NEW ORLEANS - -- Since Hurricane Katrina over a year ago, many residents wonder if New Orleans is ready to evacuate and rescue citizens in the event of another direct hit by a hurricane.
Nine Marines from MarForRes participated in Operation Lily Pad Sept. 20, an exercise testing joint search and rescue procedures in the state of Louisiana.
The primary objectives of the exercise were to improve coordination and communication procedures, expedite evacuee transportation methods to safe areas, and improve operation procedures at the evacuation sites.
“This is the first all encompassing search and rescue operation,” said Army Maj. David H. Peterson, a Joint Forces Headquarters officer. “What that means is that all aspects of ground and air rescue were covered, as well as evacuating victims and transporting them to safe grounds.”
All of the agencies involved volunteered for the exercise in order to practice situations that were presented during the 2005 hurricane season.
“The fact that we didn’t have a budget for this exercise was a big issue,” said Peterson. “Everyone involved offered to do this using their own money, and that was a big deal. All of the agencies wanted to make sure they had everything necessary to face situations like this if they came today.”
Some of the Marines would have liked a bigger role in the exercise.
“Of course being rescued in a helicopter was the high point of the day, but I thought we should’ve taken the role as a “role player”, not just a victim,” said Staff Sgt. Evette Figueroa, MarForRes administrative operations individual augment staff noncommissioned officer in charge. “We should’ve been able to throw different scenarios at the rescue team. Everything they had planned was planned as if it were in a perfect world. There are many challenges to include people who are disabled, scared of heights, and a number of other variables,” she said.
The exercise was designed to simulate another hurricane with severe flooding conditions.
The joint search and rescue missions involved agencies from the state of Louisiana, City of New Orleans, and the federal government. Participants came from the LA Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), New Orleans Police and Fire Departments and 11 other different agencies. Many of the agencies involved in Lily Pad were involved in the Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita search and rescue missions last year. More than 300 people participated in the exercises, which went smoothly and met its goals of improving operations, communication and evacuation procedures.