Hurricane Katrina/Rita

1. Hurricane Katrina/Rita Louisiana Office of Public Health 03/2006 EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE

2. Thank you for the kind invitation to address your assembly Our Citizens in the State of Louisiana believe it is important that these stories be told, not for entertainment or shock value, But for ----- Merit ----- Education ----- Growth As your sister state we may look a little different , sound a little funny and cook anything in a pot……………….. but we are suffering and healing and part of this healing is telling our STORY Louisiana Office of Public Health 03/2006 EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE

3. What was the medical response capability prior to Katrina? • Pre-hospital • Hospital • First responders • OPH-SNS • MOU’s • Plans for TMOSA • Regional • Pre-staged • Hurricane Pam Louisiana Office of Public Health 03/2006 EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE

4. What actually happened? • Hospitals/Nursing Homes evacuation • Responders were victims • Pre-hospital providers overwhelmed • Public Health infrastructure damaged Louisiana Office of Public Health 03/2006 EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE

5. What Worked? • Plans for Triage • Initial Response • Pre-established community resources Louisiana Office of Public Health 03/2006 EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE

6. What Failed? Not a Failure of Initiative Communications - Human - Technology - Risk Communications Transportation NIMS/NRP - Timing of federal assets/expectations Louisiana Office of Public Health 03/2006 EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE

7. Lessons Learned • Pre-planning integration • Training = mandatory + meaningful • Exercises - AAR’s • Communications • Pre-staging Assets • Local • State • Federal Louisiana Office of Public Health 03/2006 EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE

8. What should be different? • Administration – accountability • Emergency Management and Homeland Security • Health care infrastructure • Federal, state, and local relationships • Reimbursement of responders Louisiana Office of Public Health 03/2006 EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE

9. What is happening NOW? • Rebirth of a coastal state • Re-shifting of populations • Rebirth of health care systems • Restructuring of emergency systems • Economic and cultural repair • Repair of a fragile spirit • Media campaigns/behavioral health Louisiana Office of Public Health 03/2006 EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE

10. What is the message we bring to UTAH ? • Never take anything for granted. • If you think you have planned enough, THINK AGAIN. • If you don’t know the person sitting next to you at the meeting NOW’s the time to get acquainted. • Understand your strengths and your limitations. ADDRESS THEM! continued Louisiana Office of Public Health 03/2006 EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE

11. What is the message we bring to UTAH ? • Communicate, communicate, and communicate some more • Redundancy • Inter-operability • Take care of your responders • Be prepared for EMAC’s and ARF’s • Never under-estimate the power of a woman Louisiana Office of Public Health 03/2006 EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE

12. Local, County and State health departments • Understand NRP and NIMS • Tabletops and Field exercises • Determine your response • Shelters - may not be what you expected • Primary care • Immunizations • Other public health problems • Have a back-up plan • Don’t rely on hospitals for all the answers • Train and back-fill • Be prepared for the long haul • Shelters - temporary housing Louisiana Office of Public Health 03/2006 EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE

13. First RespondersFire/ EMS/ Law enforcement • Understand NRP and NIMS • Train with health care as part of team • Plan your response • Have a back-up plan • Be prepared for non-traditional roles • Understand your value • Take care of yourself first Louisiana Office of Public Health 03/2006 EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE

14. Hospitals and Long-term Care • Understand NRP and NIMS • Train as a community • Have a back-up plan • Be prepared for the long haul Louisiana Office of Public Health 03/2006 EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE

15. Military assistance • Don’t build all plans around state military assets • National Guard • RSS plans Louisiana Office of Public Health 03/2006 EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE

16. Community Leaders and Key Decision Makers • Understand NRP and NIMS • Train as a community • Have a back-up plan • Be prepared for the long haul • Be prepared for role of evacuation - reception center • Prepare for the worst - IT CAN HAPPEN • Take inventory of your strengths and weaknesses NOW • Address your Gap Analysis • Prepare for special populations • Prepare for security Louisiana Office of Public Health 03/2006 EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE

17. Remember no one outside of your state will see it the way you do! Louisiana Office of Public Health 03/2006 EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE

18. Don’t wait for Cavalry. But when they arrive make optimum use of them. Louisiana Office of Public Health 03/2006 EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE

19. Always remember your YO-YO ……because for 72 hours You’re On Your Own Louisiana Office of Public Health 03/2006 EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE

20. Thanks! Thank you for your prayers, your volunteers, your support and your compassionate care of our evacuees Louisiana Office of Public Health 03/2006 EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE

21. For more information Contact - Nancy Bourgeois Director – Public Health Emergency Response and Preparedness Address – Department of Health and Hospitals 8919 World Ministry Avenue Suite A Baton Rouge, LA 70810 Email: nbourgeo@dhh.la.gov Louisiana Office of Public Health 03/2006 EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE

22. We Will Rise Again Louisiana Office of Public Health 03/2006 EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE