Growing up, April listened to ladies sharing stories in her grandmother’s quilting circle — including stories of Tribal Members who lost their lives in fires and accidents due to a lack of emergency response in Poarch. In 2004, when Hurricane Ivan came through Atmore, April decided that if she came out alive, she would devote herself to the safety of her community. Today she is the Tribe’s Emergency Management Fire Director, serving and protecting against potentially catastrophic events.