have the means to communicate during a tsunami	​All of the communication devices are setup immediately, and new equipment is purchased, not exceeding the cost of $3,000.00
​To survive a tsunami for 7 days	​To have the essential shelter, food, heating, medicine, communication, and training, not exceeding a cost of $10,000.00.
​To have the means to leave Oclucje during a tsunami	​To add one more trail/road to leave Oclucje and head to the muster station by 2018, not exceeding a cost of $30,000.00.
​To identify a muster station location	​To have a muster station located by 2018
​To have everyone’s updated phone numbers	To have an updated on-reserve contact list by 2018
​To secure funding to implement this plan.	​To secure $XXX,XXX.XX in funding to implement this plan by 2019
​To accommodate our elders and children in reaching the muster station	​To have every child and elder reach the muster station 30 minutes after the tsunami evacuation alert
​To ensure the safety of the muster station and camp	​To have zero vandalism and theft incidents at the muster station
​To implement the community emergency plan (2010)	​To have a community meeting workshop to review the community emergency plan binder material on an annual basis

5. Strategies and Objectives

A1) Objectives

​There is enough food to last 7 days for 30 people on an annual basis, not exceeding the cost of $4,000.00.

B1) Strategies

​Research how much food is needed and the cost and options

​Purchase hunting and fishing tools to use during tsunami evacuations

​Create a survey to ask the on-reserve members what food will be eaten during the tsunami evacuation

​Distribute the survey to the on-reserve members

​Purchase food and water for the tsunami evacuation

​Process foodfish, clams and mowich to set aside for the tsunami evacuation

​Store the food and water

​Inspect the quality of the tsunami evacuation food

Strategies and Objectives (Continued)

Strategies / objectives (a2 - b2)

A2) Objectives

​All of the communication devices are setup immediately, and new equipment is purchased, not exceeding the cost of $5,000.00.

B2) Strategies

​Setup Xplorenet in the Health Clinic

​Purchase a new tsunami siren

​Find a tv for the health clinic

​Setup satellite tv in the health centre

​Purchase a VHF radio for each house

​Conduct a communications devices inventory

​Convert the health clinic into a communications centre

​Setup all VHF radios and satellite phones

To train Community Liaison worker in the use of VHF radios

Strategies / objectives (A3 - b3)

A3) Objectives

​To have the essential shelter, food, heating, medicine, communication, and training, not exceeding a cost of $10,000.00.

B3) Strategies

​To purchase three canvas tents

​Buy two sea cans to use as tsunami preparation storage

​To pack wood to the muster station

​To get First Aid Level 1 Training Delivered in Oclucje

​To get First Aid Level 2 Training delivered in Oclucje

​To get First Aid Level 3 Training delivered in Oclucje

​To order a survival kit for each house

Strategies / Objectives (A4 - B4)

A4) Objectives

​To add one more trail/road to leave Oclucje and head to the muster station by 2018, not exceeding a cost of $30,000.00.

B4) Strategies

​To get permission from BC to build a trail to the muster station from Oclucje

​To ask Tony Wong to where a trail can be built without it affecting the water lines

​To flag the trail area for cutters

​To hire people and companies to cut the trail/road

​Create a maintenance plan for the trail/road

Strategies / Objectives (a5 - B5)

A5) Objectives

​To have a muster station located by 2018

B5) Strategies

​To identify potential muster stations

​To propose potential muster station locations to BC

​Create a construction plan for the muster station

​Research the cost of an excavator to purchase

Strategies / Objectives (a6 - b6)

A6) Objectives

​To have an updated on-reserve contact list by 2018

B6) Strategies

​Go house to house confirming everyone’s contact information and if they are willing to share their contact information

​Distribute the contact information sheet through email and via physical paper

Strategies / Objectives (a7 - B7) 

A7) Objectives

​To secure $XXX,XXX.XX in funding to implement this plan by 2019

B7) Strategies

​Research funding opportunities specific to emergency preparedness

​Apply for funding

Strategies / Objectives (a8 - b8) 

A8) Objectives

​To have every child and elder reach the muster station 30 minutes after the tsunami evacuation alert

B8) Strategies

​To purchase a UTV to transport elders and children

​To identify a support person for each household that has an elder(s) or child(ren)

​To practice tsunami drills

​To ensure spare jerry cans are always available to fill up the UTV

​Create a list of items needed in a go-bag for each household

​Host a tsunami awareness workshop

​Build a tsunami muster station sign

​Build a community bulletin board near the entrance of Oclucje used to inform people that there is a tsunami warning and that everyone is at the muster station

Strategies / Objectives (a9 - b9)

A9) Objectives

​To have zero vandalism and theft incidents at the muster station

B9) Strategies

​Buy trail cams

​Build a sign stating that the area is under surveillance

​Monitor the muster station on a weekly basis

​Build a fence around the muster station

Strategies / Objectives (a10 - B10)

A10) Objectives

​To have a community meeting workshop to review the community emergency plan binder material on an annual basis

B10) Strategies

​Review the Community Emergency Plan (2010) Binder

​Create the presentation materials

​Organize the meeting

​Present the presentation materials at the meeting

THE TSUNAMI PREPAREDNESS
STRATEGIC PLAN (TPSP)

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The TPSP has been constructed to better benefit Nuchatlaht Tribe. To learn more about the TPSP, click the link below.

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