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Responding units, call PAR...
Where from and tell us your story! Be it long or short, any support provided, care shown, or even a cuppla quick prayers thown into the wind... It all mattered.
So how about it?
So how about it?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Kyle McNeil on
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Well here's our story.
I was a Station 1 in Biloxi during the entire storm. We were hanging out in the front of the building joking and having a good old time not really knowing what the hell was going on. At around 5pm the winds had died down enough to get the trucks out and off we went. We had a rude awakening. I was with a group of 9 and our first rescue was 7 people that rode that crap out in a boat tied to a tree. I remember getting out of the trck and walking into the water. feet started getting wet, then it was over my boots, I was thinking this sucks. Little did I know ten minutes later I would be swimming from house to house in my turn out gear pulling people from attics and roof tops. I'm guessing, but I would say our total number of rescues, until it was to dark to keep a good accountability, was around 50. We would find someone and they would say the person next door stayed also. Well the house next door might be two blocks away at that point.
None of us think we're hero's. We just responded as normal and did our job the best we could. Anyone would have done the same, and many did. Thanks to all. -
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Permalink Reply by Bob on
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since I started this thread, I guess I should put my 2 cents in as well. I'm from Bay St. Louis, which took the eastern eye wall of the storm. I like many of my mistaken neighbors, figured that since the place did well in Camille we'd be alright. If anyone had told me that I'd be doing the backstroke in my living room trying to keep 2 German shepherds from drowning, as my wife did the same, I'd only have asked for half a hit of whatever they'd been smoking...
We literally lost everything. Yes, we had all the needed insurance, until the insurance people decided they didn't need us... In the next 3 weeks I became so weakened by dehydration and infection that I damn near died. And, like a true Emergency Service Worker, I kept providing service to all but myself. Ya, I know... I ain't the brightest bulb in the chandelier...
I've mostly rebuilt, and after a while if you look at the old man in the wheelchair with the O2 bottle wheezing out "Welcome to Wal-Mart", well that'll be me...
That was a joke friends...
Still a proud resident of Bay St. Louis, and Hancock County... Still serving my neighbors as a Firefighter, and yes... still stubborn as an ox! -
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Permalink Reply by FireLew22 on
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Came down to Biloxi/Gulfport just after Katrina and spent about 3 weeks working out of Harrison County EOC. Handed out a lot of ice ,water and MRE's. Also we worked on a few firemens houses from Biloxi. Did a roof job for a Capt. and gutted the Union Pres. house. We were part of the Wash DC Metro COG team. I hope everyone is getting back to "normal". Whatever normal is. Be safe
Also I got about 700 pictures just in case I forget what I saw. -
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Please Lew, never forget what you saw. Spread the word what a real disaster is like to the non-believers, These blows can happen anywhere on the coasts, be it east, west or gulf. Those of you who came to our aid can be the best teachers to people who are convinced that "it can't happen to me"...
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The Twisted Sister tour.... LOVE IT!
FL DMAT 1 saved my bacon here in Bay St. Louis. Y'all are the best things FEMA did... Now show them how to do the rest of it right... -
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Permalink Reply by pfd334 on
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Well I did two weeks ferrying Arizona and Tenn. Task Forces around New Orleans East and then a weekdoing water samples uptown. Being that I live 60 miles away and having frequented numerous restraunts and Bars in and around New Orleans I would have never ever imagined driving a boat down Canal St passing Manadina's restraunt with four to six feet of water or see bodies laying on I-10 or on the median or seeing a grown man bury his wife in bricks so the packs of dogs wouldn't try to attack him for her body. Having snipers look out for any movement in the two hotels that over looked where we launched our boats, the night before a couple of thugs shot at police from those two hotels. After those three weeks I was lucky enough to supervise the collection of HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE and WHITEGOODS for ST. Tammany Parish working for the EPA. I averaged 109hrs a week til Christmas. Yes it was a goverment wage job and that is how I was able to work Full time now as A Fire Fighter. I worked 9 months in ST. Tammany I met a lot of good people and fire fighters in those nine months and I would like to thank each and everyone and remember never forget
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Permalink Reply by Andrew on
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I'm from Pearlington. Fortunatetly, we evacuated to Hammond, L.A. Our house got water in it (up to our second story), but while we were in Hammond, we had to deal with the wind. A tree fell on my unlces house during a tornado. Naturally, our first instinct kicked in and we ran in and started pulling stuff out of the house during the tornado (not the smartest thing I've done). The day after, my mom and brother came back to find the house distroyed, along with the rest of Pearlington. We didn't end up coming back untill about a year ago. The storm made me relize how people needed help down here, and I wanted to help. I went to my fire Dept. (West Hancock Fire Rescue) and joined up about 6-8 months ago, and I've been hooked since.
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Permalink Reply by Lenny Wacenske on
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I was put on stand-by for The Salvation Army two days prior to the storm. For a month I help coordinate the Army's effort with supplying the needed supplies to those in need. I was then sent to Biloxi for two weeks to assist in running the whole relief effort in Mississippi. What most people saw on TV was nothing compared to experiencing first-hand. I can tell you of all the good that came out of this disaster. How the Natives (as we call those who live there) welcomed us into their lives and were more willing to help us than to receive our help. The human spirit is much more stronger than whatever Mother Nature can throw at it. I personally thank God every day for those men and women willing to assist those in times of need and keep the Human Spirit alive!
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Permalink Reply by Mick Mayers on
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Bay St. Louis, huh? I actually have a GREAT Bat St. Louis/Katrina story involving Rusty that is too long for posting, but unbelievable. Maybe when I have some more time...
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I was surfing through some different groups when I saw this and had to check it out. I was the Incident Support Team Commander for South Carolina US&R Task Force 1 on our deployment to Katrina, where we first worked in St. Tammany Parish, then were sent over to St. Bernard before the arrival of the federal teams. I have been through quite a few storms and deployments in over 25 years and this one will take a while to get out of my head. There were unbelievable horrors and there were some of the most touching moments, and of course, when you are camping in a disaster with 70+ US&R people, you can imagine there are some very funny memories as well.
I'll follow this group for a little and throw out an anecdote or two, but I just wanted to answer the PAR for SC-TF1. -
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And thank you for that Mike. I too experienced both great and horrible things in the days after that blow. Sometimes the nightmares are so vivid that I believe I'm back in the middle of my living room, trying to keep my family alive again....
I've been able to make friends with some of the ghosts of that storm, but sometimes it's a tad overwhelming. Those of us who survived and had to make the initial responses have many stories, both good and bad to tell.... many of those tales are barely believable. Only our extended emergency Service family can even think to understand... -
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