The destruction, heartbreak and family separation left in the wake of Hurricane Katrina constitute the biggest challenge many Louisiana citizens have faced. But in the aftermath of the worst storm ever to hit the Gulf Coast, Louisiana's citizens are responding with compassion, selflessness, innovation, and a heartfelt resolve to get Louisiana back on its feet. The Louisiana citizens who have responded so quickly and effectively to Hurricane Katrina are nothing less than heroes, and we are proud to say that many Louisiana state agencies and their dedicated employees can be numbered among these countless "Louisiana Heroes."
       While all the thousands of stories of emergency response and recovery above and beyond the call of duty can never be told, we've decided to dedicate this page to at least a few examples of the kinds of things the state employees, contractors and volunteers working as part of your various state agencies' response efforts have done - and continue to do - to make sure that Louisiana and her citizens come back from this disaster stronger than ever. We'll continue to update this site as new stories come to our attention.

James Mergist heads up the state Department of Natural Resources' Pipeline/Safety Division. The division has had an intensified role in keeping Louisiana's citizens safe since Katrina and Rita.

Government office coordinates pipeline safety in many ways
     “There is approximately 45,000 miles of pipeline in Louisiana,” according to James Mergist, who heads the state Department of Natural Resources’ Pipeline/Safety Division. This division is aligned with the agency’s Office of Conservation and is mainly responsible for programs that regulate intrastate natural gas use, hazardous liquid pipelines and conservation. It also acts as a clearinghouse to provide information to users of natural gas in the state.
     Since Katrina and Rita, the division is one of many in state government which have had an intensified role in keeping our citizen’s safe.  Mergist says he is also proud to be one of many state workers to have come in contact with the good works and generosity of other states during this extraordinary time of need. 
     Mergist says his office was contacted by Marti Marek of Southwest Gas Corporation (SGC) of Las Vegas , Nevada, just following the storms. Marek’s company, according to Mergist, had a proposal that (the state) just could not refuse. SGC was willing to donate some used combustible gas indicator units, called CGIs, that would help inspectors and workers pinpoint the location of leaks and the severity of leaks in gas lines.
        Discussions began and in a little more than 48 hours, the Louisiana Municipal Gas Association, the Police Jury Association of Louisiana, Atmos Energy Louisiana (representing the Louisiana Gas Association) and the department had a plan. The CGIs would be sent to Lafayette at the Atmos service center office at the earliest, along with several SGC employees to help with training so that the equipment would be used properly.
        SGC arranged for shipping, initial training, and an initial supply of test gas for operators in Louisiana . Mergist noted that Atmos in Lafayette would install a calibration docking station, as would the Louisiana Municipal Association building in Baton Rouge . He said a third docking area is planned in central Louisiana .

Getting Back Online After Katrina
Technical Assistance From Other States Meets Need, Allows Louisiana to Pass Along the Favor
     Thanks to the generosity, quick response and hard work of technology experts and connectivity providers from across the country, several higher education institutions in Louisiana and other hurricane-devastated areas were able to restore internet access – even in the early weeks of storm recovery in some cases – and thereby re-establish communications channels vital to the recovery effort.
     Kappie Mumprey, chief information officer for Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, initially became involved in the project because of the critical need to restore communications at the heavily-damaged LSU agricultural extension office in Plaquemines Parish. As fate would have it, the LSU Agricultural Center is part of the American Distance Education Consortium, a group of about 65 state universities and land-grant colleges that support distance learning. Recently, the Consortium had received a grant to test the viability of satellite internet access, so Mumphrey reasoned that her fellow Consortium members might be able to lend a hand. And indeed, after a series of telephone conversations with her Consortium colleagues and connectivity provider Tachyon, an estimated $100,000 worth of satellite equipment and a team of technology experts were immediately dispatched to battered areas.
     After the Environmental Protection Agency gave them the "all clear" to access the extension office compound – forced to operate out of trailers and possessing very limited communications capability – a group led by Indiana Higher Education Telecommunication System representatives Max Gordon and David Cory was able to restore internet and cable services to the Plaquemines Parish location within one week.
     "Having access to internet and cable services was a critically important step to recovery after the storm," said Mumphrey, adding that another notable out-of-state contributor to this technological relief effort was Texas A&M University, which provided several sixty-pound portable satellite dishes, each with 512 megabytes of uplink and 1.5 megabytes of downlink capability, as well as voiceover IP telephone sets.
     Mumphrey was also able to direct some of the badly-needed technical assistance to another LSU System institution badly hit by the disaster: the University of New Orleans. Once the EPA established that it was safe to enter UNO’s Jefferson campus, satellite dishes were quickly installed. In fact, within the space of one day, fifteen classrooms, as well as several administrative offices and computer laboratories, had internet access to aid the university in achieving its scheduled October 10th reopening date at the location.
     What makes this an even happier story is that during the satellite installation process UNO technology staff members were themselves trained to set up satellite internet connectivity. As soon as the Jefferson campus had restore internet connectivity through regular "land lines," the newly-trained UNO employees were able to move the equipment again and install it on the main UNO campus. What’s more, those employees were later able to transport several satellite dishes to Mississippi State University, which had also suffered substantial hurricane damage, and set up them up on that campus.
     "We were able to establish many strong personal relationships with higher education institutions from around the nation as a result of this tragedy" said Mumphrey. "It’s good to know we’re not alone when a disaster like this strikes."

DSS employee sets own plight aside to serve fellow evacuees   
     Carmen Spooner, Program Manager and twenty-year veteran at the Office of Community Services, exemplifies what it really means to be a Louisiana hero.
     Like many other dedicated employees at the Department of Social Services, Spooner worked tirelessly in the days following Hurricane Katrina- answering calls, responding to requests and reuniting families that were separated during the evacuation of the Greater New Orleans area. The only difference was that Spooner was an evacuee from New Orleans too!
     Despite the personal loss she experienced in the aftermath of Katrina, Spooner worked around the clock to reunite families. Working with Louisiana ’s partner, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Spooner connected seven children with their families at a shelter thousands of miles away.
      Determined to get the children back to their families as quickly as possible, Spooner contacted Angels Flight America to fly the children to San Antonio .  Angels Flight America graciously agreed to make the flight and all of these efforts led to the emotional reunion of 3 Louisiana families on the tarmac at San Antonio International Airport just a day later.
     When faced with tragedy, Spooner found a reason to hope.  When she was given a basket of lemons, Spooner found a way to make lemonade.  Spooner is just one of many heroes who embody the spirit of Louisiana . 

       
Carmen Spooner, Program Manager for the Office of Community Services, is a Katrina evacuee who put her own troubles aside to serve other Katrina hurricane victims.

Dwight Brashear and Leonard Kleinpeter coordinated the use of hundreds of buses to transport hurricane evacuees.

Extraordinary citizens make sure evacuees don't miss the bus
     As a result of the heroic efforts of two extraordinary citizens, thousands of Louisianans were rescued from the rising floodwaters that surrounded the New Orleans Superdome in the aftermath of Katrina.
     Dwight Brashear, CEO and General Manager of the Capital Area Transit System (CATS), and Leonard Kleinpeter, Special Assistant to Governor Kathleen Blanco, organized the use of hundreds of buses from across Louisiana to evacuate thousands of Louisiana citizens in the critical days following Katrina. Ty Bromell, Executive Director of the Governor's Office of Rural Development, also played a key role.
     On Tuesday, August 30^th, Louisiana ’s worst fears became reality when the building pressure from Lake Ponchartrain breeched the levee at the 17^th Street Canal. As floodwaters began filling the streets of downtown New Orleans , Brashear and Kleinpeter recognized the increasing threat to evacuees in the Superdome and began contacting superintendents and school officials around the state searching for buses.
Working with the superintendents and local boards of education as well as the LA National Guard and LA State Police, Brashear and Kleinpeter helped to mobilize every state resource available toward evacuation efforts. 
     The first bus, carrying evacuees out of the Greater New Orleans area, arrived at the Tanger Outlet Mall in Baton Rouge on Wednesday morning—less than 24 hours after the levee breech. Brashear and Kleinpeter, and their staffs, continued working tirelessly throughout the following days and nights—refusing to rest until ALL of their fellow Louisianans were safe. 
     Upon completion of the New Orleans evacuation, Brashear and Kleinpeter had coordinated more than 450 buses from across Louisiana to transport more than 14,000 evacuees. 
     Brashear and Kleinpeter exhibited extraordinary leadership, creativity and ingenuity throughout some of Louisiana’s darkest days.  They are true Louisiana heroes
. 

LA Tech team creates search engine to help locate displaced people
     Dr. Box Leangsuksun, a Louisiana Tech associate professor of computer science, along with five computer science graduate students, has created a new web site aimed at locating people displaced by Hurricane Katrina. Leangsuksun’s hope is that the site will help streamline the search process. Other sites are available that perform similar tasks, he said, but they contain so much information that users can be stymied.
     "Our job is to simplify the process so the user doesn't have to navigate through so much data," he said.
     Leangsuksun said work on the search engine began because he couldn’t ignore his desire to help others.
"After the hurricane hit, I kept watching TV and feeling depressed," he said. "I was in Thailand during the tsunami, and I felt bad because I had to come back to teach and couldn’t help. I thought we should do something here to help the hurricane victims in some way. I feel like this is my second chance to help people."
     Leangsuksun and the Extreme Computing Research Group began work ing on www.searchkatrina.org Sept. 2, and it was up and running five days later. The group members are Anand Tikotekar, Kshitij Limaye, Kiriti Munganuru, Sunil Sudhakar, Yudan Liu and Arpan Darivemula.
Though the team put in long hours and work ed nonstop through the weekend, Leangsuksun said they feel good.
     "If we can help one or two people find their loved ones, it’s worth the hard work ," he said.
     The site combs numerous databases of sites containing lists of evacuees. Users can also register their information with the site. In some cases, the Web site provides locations of where the victims evacuated to and an update on their safety. Leangsuksun said since the site was launched it has had close to 1,000 hits, and he hopes updating it will allow more victims to find their loved ones.
     "We just want to continue to spread the word," he said, "and hopefully the work we’ve done will be useful."

Dr. Box Leangsuksun, a Louisiana Tech computer science professor, has collaborated with five computer science graduate students to create a new web site aimed at locating people displaced by Hurricane Katrina.

DNR's James Taylor (left) shown with members of Istrouma Relief Team Joy Ross and Nathan Hand.

James Taylor’s latest hit is helping the smallest of God’s creatures
     James Taylor (a geologist in the Office of Mineral Resources, not the legendary singer-songwriter) is proud to be a part of a very generous workforce at the state's Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
     While Hurricane Katrina has left an indelible mark on America , it has also caused the spirit of human kindness to touch many lives in many wonderful ways. This spirit has been exemplified in James and in the many other DNR employees that opened their hearts, offered their help, and made cash donations to the victims of Katrina.
     Just a day after the storm hit, Taylor volunteered to help with the Red Cross Relief Center at Istrouma Baptist Church ( Baton Rouge ), where he is a member.  According to Taylor . the shelter housed more than 400 displaced people, including many large families with infants and small children. He said the need to help the ‘little ones’ was enormous. Diapers, formula, wipes, clothes and baby food were in short supply but in high demand once the shelter opened.
     Taylor and Istrouma's Brad Brumfield, Istrouma’s asked for support from the employees of DNR to make up for the short supply of goods the church had on hand. The department responded by calling for a 2-day baby needs drive. 
     “I knew the Secretary and the employees would show their support for this effort and they did so--- in a big way,” Taylor said. James Taylor and company are all heroes whom we can celebrate and be proud of.

LA National Guard colonel leads efforts to rescue convention center evacuees
      Lieutenant Colonel Jacques Thibodaux, of the Louisiana National Guard, played an instrumental role in the rescue, evacuation and life saving of thousands of Louisiana citizens in aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. 
     By way of background, shortly after September 11^th, Thibodaux was selected by Major General Bennett C. Landrenau to lead Task Force Noble Eagle, with the mission of protecting Louisiana ’s seven commercial airports from the threat of terrorism. Because of the success and lessons learned from this operation, General Landreneau created the Special Reaction Team (SRT) to respond to any threat, disaster or emergency in Louisiana .
      As a leader of the SRT during Hurricane Katrina, Thibodaux led the critical rescue and evacuation mission of more than 19,000 displaced citizens at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. Within a half hour of the SRT’s arrival, law and order was established without any incidents. Shortly thereafter, the SRT began administering critical relief operations by providing food, water and medical attention to evacuees.
     By 10:00 a.m. the following morning, evacuation of the convention center began.  Less than 24 hours later, the evacuation was complete.  More than 19,000 displaced citizens were evacuated, 14,000 by bus, 2,000 by ferry and 3,000 critical care patients by helicopter.
      In addition to being a citizen soldier in the LA National Guard, Lt. Col Jacques Thibodaux is also a Deputy US Marshall.

Lt. Col. Jacques Thibodaux led the rescue of some 19,000 evacuees from the Morial Convention Center in New Orleans.

DEQ pulls much more than samples from the floodwaters
     Employees of the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality were part of a small group of boats that launched from I-610 in the days following the storm. Seven DEQ Water Quality Surveys employees, with 6 flat-bottomed boats, were able to enter an area not accessible by the larger boats and helicopters. The DEQ employees rescued over 280 people from the 9th Ward area, including many women with young children and several disabled citizens. The ten-boat group rescued a total of 465 people during the effort.
      All of the DEQ employees involved in the operation said they were deeply touched by the plight of the people they encountered, stranded for days in their flooded homes, and that they felt greatly rewarded by the expressions of gratitude from the people rescued.
      DEQ personnel involved in the effort included Kirk Manuel, Guy Lafleur, Mike Reed, Jeremy Griffith, Chuck Fontenot, Cal Fontenot, and Bill Hughes.

A line of boats, including six manned by members of the LA Department of Environmental Quality, waits to launch in New Orleans to help rescue stranded victims of Hurricane Katrina.

An inmate evacuated from the Orleans Parish Prison is evaluated by medical staff at the Louisiana State Penitentiary.  

IMPACT inmates from Elayn Hunt Correctional Center unload boxes of relief supplies donated by the Kentucky Department of Corrections.  Clothing, food and water were among items donated.  Kentucky also sent corrections personnel to assist the Louisiana Department of Corrections.

Corrections employees guard public safety and more before, during and after Katrina
     The efficient and safe evacuation of some 7600 Orleans and Jefferson Parish inmates presented a huge logistical challenge for the Louisiana Department of Corrections.  Countless corrections officers, support staff, and probation and parole agents worked literally around the clock for several days to ensure this process was completed without any incidents which might have compromised employee, inmate or public safety.  Department employees also helped with civilian evacuation prior to and after the storm.  
     In addition, Probation and Parole agents from the Louisiana Department are providing security for buses and other law enforcement personnel during the evacuation of New Orleans .  Many of the state's 550 probation and parole agents across Louisiana have been utilized for security, both in New Orleans and at state correctional facilities, as escorts for buses evacuating New Orleans , and for transporting triage patients to Baton Rouge.  They perform whatever task necessary for public safety and the wellbeing of Louisiana citizens.

Department of Education employees show their "class" during emergency
     The day after Hurricane Katrina struck, leaders with the Louisiana Department of Education immediately began working on a plan to get every displaced child back into the safety of a classroom and every teacher and support worker back on the job. The department already had a very well publicized call center to answer questions from concerned teachers and parents. During the first two days, call center employees took more than 3,000 phone calls.  Because of the high volume, the hours of the call center were expanded, more staff was added and the department remained open over the Labor Day weekend to address the concerns of as many parents and teachers as possible. Call center employees answered approximately 1,000 calls a day during the holiday weekend. That toll-free hotline remains extremely busy. The phone number is 1-877-453-2721.
     The department also created a full page ad to run in every major newspaper in our state. The ad tells “Katrina’s kids and teachers” that the Department of Education wants them to remain in Louisiana , gives them the toll-free hotline number and the address of the department's website, www.louisianaschools.net, for daily updates. The full-page ad also informs them about the many fees that have been waived to allow them to quickly move back into Louisiana classrooms. The message to parents, students and educators is simple: We are rebuilding Louisiana through education. 

Medicaid team member takes PMAC duties personally after Katrina    
     Bill Perkins, a hard-working member of the Medicaid MMIS team, showed what he’s really made of the week following Hurricane Katrina at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center .   He carried the poor in his arms and cleaned those who needed help, he was patient and gentle, he worked relentlessly.  These are the things people say about Bill.   They also say he organized DHH employees who came to volunteer, oriented them to the PMAC operations, used them for the things they were best at and most comfortable with, and checked through the night to see that they were okay.  “He worked his heart out,” said Bhaskar Toodie, a DHH economist.
     Helene Robinson, a senior policy and research director was equally impressed.  She reports a series of incidents with an elderly gentleman who was destined to move into a south Louisiana nursing home.  Mr. D was assigned to two different nursing homes before a final decision was made to take him to a third one.  “Bill used his personal cell phone to call Mr. D’s niece each time.  It was his greatest concern that his family know of his whereabouts.  Bill’s phone bill will be enormous considering everyone he took care of.”  This was only one example of the personal touch Bill brought to every patient; he knew all of their names.
     Bill is now the personal hero of many at DHH headquarters who worked with him at the Special Needs Shelters. Perhaps it was in the stars!  Bill and his wife Christine were married during Hurricane Andrew and were celebrating their tenth anniversary in New Orleans the weekend Katrina hit!

New Mexico EMT lauds efforts of DSS employees    
     Terri Spurgeon, of the Office of Community Services, recounted that while she was at the LSU Student Recreational Center in the days following Katrina she met a member of an EMT team from New Mexico who had been working at the Special Needs Shelter in the Superdome.  The New Mexico Team, along with numerous evacuees from the Superdome, was awaiting transportation home.
     The tearful young man asked Terri if he could speak to her about the folks that DSS had sent to work in the Shelter.  Hesitant, she agreed.  He asked that she please relate to the supervisors of the DSS volunteers what a remarkable group of people they are.  According to this young, exhausted EMT, as the flood waters rose in New Orleans , the Superdome filled with evacuees, and chaos began.  Some volunteers had no idea where their family members were and if their homes were being destroyed.  Many were fearful, and a large percentage of volunteers deserted their positions.  The deserters included members of his EMT group and other medical professionals.  He asked that the DSS employees (42 dedicated staff, led by Irby Hornsby) be given special recognition for the heroics and bravery they each demonstrated during this disaster.
     This emotional young man stated that not only did the DSS folks continue to attend to the needs of the patients, they attended to the needs of the medical personnel, providing encouragement, assistance, and security.  He stated he had never met or worked with such an unselfish group of individuals and truly regrets that they will go on as the “unsung heroes” during this disaster.

Troopers go the extra mile (and hours) to rescue Katrina victims
     Louisiana state troopers Matthew Sinanan and Paul Chamorro were two of many law enforcement officials who went above and beyond the call of duty to respond to critical search and rescue needs during Hurricane Katrina.  Based in Baton Rouge , the troopers went into New Orleans almost daily, working with their colleagues there to restore law and order.  With the blessing of their commander, Aaron Chabaud, they also responded to the most urgent search and rescue requests pouring into their headquarters, including one from Tom Patterson.
     Tom had traveled to Baton Rouge from Washington , D.C. to help his far-flung Louisiana family locate and rescue his elderly mother-in-law, Maggi Skolfield, who had ridden out the storm in her New Orleans condominium. Five days after the hurricane had passed, she was still alone in her building, terrified and running out of food and water.  Troopers Sinanan and Chamorro, about to drive into New Orleans for a SWAT team meeting in the area, volunteered to add three hours to their now-usual 12-hour shift to rescue Mrs. Skolfield and bring her back to Baton Rouge .  By 9:00 p.m. that night, she was safe in Troop A's headquarters, exhausted but alive, and ready to begin the journey back to Washington, D.C. to stay with her daughters until she can return home.  Her family later learned that Mrs. Skolfield was down to 32 ounces of water and two peanut butter sandwiches.
     Troopers Sinanan and Chamorro, and their colleagues in the Louisiana State Police, are using a combination of great police skills, ingenuity and a willingness to take risks to save hundreds of people along the Gulf Coast.  They are true Louisiana heroes.

Labor Day labors help reunite family
     On Labor Day Sherry Crain of the Department of Social Services worked as a volunteer at the Denham Springs Jr. High shelter.  Sherry reported that she was moved by the experience and grateful for the opportunity at the end of the long day.  As a resident of the community, she was proud of the many volunteers who appeared throughout the day whom she knew from church, the legal community, and from among her neighbors and friends. But she said that the volunteer she was proudest of was an employee with whom she works every day at the Office of Community Services.
     Susan Flynn, an East Baton Rouge OCS Supervisor, showed up after lunch. Sherry said she assumed Flynn she must have been drafted to have appeared in Denham Springs on a holiday.  Sherry learned that Flynn had been working at the PMAC over the weekend and she had come to Denham Springs with her college-aged daughter to volunteer since she had the day off.  Susan quickly jumped right in and began working directly with the residents.  In particular, she went the extra mile in assisting a young mother with two small children who was attempting to be reunited with her seven-year-old, who was in Texas .  After Sherry called a friend who was headed to Texas with another resident, but could not work out a ride, Susan and her daughter offered to babysit the mother's  two small children overnight in their home while the mother took a bus to Houston to pick up the seven year old from relatives who had evacuated to Houston . 
     “It was so kind of Susan to make this offer,” said Sherry Crain, “but as the agency attorney I could only think of the possible negative outcomes  and potential liabilities, although Susan was acting as a civilian.  Against my legal advice, she made the arrangements and the next day the plans went off without a hitch.  The mother returned the following morning and I anxiously called Susan to see that she had survived.  Susan gave of her heart, her home and her time to reunite this mother and daughter and she didn't let bad legal advice get in her way!”