Emergency Information

Our number one priority is, and always has been, the health and wellness of our community. Splatsin is committed to providing vital services and tools to band members to stay safe during emergency situations. Currently, Splatsin’s Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) is activated seven days a week due to the wildfires.

Wildfires

Communities throughout Secwepemcúĺecw are dealing with wildfires and Splatsin’s Emergency Response Team is actively preparing for worst-case scenarios in our community. Read the information below to learn more about how you too can be prepared. Watch the latest update from Kukpi7 Christian below (August 9, 2021).

Evacuation Definitions

Evacuation Alert means to get prepared to leave your home on short notice. Get Grab & Go Kits ready which should include several days of clothing, toiletries and medications), your emergency plan, a traditional/cultural wellness kit, copies of important documents and important mementos. Stay tuned to Splatsin/local emergency officials for more information.

Evacuation Order means you must leave the area immediately. Follow the directions of Splatsin/local emergency officials and evacuate using the routes identified in this guide. Do not return home until this order has been rescinded.

Learn more about wildfire definitions here.

Grab & Go Kits

Prepare your kit today so you can evacuate as soon as there is an Evacuation Order. Your kit might include (but not limited to):

  • Non-perishable food: three-day to one-week supply, with a manual can opener
  • Water: four litres per person, per day for drinking and sanitation
  • Phone charger, battery bank or inverter
  • Battery-powered or hand-crank flashlight
  • Extra batteries
  • First-aid kit and medications
  • Personal toiletries and medications
  • Copy of your emergency plan, copies of important documents, such as insurance papers
  • Cash in small bills
  • Seasonal clothing, sturdy footwear and emergency blanket
  • Personal identification and other important documents (birth certificates etc.)
  • Traditional/cultural wellness kit
Reception Centre – Splatsin Community Centre

Check-in/Registration

The Splatsin Community Centre at 5767 Old Vernon Road will serve as the check-in/registration centre should conditions allow. Checking is important to ensure all community members are safe and accounted for. At this time, community members will be directed to temporary housing and provided with necessities at the discretion of Splatsin.

Protect your property from wildfires

View and download the FireSmart Homeowner’s Manual here.

Questions & Answers

Q. How will I find out if I am evacuated or on an Evacuation Alert?

A. A door-to-door delivery of an evacuation alert will be issued by Splatsin’s EOC. This information will also be published on Splatsin’s website, social media channels, and in an email to subscribers. Evacuation Orders will also be delivered to affected homes with the assistance of the RCMP and firefighters. It will also be published widely online.

Q. What happens if I am evacuated?

A. You must gather your family and pets and leave immediately. You will be given a notice which will include:

  • Reconfirming your reception/check-in centre
  • Availability of any Emergency Social Services
  • Locations of evacuee centres

Q. Why do I have to check-in at the Community Centre?

A. Splatsin wants to know that you and your family are safe and away from danger. In order to receive temporary housing, food and other necessities, you must register at your designated registration location. Out of town guests are not eligible for coverage – these people must return home.

Q. What if I do not want to evacuate?

A. A list of people refusing to evacuate will be shared with local authorities and Kukpi7 & Tkwamipla7. Children & Youth must abide by evacuation orders.

Q. How will I know when I can return home?

A. Our EOC will work closely with emergency personnel to determine when to lift the evacuation order. A notice of rescinding the evacuation order will be on Splatsin’s website, social media channels, in an email to subscribers, and circulated to regional media outlets.

Questions?

COVID-19 Pandemic

The Secwepemc Nation has been operating under a State of Emergency since March 25, 2020. This declaration continues as Splatsin and other communities throughout Secwepemcúĺecw deal with active cases.

Splatsin Risk Level Chart

We are currently in Alert Level 3 – HIGH

Vaccine Clinics

Vaccine clinics for ages 18+ (Moderna) were held at the Splatsin Community Centre in March (first dose) and June (second dose) 2021 by appointment. The Pfizer vaccine approved for children ages 12-17 is now available at the Splatsin Health Centre by appointment only. If you are living off-reserve and would like to receive your vaccine, book or drop in at one of the mobile clinics HERE.

Vaccine FAQs

What is the COVID-19 vaccine?
Vaccines are products that produce immunity to specific viruses like COVID-19. Having immunity to COVID-19 means you won’t become sick if you come into contact with it.  

When did the vaccine arrive in our community?
Friday, March 12. Vaccine clinics for the first doses were held on-reserve from March 13 to April 6. The second dose is expected to arrive in early June.

Who can get the COVID-19 vaccine?
All community members living on-reserve and off-reserve nearby ages 18 & up are eligible to receive their first or second dose of the vaccine. To honour and respect our elders, we will be immunizing them first. After this, we will follow the public health guidelines to prioritize the rest of those wanting to be immunized. If you add your name to the list, you will be called when you are eligible.

Who should not get the COVID-19 vaccine?
Certain people who have other medical conditions; who are pregnant or are breastfeeding; and who have allergies without a known case should speak to their doctor or a Splatsin Community Nurse. In almost every situation, it is safer to receive the vaccine than to get COVID-19.

How is the COVID-19 vaccine given?
The vaccine is administered by intramuscular injection (needle) into the arm.

Are there side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine?
Common reactions to most vaccines may include tiredness, headache, fever, chills, muscle or joint soreness. These side effects may be present for 1-2 days. Serious side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine were not seen in clinical trials.

Why is it important to get the vaccine?
The Moderna vaccine is up to 92% effective after the first dose and up to 95% after the second dose. The COVID-19 vaccine will also help protect everyone around you, too. The more people in a community who are vaccinated, the harder it is for the virus to spread and mutate. This is called “herd immunity“ or “community immunity”.

Reduced access to stable housing, income, clean water and/or health and social services place some Indigenous peoples at higher risk of COVID-19. The vaccine is one way that Indigenous (and other) people can protect themselves from this virus.

Once enough people are immunized, we hope to be able to return to activities that haven’t been possible during the pandemic

If I get immunized with the COVID-19 vaccine, do I need to keep practising preventative measures?
Yes. Until most people in the world are vaccinated, you need to continue following the latest provincial health orders.

When will children be able to get their vaccine?
The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine has been approved for children ages 12-17 and it is now available at the Splatsin Health Centre.

Your children have two options to receive the vaccine:

  • Register for a provincial clinic by calling 1-833-838-2323 between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. every day or by visiting their website here: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/covid-19/vaccine/youth
  • Register for a Splatsin community clinic by calling our health team at (250) 838-9538 between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. to put their name(s) on a list to be called when the vaccine arrives in our community.

Trials of the Pfizer vaccine prove its 100% effectiveness against COVID-19 for youth. Under the Infants Act, youth age 12+ can consent to receive medical treatment without their parents’ approval as long as the healthcare provider has determined that the treatment is in the youth’s best interest and the youth understands the details of treatment, including risks and benefits. You also have the right to refuse treatment. Parents and guardians are encouraged to have this discussion with their children.

Splatsin Health Services is available to answer questions about the vaccine and your health during the week from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Call (250) 838-9538 to speak with a nurse or to book an appointment to visit in person. In almost all cases, it is safer to get the vaccine than to get COVID-19.

Visiting Splatsin Offices during COVID-19

Staff Schedules

Staff at Splatsin continue to work effectively and healthily from both our offices and at home. This is an effort to reduce the number of people in facilities at the same time and help protect the community against COVID-19. The following protocols are currently in place.

Appointments

All visits to any Splatsin facilities are by appointment only. If you would like to make an appointment, call the Band Reception at (250) 838-6496 or visit the staff contact page.

Upon arrival at Splatsin facilities, visitors be prompted to sign a contract tracing form. Visitors also need to wear a mask and use hand sanitizer before entering a building. If you are sick, stay home and call the Splatsin Health Centre and speak to a Community Nurse. Do not visit Splatsin facilities when you are sick.

Many services and programs are still possible over the phone or other communication technology. This is the preferred method whenever possible.

Service & Program Delivery

Splatsin continues to deliver most services and programs during the pandemic. To see recommendations and changes, choose one of the topics below.

Practice ‘The Five’

The Secwepemc Nation is encouraging everyone to learn about COVID-19 and what you can do to help prevent the spread of the virus.

Face: Don’t touch it
Feet: Stay 6 feet from people outside of your home
Cough: Into your elbow
Hands: Wash them with soap and water often
Sick?: Stay home and call the Splatsin Health Centre

Our Response Timeline
  • March 13: Splatsin Emergency Operations Centre activated
  • March 16: First of daily (now weekly) community updates published
  • March 18: First of weekly food hamper deliveries
  • March 20: All offices closed – staff begin working from home
  • March 25: Secwepemc Nation declares a State of Emergency
  • April 16: Emergency Funding announced for on and off-reserve members
  • June 1: Reopening of offices; staff scheduled to work at Splatsin on select days
  • October 21: SHS assists IH in Contact Tracing after members found to be in contact with COVID-19 positive individual
  • March 2021: SHS administers first doses of Moderna vaccine to members 18+
  • June 2021: SHS administers second doses of Moderna vaccine to members 18+
  • June 2021: SHS begins administering first doses of Pfizer vaccine for children ages 12-17
  • June 2021: Daily/Weekly Community Updates end (81 published)

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