NPM Training Series Strengthens Tribal Resiliency
FLAGSTAFF, AZ – Planning and coordination are fundamental for developing and sustaining any system that strengthens resiliency.
Native Public Media’s regional training series piloted in 2017, created the first opportunity for professional broadcasters and first responders serving Native communities to contribute to the health and safety of their communities by training in emergency preparedness.
The greater goal of NPM’s training series is to foster long-term partnerships among broadcasters and community stakeholders that would lead to the coordinating of resources, which are often scarce but critical in times of emergency. Resiliency includes a steady revenue stream that allows emergency responses to be high level and effective. As a result, the training series includes fundraising training specifically for non-commercial stations.
“Often, these trainings are the first time that broadcasters and first responders have been able to make introductions and learn about each other. Some first responders including police officers and firemen have participated in the underwriting training, which is encouraging because they are learning what it takes for a broadcast facility to remain on the air and ways they can support their local station,” states Elyse Dempsey, NPM staff and lead trainer for the Underwriting 101 training.
The most recent regional training was held at the Twin Arrows Resort & Casino in Flagstaff, Arizona in early November 2018. Twenty-five professionals from broadcasting stations and emergency first response units serving Native communities attended the day-long training representing KUYI, KOHN, KTNN/KWRK, KWAK, KXWR, KTDB, KABR, KCIE, Navajo Department of Emergency Management, Navajo Nation Film & TV, Jicarilla Apache Police Department, and the Navajo Nation Fire Department.
“All of us should be concerned about how resilient our Native communities really are. This training is important because emergencies are on the rise, and coordinated efforts among first responders including broadcast stations is becoming more and more critical for the overall safety of our Native Nations and citizens,” concludes Dempsey.
Previous NPM regional trainings were held in the Northwest, and South and North Dakota. Additional regional trainings are scheduled for 2019.