Fire departments ready and waiting

Thibodaux Volunteer Fire Department isn’t doing anything special to prepare for this year’s hurricane season.

When you’re in the business of saving lives 24-7, it’s unnecessary.

“Whether it’s June 1 or Dec. 1, we always have to be in position to respond,” said Thibodaux Chief Mike Naquin. “Whether you belong to a volunteer or paid fire department, there isn’t necessarily going to be any kind of special preparation. We always have to be prepared when it relates to fires, automobile accidents or any kind of rescue.”

But that doesn’t mean area fire departments haven’t been devising methods to tighten evacuation efforts.

Even though hurricanes Katrina and Rita only caused substantial damage to low-lying areas in Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes, Houma Fire Department Chief Daniel Scott said there is still an ongoing push to bolster interoperable communication networks.

This enables first responders to communicate directly with neighboring agencies (i.e. police departments, hospitals electrical companies, pollution control, etc.) during emergency situations.

“There is a lot more partnering now between different parishes and agencies,” Scott said. “There has been a cooperative effort to become better communicable.”

These days, nearly 200 firefighters throughout Lafourche carry pagers.

“Our paging system is a quick and easy way to make announcements and send messages to one another,” Naquin said.

The evacuation plan in Terrebonne Parish is contingent upon the strength of each storm and it’s projected target area.

“It (evacuation plan) is in phases,” Scott said. “We have a plan of action and specific duties according to each phase.”

Restoration efforts are also critical at all fire departments.

In the aftermath of Katrina and Rita, Terrebonne firefighters had to contend with fires, fallen trees and telephone wires and an assortment of electrical problems. They also helped EMS assist patients.

Thibodaux firefighters used trucks to clear debris and fallen trees from roadways.

“If you look at a lot of parishes that were hit hardest, they had a lot of fire stations and fire equipment that were destroyed,” Naquin explained. “There were entire communities that were left without equipment. We’re going to listen and monitor any projected storms, and depending on the severity, we might move some of our equipment out of the city to higher ground.”

Moving people away from the path of a hurricane, however, is paramount.

And there is only so much that a fire department can do.

“We live in south Louisiana, and hurricanes are a way of life,” Naquin said. “As long as we live down here, we have to deal with the hand we’re dealt. If a storm is so severe that we have to leave, hopefully everyone will heed the warning.”