thats hot!
Yesterday I had the privilege of hanging out with some of the big cheeses of the New Orleans Fire Department when they were being presented with a large donation from one of the companies here in town.
Basically, I chit-chatted with Charles Parent, the Superintendant. He was really nice and more than happy to talk about issues the department has been facing since the storm. Essentially, they are in need of a larger workforce. After Katrina, a lot of their younger guys were recruited by other cities due to their seasoned experience working through the storm. So a lot of guys went to Houston and Atlanta - who can blame them? More money and living with your family that had to relocate sounds pretty good to me, too.
The NOFD is down by 86 people since the storm, and they could use more than that right now. Even though the population is down, the city is still the same size geographically. Apparently there are fewer fires, but they are significantly larger now since there is less early detection - which is something that the National Guard presence has been pretty useful in helping with.
Next time you see a Fireman/woman, tell them thanks. They have done and are doing a hell of a job in a city where they don’t have nearly as much resources, equipment or funding as other places. If you are interested in donating check out thier website at https://secure.cityofno.com/portal.aspx?portal=51.
Related posts:
