HURRICANE KATRINA INCIDENT: AREAS OF CONCERN AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Fire Management Today, Summer 2006 by Custer, George

Editor's Note: This article is excerpted and edited from Incident Commander George Custer's After Action Review report on his Southern Area "Red" Incident Management Team's Hurricane Katrina assignment. Custer's entire original After Action Review report-along with other incident management teams' hurricane response reports-are available through the WildlandFire Lessons Learned Center Website at http://www. wildfirelessons.net/AAR.aspx.

1. Who's in Charge?

One major point of disconnect during our incident management team's (IMT's) Hurricane Katrina assignment was the impact of running the evacuation of displaced Americans through the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport without regard for the ongoing Disaster Medical Assistance Team's (DMAT's) field hospital operations.

At all levels, within all agencies, no one was able to determine who was in charge of the evacuation effort-or how many evacuees would arrive at the airport site. Medical staff, therefore, could not plan or schedule for the number of evacuees-or the seriousness of the illnesses and injuries.

Evacuees spent long hours-often overnight-with little or no food, and no accommodations other than the specific spot of ground that they occupied. The ill and injured overloaded the DMAT's ability to treat them. In addition, because of the overcrowding within the airport facility, the well and able people were exposed to the ill people.

The smell of body waste permeated the air as the vast numbers of people taxed the restroom facilities and persons often relieved themselves in place.

Recommendation. Although the situation was dire in New Orleans and evacuations were needed, communications is still the key to any successful operation. Proper planning-starting with a briefing at the airport-would have enabled those of us involved to assist with the evacuation, feeding, and comfort of evacuees. IMTs are ready at a moment's notice to make adjustments and recommendations and to supply the necessary personnel to assist. These abilities have been developed through responses to the ever-changing wildland fire environment in which we are used to operating.

2. Rumor of a Riot

One evening, the IMT received numerous disturbing phone calls and phone messages from an individual who said he was a Washington, DC, employee and spoke as if he had the highest authority. The individual informed me (the incident commander) by message-and our logistics section chief by phone-that there was a riot in progress at the airport and that the IMT needed to escape the situation.

No riot occurred and the IMT was always well protected by our security personnel as well as by the many other security agencies within the facility.

Recommendation. Unconfirmed rumors can cause panic. Situational awareness is best left to those on the ground. IMTs need to come prepared to handle security concerns during any emergency-especially a nonfire emergency that involves evacuations.

3. Health Concerns

Possible exposure to body fluids, bacteria, and contagious disease was an ongoing concern on this incident. Despite some health-carerelated exposures, our IMT members stayed healthy and accident free during this assignment.

Crews and personnel were vigilant in their personal hygiene. They wore gloves and avoided as much exposure as possible. All who were involved with patient transport received training by professional health care workers and doctors.

Recommendation. IMT members-especially those involved with operations and logistics-should be immunized for contagious diseases such as hepatitis and tetanus.

4. Military Interaction

All future disasters of this magnitude will surely require the continued support and use of regular military units as well as U.S. Army National Guard assets. Integration and definition of roles is not always clear. Often, both civilian assets and the military are tasked with identical missions. This situation-occurring at the same shared location-can become a logistical concern.

Recommendation. Military support and interaction during declared national emergencies need to be examined. While military assets should be self-supporting, sometimes they are not. When others have better arrangements, asking the military personnel to not eat, shower, or use their facilities seems unfair. Using IMTs to support the military might be practical-but is this the role that IMTs should play? Thought should be given to this at the higher levels of disaster response.

5. Resource Orders Denied

During the Hurricane Katrina response surge through the Southern Area Coordination Center, our IMT was erroneously denied our resource orders.

Once the team had assembled at the assigned location and began to assess the situation, we began the process of ordering needed personnel. However, the IMT's ordering manager was denied all orders and told that we could not place orders because the team was already filled.

I then made personal contact with an individual who was able to resolve this problem.

Recommendation. Coordination center personnel should be aware that their job is to support IMTs. If they are unclear on the ordering process, they should consult with their supervisors.