Chief's Corner Archive

A Spotlight on Innovative Fire Prevention and Safety Programs

New Orleans Fire Department Strategic Recovery and Reconstitution Planning Process

Posted on October 11, 2006 by Charlie Dickinson, Acting Assistant Administrator, USFA

It is a great privilege and honor here at the United States Fire Administration (USFA) to represent those who have dedicated their lives to making all residents able to live and work in a fire-safe nation. It is also quite humbling. I have always been proud to call myself a firefighter because it is a calling that is dedicated to the best of human nature - to save people and property from destruction.

Just 5 years ago, we saw that dedication in the heroic actions of our brother and sister firefighters in the wake of the terrible attacks on our country on 9-11. The sight of those first responders rushing in as everyone else rushed away will forever be etched in our memory. Words fail to fully describe the dedication and commitment of these firefighters to secure this nation.

But, we also see this same commitment every day in the communities large and small that make up this great country. The public notices when disaster or tragedy strikes and without hesitation firefighters rush in to save lives and property. All firefighters follow a calling to help their fellow residents. And those of us who have answered the call for help, see it clearly when the alarms are not sounding and the sirens are silent, in the hard and sometimes tedious job of thinking about the worst and preparing for it. That hard work occupies days, weeks and months and today, that preparation is more important than ever.

In the fall of 2005, the Gulf Coast was devastated by hurricanes. There has been a lot of criticism of many governmental and volunteer organizations and the way they responded to those horrific catastrophes. One of those organizations to have escaped criticism has been the New Orleans Fire Department (NOFD). To a large degree that is because of the hard work begun before the storms by Superintendent Charles Parent of the New Orleans Fire Department and the dedicated members throughout the department. I want to call your attention to that work and ask you to apply the lessons these firefighters learned when faced with the unthinkable. This in no way is to minimize the terrible and breathtaking devastation visited upon too many Gulf Coast communities, but to show all firefighter the importance of being prepared, always.

Before the storms, the NOFD had worked hard to create a disaster plan and, unlike some they followed it when the storms approached. Developed under the leadership of District Chief Gary M. Savelle the plan gave detailed instructions of what to do with specific personnel and equipment. People and apparatus were repositioned to be on protected high ground in case the worst happened. The goal was simply stated on the opening page of the plan:

To provide general guidance for the coordination of Fire Department operations and resources within the City of New Orleans before, during, and after a Hurricane to save lives, protect property, and respond to all emergency situations.

Superintendent Parent and Chief Savelle knew that a critical part of assuring the availability of firefighters also meant protecting their families. The plan included specific guidance on moving families to safe havens so the firefighters could concentrate on protecting others without concern for their family's safety.

As Katrina approached and fearing the worst, Chief Savelle, like hundreds of others sent his family north and away from the coast. It proved to be a critical decision. Like nearly all of his fellow firefighters his home was soon inundated with more than 10 feet of floodwater. But, he knew his family was okay. He was not alone. By caring for their families as part of the emergency plan more than 400 of 650 firefighters in New Orleans stayed on duty and continued to save lives and property. Now, more than a year later many are still rebuilding their houses, but as Chief Savelle told me, "You can replace things, but my family is fine and that's what matters."

In the wake of the storm, Superintendent Parent has expanded his planning and produced the New Orleans Fire Department Strategic Recovery and Reconstitution Planning Process, a remarkable document that encompasses not only their hurricane response, but also the NOFD strategic planning for the whole department. Working with the USFA, it has been a sometimes painful and difficult process. No one can say what New Orleans will look like, how many residents will return, exactly where they will live and the shape of the community they will rebuild. Still, the firefighters have a duty - a calling - to be prepared.

The new strategic plan, including a specific Hurricane plan as well, has provisions for immediate, short-term and long-term fire and rescue operations, I believe strongly in sharing with all firefighters. The plan has direct and straightforward advice for assuring that the NOFD can be operational as soon as humanly possible in the wake of any future disaster and is designed to protect not just equipment, but the firefighters who operate it and the families who stand behind each of them. These plans also address what collectively the NOFD plans to achieve in their service delivery, training, preparedness and prevention in years to come.

The experience of New Orleans can happen anywhere. Of course, it may not be a hurricane. It could be any number of things ranging from earthquake to firestorm, flooding to terrorist attack. But, the achievements of the New Orleans Fire Department over the past year show us that critical, hard-nosed and realistic planning can save lives and property by keeping firefighters and their families and including their equipment protected and ready to serve.

The remarkably complete plan they have prepared is available for download from the City of New Orleans Web site (PDF, 706 Kb) - PDF Help. I also invite you to send us a copy of your plans to the USFA so that we might make your plans available to help guide and inspire other departments. By doing so, we can assure that the legacy of the catastrophe that befell the Gulf Coast is an even safer, more effective fire service in our communities.

After all, that is the calling of all firefighters.

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