Report from a local team of firefighters who went to New Orleans

[Roland99]

SRT Morning Update: 09-01-2005, 0830

Apparently things in New Orleans were even crazier yesterday!

Chris says that the group traveled to a hospital on an island to evacuate patients that hadn't had food or water for 3 days. Along the way, Mikes team came across people stranded on their roofs with dead bodies of family members lying beside them. Apparently there wasn't much they could do. Once they got to the hospital, Blackhawk helicopters assisted in evacuating the victim's. By 9:00 PM, the group was told to pack it in until tomorrow due to the sunset and the difficulty of landing the helicopters in the dark. This left over 100 patients still at the hospital, including many children who begged them not to leave. Chris said the remaining patients although upset, were understanding. One hugged Chris and thanked him for helping.

Everywhere the team goes, they are protected by armed police. At one point they broke into a Winn-Dixie Store to get food for the team. While they were inside, the police guarded them with guns drawn. When the police took a turn to go inside for food, they gave Dan a glock pistol and Sean a shotgun to stand guard.

Chris said the situation is getting desperate. No one has had food for several days and people are dying by the thousands. Many of the victim's ask the group for food or water as they go by, but Chris says they don't have enough to spare.

They have been eating military rations and working long hours in the hot sun. He also said that there aren't enough rescuers to get everyone saved, even though miles of rescue vehicles were lined up on a road leading into the command post.

Last night the group got 6-7 hours of sleep and will be back at it again today. He thinks they will be down there for several more days. I will get another update tomorrow.

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I've forwarded that to several media outlets. Feel free to blast it, too.

[spooky3]

1. thanks

[NoFederales]

2. Thanks for the update.

NoFederales

[Toots]

3. Funny thing about this story

They said they broke into a Winn-Dixie store for food but no one else had food. Why not? If the Winn-Dixie store had food for those guys why not food for more people. I have been into one of those stores in the past and it had many shelves filled with canned goods and soda pop and water. Something is not making sense. Just one of those big box stores should have enough canned goods to feed hundreds if not thousands of people. :shrug:

[Roland99]

5. Probably in an area inaccessible to those at the Conv. Ctr.

Also, how are you going to open those cans? I know they carry can openers but just a few in that kitchen appliance aisle.

[struggle4progress]

10. Well, we gotta protect these places against looters, doncha know ...

[babylonsister]

4. As sad as they are, first hand reports are important-

thank you.

[MissMarple]

6. Does he have any idea why food and water have been with held until today?

Any idea at all? He didn't mention actual violence, only the perceived possibility.

[Roland99]

7. An audio hookup shown on local news last night was gut-wrenching

They don't know why there was a delay.

[vickitulsa]

8. I think the whole story of the shots being fired at relief people

is being exaggerated and MULTUPLIED waay beyond the truth by the spin doctors who are already realizing they have a huge job ahead of them. You would think there are refugee snipers on every rooftop taking aim specifically at rescue teams! IMO, this simply cannot be true.

But if they put out such stories, this way the perception among Americans out here who cannot see for themselves what is happening is that the relief effort is being delayed DUE ONLY to the behavior of looters and those who are supposedly -- supposedly -- shooting at the rescue crews.

I just do not believe this, it doesn't pass the smell test. It doesn't make common sense, does it? I have heard no one QUESTION these stories. I believe some shooting at relief personnel may have happened, but just exactly WHO did the shooting is unknown, right? I think the President and all the authorities who failed everyone miserably in this disaster are counting on the "fog of war" we are beginning to hear about obscuring the truth, muddying up the waters so that we can never sort it out.

This SUPPOSED violent threat to rescuers should be examined VERY VERY closely before we just buy the story that rescue is impossible because of dangers to relief teams coming from the survivors and refugees themselves! Once again, they are blaming the victims.

Right now no one really knows what's going on, the real truth of it. But later, when all those refugees are finally out and safe and able to tell their stories, what do you bet we get an ENTIRELY DIFFERENT PICTURE?

~VV

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[emcguffie]

9. It is also possible the shots were intended to get attention.

Someone desperate for help could have fired off shots, couldn't there? Is there any evidence that that was not the case?