Fireman shocked by Katrina damage
By Jeff Gallatin
North olmsted
Published Oct. 5, 2005

Even with 17 years experience as a firefighter and seeing the results of massive fire damage, severe storms, terrible auto accidents and many fatalities, Assistant Fire Chief Ed Robertson still wasn’t ready for what he saw in the New Orleans area in September.

Assistant Fire Chief Ed Robertson recently spen two weeks in Louisiana aiding the victims of hurricame Katrina.

“Nothing can prepare you for the sheer scope of the damage and the devastation that you see,” said Robertson. “All the TV news channels showed huge amounts of damage and destruction throughout that area, but it still doesn’t show how widespread all the destruction was after Katrina went through. Literally, I don’t think there is a family or a person down there who wasn’t touched by it in some way either at their home, workplace, school or through someone they know. I’ve never seen anything like it as a firefighter or in my personal life. It was a once in a lifetime experience.”

Robertson returned a few days ago from serving for about two weeks with about 80 other relief workers who were based at the Trinity Church in Covington, La., a suburb of New Orleans. Robertson received permission from the city to go on the mission and also take a city vehicle. City officials had been involved in a disagreement with the city firefighters union about whether or not to let firefighters go down as part of a Federal Emergency Management Agency group. Robertson eventually went as part of another group, but firefighter Ron Prebis remained in Northeast Ohio when the city and union could not reach an agreement.

Referring to his trip, Robertson said there was a simple reason the group of workers he was with was based in a church.

“It had running air conditioning, a building that was in good shape, facilities for communications and at least adequate room to host the group,” Robertson said. “Most of the buildings and previously existing facilities in that area which could have met the group’s needs were either severely damaged or destroyed by the hurricane and the flooding and couldn’t function anymore. There really wasn’t any government you could work with when we were there. The churches are working together and at least were able to get together and host an organized group like that.”

Robertson said the group was kept busy working in a large area.

“We went through an area which would extend from Cleveland to Toledo and then down to Columbus in Ohio and there just wasn’t any part of it which wasn’t affected by this,” Robertson said. “I don’t think this country has ever seen damage on this scale over this large an area.”

Even driving a city SUV, Robertson said getting through the affected area was difficult.

“There was debris all over the place,” Robertson said. “There were 20-foot trees down in the road and many other obstructions on and off the roads. You had to go very carefully or you could have problems.”

He said the United States Army and other emergency workers are busy trying to clear the area of debris.

“It’s going to take months just to get rid of the debris, not to mention rebuilding the infrastructure and people’s homes and businesses,” Robertson said. “This a long-term rebuilding project.”

Robertson said he and the other relief workers performed a variety of tasks.

“I’m a trained paramedic so we offered assistance where we could render it and we also worked on setting up programs and just getting assistance put into place,” Robertson. “We also made sure that other relief and emergency workers were getting sufficient rest and resources. It was pretty easy as an emergency worker to get caught up in the need to help others and neglect yourself in a situation like that.”

Despite the widespread problems and devastation, Robertson said he still was impressed by the spirit by many of the people from the area.

“There’s no question they’ve been dealt a hard blow and it’s going to take time to re-do things,” Robertson said. “But, most of those people are determined to get back on their feet and are optimistic that they can do so.”

Robertson said in addition to offering assistance, he also used his time in the disaster zone as a learning experience for his current job as assistant chief, which he’s held since August 2003.

“It was a great opportunity see what happens in a disaster and how you should try to deal with it as an emergency worker,” Robertson said. “You would hope that something like this would never happen where you live and work, but if it did that was a way to see what does and doesn’t work in a situation like this or what you could do differently to make things better.”

North Olmsted Fire Chief Tom Klecan said the city and Robertson can gain a lot from Robinson’s experience.

“Ed is a very capable firefighter and paramedic who I’m sure helped out a lot of people while also picking up some invaluable knowledge himself which can be put to good use here,” Klecan said.

Dave Boatman, president of the North Olmsted firefighters union, declined comment.

Robertson said further information about the work can be obtained by going online at trinitychurch online.net.