Ambulance Repair Center Still Rebuilding After Katrina

"They're still using flashlights to go to the bathroom" because of limited electricity, says Todd Hoffman, executive director of the "Tools for Techs" program and Scene of the Accident Inc. in Missouri City, TX. "The city's insurance policy didn't cover any of the equipment or the technicians' personal tools," Hoffman adds.  It's been a year since Hurricane Katrina struck, and donations have slowed.  "People are tired of hearing the word 'Katrina,' and the pictures of Bourbon Street on the news leads people to think that things are back to normal," he says. Basic tools, shop equipment and fixtures remain elusive. Blue tarps are serving as garage doors, floor jacks are used in place of inoperable lifts and portable lamps provide the only illumination. "The guys are working with generators and halogen lights," says Carl Flores, director of logistics for the New Orleans Emergency Medical Service. The fleet of 40 ambulances and other assorted emergency vehicles was decimated by the storm, and the shop and its contents were also severely damaged. "They sustained over 10 to 12 feet of water, and the tools were in that brackish water for weeks and weeks," says Flores. "These guys came back, and they could have walked away," Flores adds. "We evacuated 25,000 people and we had no ambulances. We did it on foot from the Convention Center. We used hand trucks and executive chairs to move people out of there."  Flores says the technicians and their heroic actions during and after the flooding are the "lifeblood of what keeps us going. They handle all of the city's vehicles, and if we can't get there, we can't save anybody." Before the hurricane, the fleet made about 68,000 emergency runs per year. Nearly 50,000 calls are expected to be logged in 2006 - responses are averaging almost 3,000 a month.Saltwater damage The division's location had never before been breached by a flood. The toolboxes had been secured against theft when the hurricane alert first sounded, but the surging saltwater ruined everything it came in contact with. Flores says he lost 19 ambulances because of the saltwater damage that occurred in the initial deluge. "I'll probably lose my entire fleet because they all ran through brackish water," he adds. "I might be able to salvage a good five." Losing the "sprint" cars, regularly patrolling vehicles that are staffed by emergency supervisors, was particularly difficult. "They can get to somebody and supply advanced medical care [prior to an ambulance's arrival]," Flores explains.A long road ahead The division has received 25 new vehicles, yet the contributions of the repair and maintenance technicians remain critical to the function of the police, firefighting and medical first-responder services. Funds have still not been made available to replace the ruined personal toolboxes or the shop's equipment and fixtures - hence the struggle to complete the necessary vehicle repairs amid such crude conditions. Flores says the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) and other disaster relief resources have not exactly been forthcoming. "FEMA doesn't want to cover this one, and FEMA doesn't want to cover that one," he says. Hoffman is asking the automotive industry for assistance. "I know people have been beaten to death with disaster, but these guys in New Orleans really need some help," he says. "Both the service and collision industries have opened their hearts and their toolboxes in the past to help out, but I am asking them to make one more donation that could literally save a life. We will accept any new or used tool. "My heart sank when I thought of all of the people that have suffered and lost so much in the New Orleans area, who now have an additional risk because they don't know if the fire, police or ambulance will get to their location in time or if it will break down along the way," Hoffman adds. "They got the Superdome open, but they're still using flashlights to go to the bathroom." The Internet site, www.toolsfortechs.org, has stock numbers listed for specifically desired equipment. Donations or inquiries can be made to: Todd Hoffman
Scene of the Accident, Inc.
Tools for Techs Project
4311 Shady River
Missouri City, TX 77459
713-553-6279 
281-754-4259-fax
[email protected]
www.toolsfortechs.org
www.sceneoftheaccident.com