A good place to begin would be the establishment of an Inuit Nunangat Community Public Safety Officer program — similar to those already in place in some Eeyou Istchee Cree, Nunavik, and Alaskan communities. Such a program would provide communities with full-time community public safety officers responsible for SAR, all-hazards emergency management, fire prevention, land and marine safety, and emergency medical services — taking some of the burden off the volunteers who currently fulfill many of these roles. A Community Public Safety Officer program would build off the local knowledge, Inuit Qauijimajatuqangit, and community relationships of the officers, while providing the space for the development of new capabilities through a tailor-made training program. The time has come for the creation of an Inuit Nunangat Community Public Safety Officer program — an equitable solution to the unique emergency management challenges facing the region. It would answer recent calls for improved regional emergency management capabilities made by Inuit, territorial, and federal leaders, while helping to implement the Inuit Nunangat Policy’s commitment to support well-being throughout Inuit Nunangat.

Source: CBC News May 29, 2022 14:12 UTC