Letter from Lt. James Hall, stationed in Baton Rouge, Louisiana

LT James Hall, USPHS

September 15, 2005

Before I begin to discuss my role, it's worth a sentence or two to explain how a USPHS officer's role can vary dramatically throughout a response. One major factor in deciding who should be sent to a disaster is based upon category assignment.

Because timely resource allocation is so important in mitigating the effects of a disaster, it's equally important, to consider personnel deployment based upon "category" or knowledge, skills and abilities.

My category is Health Service Officer (HSO), and as discussed earlier, my skills include IT/Communications. There are several other categories to select from upon becoming a USPHS Officer, which can include the following: Nurse, Physician, Environmental Health Officer, Engineer, Dentist, and Pharmacist among many others. Keep in mind; while a USPHS officer's category is clear prior to a disaster, what may not be so clear is how your knowledge, skills and abilities will be used during the deployment. A key phrase is "stay flexible!"

Upon arrival at LSU, our categories were immediately assessed. We began to feel comfortable that we arrived at the right location and were ready to apply our skills. In a blink of an eye, we were then told that we may not stay and would possibly be sent elsewhere. Again, stay flexible! While the stay or go decision was in the making, my instincts were telling me to help out where I could. There were needs everywhere. While waiting for an assignment, I decided to assist the Red Cross. As evacuees were transported in by bus, ambulance or helicopter, unless there was an acute medical emergency, their first stop was Triage.

As mentioned in an earlier Blog, USPHS Triage was present to filter the crowd of evacuees by determining level of appropriate medical care, if at all necessary. Where no medical need was evident, evacuees were then provided food, beverages, donated clothing, toys for kids, etc. Thereafter, Shelter assistance and transportation was provided through the Red Cross. During this process, I provided assistance in guiding the evacuees to the various locations internal and external to the PMAC. Unfortunately, many of the locations were not directly adjacent to each other. When carrying all the positions you have, the walk in the hot sun was a challenge. I was certainly challenged by the environment having arrived from Seattle, WA. For example, walking from the Red Cross Sign-In, to the location where evacuees sign-up to attain shelter and additional transportation was about a 100 + yards. It may not seem like much of a distance, but considering the fact that many were completely exhausted after enduring 5-6 days of 95 degree + conditions, in many cases after having wade in water for several days on end, and in a few cases, knowing that a love one was dead or missing. At the same time, their carrying the weight of every possession to their name saddled over their shoulder or dragging on the ground. The least I could do was take the bags off their back, and walk them through the Triage and Red Cross process. I did this throughout the afternoon to the early evening hours. By the end of the day, I had a new appreciation for Porters.

As the evacuees waited many hours for their transportation to a shelter, over time, I came to know them and they recognized me as well. We ate lunch together and I listened to them share the horrific details of their tragedy. Sometimes the best medicine is an open ear.

One person in particular I'll never forget. His name is Layton. He was about 49 years old, with some graying, thin and exhausted but generally in good physical condition. What stood out about Layton was his faith and attitude that everything was going to be o.k. His energy was always present as he spoke loudly of the conditions he and others endured. He had many to blame for the preparation and aftermath of Katrina's devastation. Through his tears, believe me, I heard an earful about the governments failures. This is simply the reality of how many in the evacuee population processed their demise. However, everyone was resolved to be thankful for our efforts and the immediate care received. I sat with these families because I would want someone to sit with me, break bread, and hear my story. This time it was Layton's story. Tomorrow, it could be my own. You never know? Layton, like so many others, had nothing but the shirt on his back and three or four Hefty garbage bags of clothes and personal items. I gave him $20.00 to keep his spirits. There were so many people I just did not know what I could do to heal some of the suffering. I have never seen anything like this before...

Last revised: January 4, 2007