Seminole Tribe Sends Help to Band of Choctaw Indians

By Nery Mejicano

Katrina, a name that will always be remembered as one of the country’s worst natural disasters, was not unexpected. After suddenly developing in the warm waters of the Atlantic, she arrived in South Florida on Thursday, August 26, as a category 1 hurricane. It pounded the area with high winds and torrential rains, knocking down trees, blocking streets, and leaving 1.4 million people without power.

Four people were killed by falling trees in Broward County and another two drowned. Crossing South Florida at it narrowest point, Katrina lost little of its power and by 8:00 p.m. Friday, Katrina was a category 2 storm and expected to strengthen as it hit the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. In anticipation of the powerful storm, both the governors of Mississippi and Louisiana declared a state of emergency.

As Katrina was leaving the Florida shores, the staff manning the Seminole Tribe Emergency Operation Center (EOC), was busy assessing the damage that the storm caused through its windy and wet passage through the South Florida peninsula.

The EOC, located at the Hollywood Tribal Headquarters, is the command center that coordinates responses to emergency crisis such as hurricanes, storms and other disasters.

It was not over, a call came in from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The Indian Tribes of the area within Katrina’s cross hairs would probably be needing emergency assistance as a category 3 or 4, or even a category 5 storm was about to impact them with all its force.

The last time Mississippi or Louisiana was hit by a category 4 storm was in 1965 when Hurricane Camille devastated the coast with 155 mile an hour winds causing extensive damage and killing 143 people.

In preparation for the destructive arrival of Katrina, the Emergency Services Department and the Seminole Police Department shifted into high gear and began preparations to deploy personnel to the affected area.

The National Weather Service issued a special hurricane warning, “In the event of a category 4 or 5 hits, most of the area will be uninhabitable for weeks, perhaps even longer….At least one half of well-constructed homes will have roof and wall failure…..Power outages will last for weeks.” This was no ordinary storm.

Responding to a catastrophe of such magnitude created by the arrival of a monster such as Katrina requires a great deal of cooperation, organization and planning and logistical support from all levels of an organization.

It became a total team effort, and the Seminole Tribe of Florida should be an example as to how to coordinate and execute such response. The staff of the Purchasing Department rushed to ensure that all necessary gear was in their possession and expedited the buying and delivery of such things as tires for the vehicles and other necessary items.

Utilities provided the generators that would be essential to power all the life saving equipment, lighting and other electrical gear. The staff of Buildings and Grounds worked around the clock to provide all the support to the staff of EOC while all the logistics were being worked out.

SPD and Aviation got ready to respond by making their staff and equipment available. All the while, Laurie McRoy, the Emergency Management Coordinator, kept all Seminole Tribal employees and official abreast of the developments in the Gulf.

On Aug. 29, 14 Seminole Fire Fighters, EMT’s, and Paramedics deployed to Mississippi. Along with them they took one Rescue Ambulance, one Pumper Tanker, a Fire Truck and five support units, making them a totally self contained and self supporting team, ready to assist those who took the brunt and the fury of Katrina. They drove non-stop, in a blinding rain and negotiating roads littered with debris, and fallen trees and power lines. They finally arrived on Aug. 30 at the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians and the communities affected.

The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians is comprised of 9,700 members living in eight communities. The Seminole team stayed at the Pearl River Community Fire Department headquarters and began the process of clearing the roads of fallen trees and debris.

On Aug. 31, after meeting with the Choctaw Tribal Council officials, the decision was made to deploy two Strike Teams of Seminole Firefighters to the most affected areas, the communities of Conehatta and Bogue Homa.

Upon arriving, the teams found out that there was no electric power, most phones were out, schools had to be closed, and many community residents were in the three emergency shelters established for Tribal members and others in need.

Armando Negrin, Director of Emergency Services, described seeing people in a state of shock and confusion, not knowing what to do and looking for some direction. It is common in a disaster of the magnitude that Katrina created, for people to feel lost and in need of direction. The Seminole team assumed a leadership role and immediately proceeded to assess the situation, prioritize needs and allocate available resources.

As Seminole Tribe Fire Rescue strike teams began the job of treating people, clearing roads, patching leaking roofs and stabilizing damaged structures, back in Big Cypress, the Seminole Aviation Department was loading planes with food and supplies to be airlifted to the Choctaw communities.

Four planeloads of food and supplies, about 9 thousand pounds in total, were delivered by Aviation to Mississippi. All this was happening long before the Federal or State government mobilized any of the resources available, and most of the expected help was hopelessly stuck in an indecisive bureaucratic quagmire.

The Seminole Fire Rescue teams that responded to the Choctaw Tribe of Mississippi had their own worries and concerns, having left their own families and loved ones behind. When they did arrive in Mississippi, most communication was cut off with the exception of an emergency satellite phone.

It was difficult to stay in touch with those back home, who at the time were witnessing with horror and disbelief, the images brought by the TV and print media. The families of our Seminole rescue teams had no way of knowing what kinds of conditions and perils their love ones were facing and had to live with the anxiety, uncertainty and fear until their return home or their being able to hear their voices.

We owe our thanks and appreciation to these brave men and women, who through their commitment and professionalism, brought hope, needed assistance and a bit Florida sunshine to those who were victimized by Katrina, the most devastating natural disaster to hit this country.

Following is the list of those individuals who went to Mississippi and those in their Department who provided the necessary logistical support: Amando Negrin, Director of Emergency Services; Manual Diaz, Assistant Director; John Cooper; Ricardo Fong; James Reitz; Eric Fazzi; Olen Price; Josh Bauer; Michael Mirabile; Frank Ransdell; Jorge Valdez; Levi Pearce; Bob Curtis; Robert Levy.

Also providing logistical support and information were Eva M. Cain, Emergency Services Administrative Assistant and Laurie McRoy, Emergency Management Coordinator.

Our thanks to all those whose contributions made the above possible.