ISN Maskwa offers Indigenous individuals the opportunity to train and become a Community Support Personnel Evacuation Specialist. Over the course of 10 days, 25 students train with an advanced team of trainers to become the best that they can be in the emergency management industry and in their communities. They are all trained to assist in a culturally sensitive manner to provide security and assistance to communities either evacuated or in crisis in a professional and respectful way.
The course provides training and certification in the following areas:
- First Aid and CPR
- Mental Health First Aid (with a focus on Indigenous communities)
- Critical Incident Stress Debriefing
- Search and Rescue
- Security
Included within the 10 days of training is the opportunity for students to write the official Security Guard exam through Serco Canada. The entire training and the testing are free and include travel, accommodations, and expenses covered for those who travel in for the course. In addition, an honorarium is provided to all who successfully complete the 10 days of training.
To date, hundreds of Indigenous community members have been trained on this program, with approximately 65% having already been on deployment with Maskwa and others finding exciting careers with such policing agencies as Treaty 3 Police, Nishnawbe-Aski Police Service, Anishinabek Police Service and the Ontario Provincial Police.
