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Katrina Experience: Communications

Katrina Experience: Communications. Mark J. Reis, NREMT-P, BSM Former Deputy Director of EMS City of New Orleans. The Plan. 5 strategic locations 33 EMS vehicles Use EMS 2 Back-up: ITAC 1 and 2. What were we doing??. Responded to 911 calls to service (178) Transported to local ED’s

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Katrina Experience: Communications

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  1. Katrina Experience:Communications Mark J. Reis, NREMT-P, BSM Former Deputy Director of EMS City of New Orleans

  2. The Plan • 5 strategic locations • 33 EMS vehicles • Use EMS 2 • Back-up: ITAC 1 and 2

  3. What were we doing?? • Responded to 911 calls to service (178) • Transported to local ED’s • Shut down at 2327 in conjunction with Fire and Police on August 28, 2005….the eye was hours away from landfall…

  4. Lost all Communication Portables went silent Main channels failed Went to ITAC- huge volumes of multi-agency traffic Discovered FAA Channel No functioning 911 center in area Then What?

  5. After the levees failed….

  6. Communications Lessons learned • Must have operable first • Then can be interoperable (P25,open system) • Must be redundant (system of systems) • One language (700MHZ) • One line of communication (Policy, procedure and protocol) • Standardized equipment (master control site)

  7. Plan • Must be functional and coordinated • Must be followed! • Must be practiced! • Must be resourceful

  8. Assessment • Provide forum for all levels of staff • Management must evaluate response and plan • Identify shortcomings/Challenges • Identify Positives • Redesign plans based on lessons learned. • Exercise plans regularly.

  9. The Local Challenges • Regionality • Dissolving “boundaries” -parishes/counties -societies -protocols

  10. National Challenges • Regionality • Leadership • Exercises • Financial concerns • Clear messages from single agency

  11. Recovery • Locally • Consolidated communications (police, fire and EMS) • OPCD oversight • State: • Supports regionality • Supports systems of systems

  12. Where we are today • Region 1 comes together • Developed a 700Mhz system which creates an interoperable solution for all the region. • Allows for communications with state and federal partners • Protocols, policies and procedures being completed. • Equipment to be in place by end of 2006.

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