EMS & Hurricane Katrina

A personal account of Katrina experiences from paramedics who had been attending an EMS conference in New Orleans at the time. I know there is much to be learned from the aftermath, and listening to personal experiences, opposed to media that has been banned from reporting the news or photographing the devastation, is the only way we're going to improve anything. If we can't even understand the following concept (in bold, below) then we are in deep trouble:

our sinking feeling (along with the sinking City) was correct. Just as dusk set in, a Gretna Sheriff showed up, jumped out of his patrol vehicle, aimed his gun at our faces, screaming, "Get off the fucking freeway". A helicopter arrived and used the wind from its blades to blow away our flimsy structures. As we retreated, the sheriff loaded up his truck with our food and water.

Once again, at gunpoint, we were forced off the freeway. All the law enforcement agencies appeared threatened when we congregated or congealed into groups of 20 or more. In every congregation of "victims" they saw "mob" or "riot". We felt safety in numbers. Our "we must stay together" was impossible because the agencies would force us into small atomized groups. [ read it ]

posted by Cyndy | link | | |
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