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LSU in the Eye of the Storm: A University Model for Disaster Response

LSU in the Eye of the Storm: A University Model for Disaster Response. LSU’s Katrina Experience. About LSU Setting the Scene Katrina Comes Ashore LSU Responds Facilities, Volunteers & Partnerships, Communications, Housing & Dining, Security, Technology How Specific Units Helped

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LSU in the Eye of the Storm: A University Model for Disaster Response

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  1. LSU in the Eye of the Storm:A University Model for Disaster Response

  2. LSU’s Katrina Experience • About LSU • Setting the Scene • Katrina Comes Ashore • LSU Responds • Facilities, Volunteers & Partnerships, Communications, Housing & Dining, Security, Technology • How Specific Units Helped • Top Lessons Learned

  3. About LSU • Founded 1860, land-, sea-, & space-grant • Pre-Katrina enrollment: 30,564 • 4,887 faculty & staff • Located in Baton Rouge, LA’s capital • Campus on 2,000 acres, bordered by Miss. River

  4. “Even as we were scurrying around buying gallons of bottled water, in the back of my mind I thought Katrina would be like Hurricane Ivan was for New Orleans: much ado about nothing. If only.” LSU Art Professor 5 am, Sat., Aug 27, Katrina declared Cat 3 storm Low-lying areas evacuate Special Needs Shelter opens at LSU PA issues press release, broadcast e-mail to cancel Monday classes, public events Calm Concern Before the Storm

  5. The Monster Grows • Preparations continue • PA opens Sun, Aug. 28, to answer phones • Media • Parents • Emergency workers • New Orleans under mandatory evacuation • Katrina now a Cat 5 storm, max sustained winds, 175-mph, gusts to 216-mph

  6. Bracing for the Worst From the NWS in New Orleans. . . . . .hurricane with unprecedented strength . . .area uninhabitable for weeks . . .half of all well-constructed homes will have roof & wall failure . . .all wood-frame, low-rise apt. buildings will be destroyed . . .power outages will last for weeks . . .majority of trees will be snapped or uprooted . . .high rise office & apt. buildings will sway dangerously, a few to collapse . . .all windows will blow out

  7. Katrina Comes Ashore • Mon., Aug. 29, makes landfall at Buras, LA • 125-145 mph winds • Levees breached, city floods, St. Bernard Parish decimated • Worst natural disaster in U.S. history • Thousands of people in 7 states affected

  8. Our Mission:Serve the Victims • Chancellor’s charge: Serve human needs 1st • Ask for help • Eliminate red tape • Break rules if necessary • Think creatively

  9. Conversion to Medical Facilities • Operated 800-bed field hospital, 250-bed SNS • Triaged 15,000 evacuees • Treated 6,000 patients • Filled 2,000 prescriptions • Utilized 1,700 volunteer medical personnel from 12 states • PMAC open 9 days

  10. Conversion to Medical Facilities • Largest deployment of public health officials in U.S. history • Some agencies involved: DHH, FEMA, U.S. Public Health Service, CDC, LSUHSC, State emergency response teams, USAF, Army, Coast Guard, National Guard, Navy, Marines, DMATs, VMATs, VMORT, LSU Athletic Department • Largest acute-care field hospital ever created in U.S. history

  11. Volunteers & Partnerships • 3,000 faculty, students & staff volunteered • 70 LSU volunteers manned 13-day, 24-hour hotline, received 6,495 calls • 800 mattresses donated, collected & delivered to area shelters • 100 laptops donated by IBM • Developed volunteer registry with Microsoft

  12. Staging Location for Media • Times-Picayune sets up at Manship School of Mass Communication • WWL-TV broadcasts from Hodges Hall • Washington Post, NBC News, ESPN, Chronicle of Higher Education, BBC, Discovery Channel, National Geographic, New York Times, Good Morning America & dozens of others visit campus

  13. Displaced Students, Families & Institutions • Registered 2,896 students in 10 days • 700 instructors offered teaching support • Added 80 new class sections • Housed 500 newly registered students • Reactivated 2 off-line residence halls • Matched displaced students & families with housing provided by LSU faculty, staff, alums & friends

  14. Support for Agencies • FEMA, National Guard, DHH, Red Cross, FBI, SBA, US Forestry Service, surgical teams, police, Homeland Security • Installed 200 additional phones, phone lines, network connections, computers, fax machines & printers • Housed & fed 950 relief personnel • Provided showers for 1,000 workers • Housed 1,287 pets

  15. Nothing Normal About Katrina: Challenges We Faced • No communication; phones out, no cell service • Extremely hot weather • Power out in most places • Constant struggle to maintain updated info • Stress & depression, little sleep • Huge demand for housing, ice, gasoline • Need to manage intense media interest while maintaining patient privacy

  16. How Units Contributed • Student Media: Uninterrupted • KLSU • Tiger TV • Career Services • Job search seminars, placement assistance • SG: Leading the Way • Coordinated volunteer effort w/PPRL • Provided logistical support for SNS • Spearheaded fundraiser for student relief

  17. More Help Arrives • FETI: Gets in Gear as Flood Waters Rise • Deployed Urban Search & Rescue to N.O. • Rescued people from houses • Provided much-needed rescue equipment • Facility Services: Kept Us Up & Running • Prepared campus pre-storm • Handled post-storm clean-up • Managed power/utility maintenance • Stockpiled construction materials/supplies • Moved equipment & furniture for offices, staging areas

  18. More Help Arrives • Mental Health Services • Offered free consults • URec • Offered free facility use to evacuees • Day Care Center • Offered free babysitting services to evacuees • Student Health Center • Offered tetanus shots to evacuees • Vet Med: Animal Rescue Efforts • Temporary shelter • Walked, cleaned cages, fed & watered pets

  19. More Help Arrives • LSU Police Department • Provided site safety & security at PMAC, SNS & Animal Shelter • Escorted evacuee transports • Information & Technology Services • Provided telephone & data connectivity • Created Dr/pt/police/volunteer registry • Modified electronic admissions process • Created computer accts for visiting students • Restored mission critical apps for UNO & LSUHSC • Opened servers to certain displaced businesses

  20. Managing Deluge of Media • Public Affairs • Requested all staff on deck: Before, during, after storm • Operated 24-hour public info hotline • Managed media requests for experts and info from around the globe • Handled internal communication • Broadcast e-mails, Town Hall meetings • Maintained lsu.edu throughout crisis, beyond • Chronicled University’s activities

  21. Flexibility 101 • Modified academic calendar • Moved/rescheduled football games • Closed streets • Re-routed traffic & managed parking

  22. LSU Foundation Creates Hurricane Student Relief Fund • Managed by LSU Foundation • Created Web site • Debuted during ASU game & promoted on ESPN • $5.1M collected in direct support to students affected by Hurricanes Katrina/Rita

  23. Important Lessons Learned • Have an emergency plan ready beforehand • Know what resources you have & how they can be used • Maintain inventory of trucks, food services/facilities, technology, materials & equipment, housing, experts & people trained as emergency responders • Use service contracts to supplement work crews & provide special needs • Consider remote servers for key info

  24. Important Lessons Learned Communication is key! • Constantly update info internally & externally • Use your Web site & don’t forget radio • Designate someone to work with PA • Assist media without jeopardizing mission • Release info, photos & video to public • Consistently communicate mission to all • Have a good supply of radios/walkie talkies • Identify qualified media & communications personnel on campus in advance; put them on an emergency list • Think of everything your PA team might need • Create credentialing system for media & others that works with your security plan

  25. Important Lessons Learned • Create necessary databases ahead of time; update them • Obtain emergency contact info for faculty experts who can work with media & have crisis mgt expertise • Be prepared to support students & families • Have a plan to evacuate students from your campus if that becomes necessary • Write an emergency academic response plan to admit/register new students • Be flexible with scheduling issues • Develop courses that could easily go online • At beginning of each semester, give students list of items they should not be without in event of disaster • Be willing to do any job

  26. Emergency Operations Center • Forecast of 20+ years increased hurricane activity. • Chancellor directed permanent 24/7 “all hazards” EOC be established. • Equipment • Training • Exercises

  27. The Calm After the Storm & Coping with Katrina • No dress rehearsals • We are grateful to all of you who came to our aid in time of need • We were humbled by outpouring of support • We are doing all we can to help rebuild Louisiana & the Gulf Coast Region

  28. Thank you for your time and your interest. www.lsu.edu www.lsustorm.com

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