Kawerak’s Emergency Preparedness Specialist Charlene Saclamana assists village communities in creating their SCERP- Small Community Emergency Response Plan. In completing these plans many communities have identified the school as their shelter-in-place safety location if a natural disaster strikes. Having access and permission for only one building that cannot accommodate social distancing or quarantine posed an obvious issue for the communities when examining their plan during the COVID-19 pandemic. In working with Brevig Mission, Stebbins, Teller and Unalakleet, Saclamana was told the communities did have National Guard Armory facilities in their communities that could possibly accommodate quarantined/infected individuals should the need arise.
Kawerak reached out to partners to find resolution to the issue and would like to recognize Julie Kitka at Alaska Federation of Natives for making the connection and facilitating a solution with General Torrence Saxe, adjutant general of the Alaska National Guard. General Saxe responded quickly, and we are grateful he recognized the urgency in our request. With additional coordination from Representative Neal Foster, an agreement was signed with the Alaska Department of Military and Veterans Affairs to use the DMVA facilities for quarantine if necessary. Norton Sound Health Corporation also stepped in, willing to assume the responsibility for the lease, another essential step in the process.
We are all relatives in rural Alaska and the way in which we cooperatively work together makes success possible. The foresight and dedication of village leadership for taking the actions they have been to prevent / respond to the pandemic has been instrumental in making sure our communities remain as safe as possible.
Photo courtesy of KNOM, Gabe Colombo, Alaska Army National Guard armory Building in Stebbins
