To address your first question asking what can government do, I think the most important thing—and this doesn't just apply to government; it applies to every person—is inclusion. It's a very simple, one-word answer, inclusion.
In my opening statement, I said that I was the first firefighter and the first paramedic. Why am I the first? Why did it happen in 2020 when I was the first? Here we are in 2024, and nobody has come behind me. Why is that? It's inclusion. It's because we're not included, that's why. It's inclusion in proceedings, in idealism and in moving forward in any manner, even in staff. How many indigenous people are employed within non-indigenous organizations? Inclusion is incredibly important.
Since I first started this alert system, believe me, police organizations are pretty sick of seeing my face and hearing my name, because I won't give up. I won't give up until it gets to the point where they are calling me without hesitation.
To answer your question, yes, I have run into several barriers along the way. I was even asked, “Do you know how bad it will look on us if we send out an alert through your system before we send out the provincial alert?” I said, “Okay, I hear that public safety is not as important to you as your reputation”. That's how it sounded to me.
Yes, we do still deal with that on the daily.