COVID-19 Hopi Emergency Response Protocols

Over the last few weeks, tribal nations around the country have been responding to the COVID-19 pandemic by enacting emergency response plans with protocols that direct immediate and necessary precautions and measures for the health & safety of all tribal communities. Here on Hopi, Hopi Tribal Leadership has engaged on behalf of The Hopi Tribe with federal, state and county officials, while each Village is working to establish immediate precautionary measures to protect the health, safety and welfare of their respective communities. The collective goal at every level nationwide is to discourage contact with and further exposure to the extremely contagious Coronavirus COVID-19.

For the latest DATA and STATISTICS from the Hopi Health & Human Services please click here.

Hopi Tribe’s COVID-19 Emergency Response & Preparedness Plan

The Hopi Emergency Response Team (HERT), under Incident Commander Edison Tu’tsi’s guidance, has created a set of objectives and key operations as a part of the Hopi Tribe’s COVID-19 Emergency Response & Preparedness Plan. Under the Hopi Tribal leadership directive, the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) was activated on March 18, 2020. Central operations for the EOC is headquartered at the Hopi Veterans Memorial Center in Kykotsmovi, Arizona. The Hopi Wellness Center serves as the official post for the EOC to centralize all HERT staff, communication, and coordinated efforts. Staging areas to support the full COVID-19 Emergency Response & Preparedness Plan include the Peace Academic Center and the Hopi Health Care Center.

The Emergency Operations Center is guided by two main objectives;

1.) To provide support to the Hopi Health Care Center (HHCC) and

2.) To aide in logistical support* for all Hopi Villages and Communities across the reservation.

* logistical support includes; centralizing operations, facilitating communication and coordinating resources of emergency response.

The following are key EOC operations for enacting and continuously supporting the Hopi Tribe’s COVID-19 Emergency Response & Preparedness Plan;

Provide logistical support & coordination of Hopi Tribal Programs and/or Services in collaboration with the Hopi Health Care Center (HHCC). As COVID-19 is a health-related pandemic, the HHCC is taking the lead respective to emergency medical preparedness.
Utilize existing governmental processes and procedures, including guidelines from FEMA, to maximize the delivery of services to the Hopi Community.
Maintain situational awareness of COVID-19 with the National, Regional and Arizona State stakeholders.
Maintain regular communication and dissemination of information between the Hopi Tribal Leadership and the Hopi Community ensuring existing message(s) are up to date and accurate.
Coordinate and communicate with the Community Service Administrators (CSAs) for the villages to address the local needs/services.
Integrate Community-based businesses into the EOC Operations and COVID-19 response efforts in order to maximize resources and address local needs.
Continuously develop efficiency in EOC Operations to accommodate an increase or decrease in operational needs.
Enhance logistical support for remote operations for EOC and HERT staff.
Evaluate current implications of COVID-19 to monitor, adjust, assess & develop long term planning and forecasting for the Hopi Community.

Supporting the Community Emergency Response

HERT has identified a Community Service Administrator (CSA) to serve as a point of contact (POC) all the villages. The POC will serve as the designated CSA representative to bridge, and coordinate communication with HERT, the Hopi Foundation and the collective village CSAs under the Hopi Tribe’s COVID-19 Emergency Response & Preparedness Plan.

Every Village CSA is ultimately responsible to their respective village Board of Directors and in providing their communities with information, protocols or guidance received through the Hopi Tribe and the EOC. Required information has been requested of each village CSA to provide an account of information regarding the needs of their respective Village members. It’s imperative that village CSA’s conduct a survey or get an account of household numbers and needs from all their community members. This will be helpful in the efficient collection and delivery of supplies to the Villages. The priority and expectation of all Villages is to provide for and support all community elders.

Emergency Response Numbers