www.icpc4cops.org - ICPC_disaster_K05.html </head> <body text="black" bgcolor="white"> <div align=center> <address><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2><strong> <FONT size=4>Hurricane Katrina Disaster Response</FONT> </strong> </FONT></FONT> </address> </div> <H3> <table style="WIDTH: 423px; HEIGHT: 131px" align=center border=0> <tbody> <tr> <td> <p><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT></p><FONT face=Arial size=2> <hr> </FONT> <em> <strong> <P align=left> </strong> </em><FONT face=Arial><STRONG>Disaster Response Committee Report</STRONG> <br><STRONG>September 19, 2005</STRONG> </P> </FONT> <P></P> <p align="left"><font face="Arial">Dear fellow Chaplains:</font></p> <p align="left"><font face="Arial">As the transition to recovery and stabilization after Katrina continues in many areas of the Gulf Coast, we are now told to anticipate the affects of yet another hurricane, “Rita,” now off the Florida Keys. </font></p> <p align="left"><font face="Arial"><em>(NWB: Tuesday...Cloudy with hurricane force winds developing. Showers and thunderstorms with very heavy rainfall. Northeast winds increasing to 80 to 105 mph...With higher gusts possible.…)</em> </font></p> <p align="left"><font face="Arial">New Orleans -- this morning the Mayor encouraged shopkeepers and home owners to return, this evening once again he announced evacuation warnings. The effect on morale is devastating. If the storm intensifies recovery work throughout the Gulf Coast will stop as evacuation orders spread. </font></p> <p align="left"><font face="Arial">So just what do Spiritual Care givers throughout the country do? We wait to see what will be needed even if it means starting to pick up the pieces all over again. And we pray.<br > Local care givers will once again be called upon to take the initial brunt of whatever damage occurs. But, already stretched to the breaking point, they will have less resiliency this time. We have a good number of qualified members who are standing by if needed for act two of this nightmare, but we have no way of knowing what the future will bring. </font></p> <p align="left"><font face="Arial">Please email and update your availability with the Destin office if you have any change in your personal plans or other commitments. Do not put yourself on the list for deployment if you are not deployable (i.e., already have permission from your employer, are basically packed and prepared to go).</font></p> <p align="left"><font face="Arial">After Action reports are beginning to come in from returning Chaplains. The stories they tell of selfless dedication and service are passionate and moving. The response so far is a great credit to you all.</font></p> <p align="left"><font face="Arial">After what seemed forever, we were finally able to deploy four Chaplains to New Orleans and now are on our second rotation. We do not know how long they will be able to stay because of the new evacuation order. We certainly ask that you keep them in your prayers. We continue the support efforts in Gulfport and the Mississippi coast area.</font></p> <p align="left"><font face="Arial">The report from San Antonio over the weekend was that they had found homes for over 2,500 evacuees from the Levi Strauss Shelter and were closing it down Sunday. This morning the same crew were told to consolidate space in the Kelley Air Force Base facilities, to make room for possible evacuees from Rita. Now that takes flexibility. </font></p> <p align="left"><font face="Arial">Houston was also in a consolidation phase over the weekend, it will probably also be put on “Rita” status until authorities determine what category it becomes and where it will hit.</font></p> <p align="left"><font face="Arial">Some have been called to respond and after getting release time from their employers and going through inoculations have then been told at the last minute that they were not needed. Others have gone to the designated sites at their own expense only to find out that no one expected or wanted them there and no one knew who had requested their help. </font></p> <p align="left"><font face="Arial">The stories are legion so a few precautions are in order after being activated:</font></p> <p align="left"><font face="Arial">1. Find out the specifics of who, where, when, what, and how long. Then call your Point of Contact yourself and verify transportation, lodging, assignment, and Identification (ID Card) arrangements, also identify any personal issues or needs.</font></p> <p align="left"><font face="Arial">2. Make sure you understand your chain of command and coordinate your efforts with those already on the scene.</font></p> <p align="left"><font face="Arial">3. Maintain the discipline of daily debriefings, report or journal keeping, and watch issues of rest, medications, and stress.</font></p> <p align="left"><font face="Arial">4. Remain flexible! The situation in these disaster areas is very fluid and can change from hour to hour. You cannot be too rigid or you will implode.</font></p> <p align="left"><font face="Arial"><strong>Warning to everyone: The following conditions still apply in the affected areas:</strong> </font></p> <p align="left"><font face="Arial">1. Cell phones are still erratic so do not depend on them as a primary source of communications. </font></p> <p align="left"><font face="Arial">2. Since the disaster began, credit card fraud has increased and the credit card companies are on guard. Credit cards are almost useless in many places. Prices of many commodities and food have skyrocketed.</font></p> <p align="left"><font face="Arial">3. You must be self contained. Bring our own medical and personal supplies – extra glasses, medications, etc. Gasoline is virtually impossible to find in some areas, so if you are driving, bring cans of gas to supply yourself.</font></p> <p align="left"><font face="Arial">4. Limited access is available in New Orleans, but the absence of sanitation, drinking water, lodging, and transportation make it ill advised to go there at all unless you are under the direct logistic support of a parent agency (FEMA, NOPD, Military, etc.).<br > </font></p> <p align="left"><font face="Arial"><strong>Self Care</strong><br > Many of our Chaplains are finishing their second week or more of extreme effort on behalf of countless evacuees all over the southern part of our country. Self Care issues are beginning to surface. One of our Chaplains, working in his own city, has had a heart attack. Others are reporting exhaustion and fatigue. Please remember your self care training, and use it.<br > </font></p> <p align="left"><font face="Arial">As fellow ICPC Chaplains from your area start to return from their assignments, please give them a call and keep in touch with them. Make sure they get proper d ebriefings and rest, even if you have to preach for them or pick up some of their load for a while. Remember it could be you coming home after the next disaster. </font></p> <p align="left"><font face="Arial">Please note the <A href="helpingkatrina.pdf"><font face="Arial" > <strong>attached article by Julia Keller</strong></font></A> forwarded in his Houston After Action report by Tim Klerekoper.</font></p> <p align="left"><font face="Arial">I will continue to keep you updated.<br > Pray for the Chaplains we have deployed and for the victims.</font></p> <p align="left"><font face="Arial">Peace</font></p> <p align="left"><font face="Arial"><font face="Arial">Dr. Wayne Whitelock, CMC<br > Chair ICPC Disaster Response Committee</font></font></p> <BLOCKQUOTE> </BLOCKQUOTE> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </H3> </body> </html>