It’s often said that a picture paints a thousand words. But sometimes, numbers help tell the story.
At 6 a.m. on Aug. 31, Mark Sloan, director of special projects/homeland security for Harris County, took part in a conference call with the Texas Department of Emergency Management (DEM) to outline how Harris County could help Hurricane Katrina victims crammed in the New Orleans Superdome.
Jack Colley, state coordinator of the DEM, said Harris County would be the lead agency to take 23,000-25,000 evacuees who would be bused to Houston in hundreds of buses.
“If they left right then, we knew they could be here in eight hours,” Sloan said. “So we had eight to 10 hours to prepare the Astrodome and its area and work out the details.”
The Red Cross took the lead with regard to volunteers. As director of the Harris County Citizen Corps, it became Sloan’s mission to assist any of the agencies that needed citizens to help accomplish their goals. The Harris County Citizen Corps brings together local leaders, citizen volunteers, and a network of first responder organizations, such as fire and police departments, to prepare for and respond to emergencies.
Sloan sent a broadcast e-mail from the Citizens Corps database asking corps members, “Can you help?” At some point during that day, Sloan received e-mail responses from willing volunteers at a rate of 1,000 per hour before his e-mail system crashed.
On Sept. 1, the Citizen Corps logged 339,000 visits to its Web site before the Web site crashed. This was phenomenal, considering the Web site had previously logged 335,000 visits in a one-year period.
“The response from the community was incredible,” Sloan said.
When the buses arrived late on the evening of Aug. 31, the Red Cross realized immediately that they needed more people on site.
Harris County Judge Robert Eckels put out a request by 10 p.m. asking specifically for 500 volunteers to make way to the Astrodome to help. One hour later, 500 volunteers were on site. One day later, 7,600 volunteers had responded in person.
Eckels’ e-mail was forwarded over and over, becoming the “force multiplier,” Sloan said. When all was said and done, some 60,000 volunteers registered at Reliant City, the relief site, which consisted of the Astrodome, Reliant City and Reliant Arena. All total, approximately 24,500 evacuees were given assistance beginning Aug. 31 and ending Sept. 28, when the last of the evacuees were sent to other areas in response to Hurricane Rita, which at one point was headed straight for Houston.
This unprecedented response thrust Harris County into the national spotlight, as news media from around the country descended on the area, watching officials create a virtual city for those left devastated by the hurricane – some arriving with only the clothes on their backs.
Over and over, Eckels and other officials were asked the same question: How did you do it?
Sloan offers three key words in response: partnerships, planning and practicing. Harris County has come to the realization that disasters are multi-jurisdictional, requiring the united efforts of various agencies and organizations.
“The judge (Eckels) has always known that by creating these partnerships and by planning and practicing, great things can be accomplished,” Sloan said. “It happens when you have the ability to work together and respond.”
Harris County knows it is susceptible to disasters, due in large part to its proximity to the coast.
“Tropical Storm Allison (in 2001) helped us, I believe, really understand what our community is capable of,” Sloan continued. After Allison, the plan was updated again, this time in response to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11.
The county’s disaster plan is something that is never finished, Sloan maintained, rather, the plan evolves and adapts to various situations. The county will continue to conduct tabletop drills and exercises, placing a very high priority on preparing its communities.
“That’s what saves lives,” said Sloan.
As Sloan reflects on the disaster, he said it is sometimes difficult to believe the magnitude of the event – that it actually happened in Harris County.
When Sloan was approached by the media, he didn’t really think about the national exposure – there simply wasn’t time. Rather, the media wanted to know what was going on, so he told them.
“We had a job,” Sloan explained. “We gave them information – that’s all it was at that moment.”
For example, Sloan was asked to talk about the Harris County response on ABC, when he was named the network’s Person of the Week.
“There were so many people who could have been Person of the Week,” he maintained, “because there were so many people doing so many things.”
During the response period, many Harris County employees worked multiple 18-hour-plus shifts to prepare and maintain a virtual city within a city. County Progress asked Leanna Abbott, Candy Kasserman, Gloria Roemer and Laurie Shah, who work in the office of Harris County Judge Robert Eckels, to share some of their experiences.
City of Refuge
Harris County employees played integral roles in the Hurricane Katrina response effort. County Progress asked several of them to share their experiences.
Leanna Abbott
Executive Assistant to the County Judge
Office of Harris County Judge Robert Eckels
What was your specific role in the response effort?
I worked in the Joint Information Center (JIC) in Reliant Center. I started out answering phones, basically taking all media requests from television, radio and magazines from all over the world. Instead of my role as executive assistant to the county judge, I found myself dealing with things I had never dealt with before; keep in mind I have worked for Harris County for 22 years and the county judge for 10 years. I worked with other members of our staff to make sure the judge got from one place to another. The need for interviews and people wanting information to put out to others all over the world was overwhelming.
What was the most challenging aspect of the response, from your perspective?
I helped our director of communications keep up with the many requests for the judge to do newspaper interviews or appear on television or radio. It was challenging for me to get the judge basically from one tent to another. Each time the judge went on television, our group had to be sure the judge had the accurate numbers and factual information – the amount of volunteers, the amount of evacuees, the number of evacuees who had been placed in housing, etc. These numbers changed hour by hour. When the judge was being interviewed, these numbers had to be accurate and up-to-date.
People across the nation praised Harris County for your swiftness, efficiency and generosity. Why do you believe the response was so successful?
I would say teamwork. Everyone I saw around me was working from his or her heart. Everyone there gave 100 percent, and you saw people working until they just could not go another step. You almost had to make yourself go home and get some rest. Walking out those doors at the end of the day was the hardest part for me. The thing that kept me going each night as I drove home was knowing I was able to go back the next morning, which was something I looked forward to. I can’t explain the feeling of accomplishment and pride I felt. I have never felt more proud to work for Judge Robert Eckels and to live in Harris County. All of the different entities worked together; you could see that no matter how big the elected official, doctors, fire chiefs, fire marshal, etc., they pored their heart and soul into this effort. When you look in the dictionary as to what the word volunteer means, it says: to perform or offer to perform a service of one’s own free will. Truthfully, everyone became some sort of volunteer in some shape or form. This includes our staff who stayed behind and took hundreds of calls at the county offices. They came in early, worked on weekends, and stayed late just to be sure our phones were open and someone was there so the constituents could talk to a live person.
Looking back on those weeks, what particular event or episode had the most impact on you as a member of the response team?
As I look back today at those weeks spent at Reliant Astrodome, it makes me realize that life is uncertain and people never know what lies ahead of them. I will never forget the faces of those who lost everything but yet somehow managed to smile. The city of Houston and Harris County opened their arms to our neighbors, and I feel blessed to have been a part of it.
Candy Kasserman
Assistant, Community Affairs
Office of Harris County Judge Robert Eckels
What was your specific role in the response effort?
Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2005, began like no other day that I can remember. Telephone calls and e-mails at Harris County Judge Robert Eckels’ office were coming in at an unbelievable rate, with offers of assistance and others wanting to know how they could help. Thursday, Sept. 1, 2005, was more of the same, but by now thousands of evacuees had begun to fill the Reliant Astrodome. The next phone call came from Mark Sloan, who could see the immediate need for more volunteers at the newly created “Reliant City.” My role was to help Mark and Laurie Shah set up and staff a volunteer check-in area that would run 24/7 and provide enough orientated, readily available volunteers to assist the 27,000 evacuees, Red Cross, FEMA, JIC, Incident Command, and various other first responder organizations at the Reliant site. The phone at the volunteer check-in area consistently rang, with calls requesting volunteers to assist in everything from food service, nursing, clothing distribution, cleanup, cot set up, etc.
What was the most challenging aspect of the response, from your perspective?
Our big challenge was anticipating the next crisis and the number of volunteers who would be needed to fill the requests. Sometimes the volunteers would have to wait an hour or more just to get into the gate or door, park a mile way, and then find us. The volunteer check-in area was literally a moving target, moving three times in three weeks. We were outside the security check-in, so we were also the “Welcome, We Are Open for Business” door. In one day, 8,358 volunteers passed through our doors, along with another 850 Red Cross data-entry workers, as well as approximately 800 others, made up of folks needing assistance, folks looking for family members, and folks offering their homes, etc. I can honestly say that everyone was greeted with a smile. Volunteers were identified, orientated, and deployed to the next assignment. Red Cross checked in the data-entry workers. Then came the challenge of having the correct answer for each person who came through needing assistance or assisting family looking for family members. Each case was different. Each case was important.
People across the nation praised Harris County for your swiftness, efficiency and generosity. Why do you believe the response was so successful?
Teamwork played the largest role in our response. From the top of the ladder down to the last person, each organization and each volunteer did his or her very best, and then some. I can speak mainly for the volunteer unit; we had Citizens Emergency Response Team (CERT) volunteers, corporate volunteers, faith-based volunteers, doctors and nurses, actors and actresses, and even homeless volunteers. Each was ready and responded at the first call, and we were blessed with volunteers who just kept coming and never complained or asked for any special treatment. No one said, “I can’t” or “I won’t.” Instead, they came back for another assignment. One even worked until his feet bled. Generosity must come from the heart, and I believe Texas has a huge heart.
Looking back on those weeks, what particular event or episode had the most impact on you as a member of the response team?
I have to say that my life has changed during these series of events surrounding Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. I have never witnessed such an outpouring of pure, unconditional giving of time and of heart. The losses suffered by the evacuees were written on every face. The 60,000 volunteers that I had the privilege of working with will remain my heroes forever.
Gloria Roemer
Communications Director
Office of Harris County Judge Robert Eckels
What was your specific role in the response effort?
As communications director for Judge Eckels, I am automatically in charge of all media and public information for an operation of which the office of the county judge is the lead agency. As county judge, Judge Eckels is in charge of all emergency management and response operations in the county.
For the Hurricane Katrina Relief Operation, I was head (section chief) of the Joint Information Center (JIC). The Joint Information Center is the public information section under the National Incident Management System.
What was the most challenging aspect of the response, from your perspective?
The Katrina Relief Operation was unique and challenging in every way. First, it was a relief operation – Harris County and cooperating agencies responding to a disaster that affected another state. Harris County became the caretaker of more than 25,000 people who had experienced the most horrendous events imaginable. They were in desperate need of the basics – safe shelter, food, clean water, sanitation facilities and medical care.
Harris County created a city in less than 19 hours, and the world was watching.
As head of the JIC, media outlets (we credentialed more than 1,700 media outlets) from every continent except Africa and Antarctica looked to the JIC as their main source of information. Our task was to provide accurate and updated information to the media throughout the day as well as to provide this information to all agencies involved with the operation. More than 80 agencies participated in the effort.
The most challenging aspect from the JIC side of the operation was dealing with the constant requests from the media for access to the evacuees and their living quarters. We also had thousands of requests from elected officials, VIPs, and celebrities for access, as well. We had to balance the need for the world to know what was going on through the media with the need to protect the privacy of the evacuees whose temporary home was the Astrodome, etc.
From what was meant to be a source of information, the JIC became the coordinator of all events and activities inside and outside the evacuees’ shelters. This included all media access, elected official access, VIP, and celebrity access.
The JIC created a Web site, www.hcjic.org, to post all information. The JIC held two press briefings daily with updates from the incident commanders and other section chiefs. Therefore, the media was constantly informed of any new developments with the operation. The information was put in “fact sheet” form and posted on the Web site in a timely fashion. All press releases were also posted on the Web site.
The media was always updated on the visits from elected officials and other dignitaries. Press conferences were also conducted with these individuals in addition to the two scheduled press briefings. For example, former Presidents Bush and Clinton announced the creation of the Bush/Clinton Katrina Relief Fund at a special press conference.
People across the nation praised Harris County for your swiftness, efficiency, and generosity. Why do you believe the response was so successful?
First of all, under the leadership of Harris County Judge Robert Eckels, Harris County has an emergency management and response plan. Judge Eckels believes in regionalism and has understood for a long time that Harris County cannot do it alone, that for an emergency response plan to be effective, the entire region needs to be involved.
And, Harris County practices the plan. Several times a year, Harris County, with our surrounding county partners, will conduct mock disaster drills to practice the plan. In addition, agencies will also conduct drills within their agencies to ensure the plan can succeed.
Texans are known for their generosity and big hearts. It was never more evident than in the Katrina relief effort.
Looking back on those weeks, what particular event or episode had the most impact on you as a member of the response team?
We had been examining the cots that had been placed on the floor of the Astrodome, checking out the medical facilities, and helping the Red Cross prepare food and have bottled water available. We were passing out the personal hygiene kits that contained soap, a toothbrush and toothpaste, deodorant and shampoo.
And then they arrived.
I will never forget seeing the very first bus arrive at the Astrodome. I was with a group of people waiting. The bus stopped right in front of me, and people hung out the windows and shouted, “Thank you, Houston. You saved my life!” It struck me right then that we did save their lives…that all of us, collectively, were playing a huge part in saving the lives of more than 25,000 people.
My first shift was a 40-hour shift. When I was finally able to go home and sleep for about three hours before returning to Reliant Park, I sank my head in my pillow and thanked God that I had a home, my home, a bed, my bed, in which to sleep.
Laurie Shah
Coordinator, Homeland Security Information Management
Office of Harris County Judge Robert Eckels
What was your specific role in the response effort?
On Thursday, Sept. 1, 2005, during the 8 p.m. Incident Command Briefing – Command Meeting, the command staff reported that thousands of evacuees would be continuing to arrive throughout the night, and the need for volunteers was urgent.
Judge Eckels stated that he would activate the Harris County Citizen Corps (HCCC). The judge reported that I would be taking care of this. I then contacted Mark Sloan, another staff member in the judge’s office and coordinator for HCCC. While Mark put out the call through the HCCC Web site for volunteers, I worked with Gloria Roemer, director of communications for Judge Eckels’ office and coordinator of the Joint Information Center (JIC), to request volunteers through the local media. Working with Candy Kasserman, assistant for community affairs, we secured an on-site volunteer registration/deployment area in Reliant Center. My role throughout this operation was to work with Mark, Candy, Incident Command, and the JIC to coordinate volunteer registration and deployment.
Within 40 minutes, we had created a staging area for volunteers to arrive, sign in, be credentialed, receive a brief orientation, and await assignments. A telephone line was installed so that the various entities providing services to the evacuees could call and request volunteers. Certain key positions, such as sign-in support staff, orientation leaders, and “runners” who escorted volunteers to various locations within the Reliant Complex, were assigned.
Within the next 24 hours, more than 8,000 volunteers were deployed to a variety of areas to help create and sustain shelter operations throughout the Reliant Complex. Over the course of the next 20 days, the HCCC was the lead entity responsible for coordinating the massive volunteer efforts on-site at the Reliant Complex. For the first two weeks, the volunteer coordination area functioned 24/7. By the last day of shelter operations, more than 60,000 volunteers had answered the call to serve. Many returned for several days and worked 10-12 hour shifts. Due to the well-earned reputation of the effectiveness, dedication and professionalism of the volunteers, many were placed in the Incident Command and JIC to support their functions as well.
What was the most challenging aspect of the response, from your perspective?
Perhaps the most challenging aspect of coordinating the volunteer efforts was maintaining up-to-the minute status reports in an effort to bring in the correct professional and voluntary assistance to resolve challenges in an expeditious and effective manner. This was accomplished in a variety of ways but could not have been sustained without the commitment of both staff and volunteers to continually seek out changes, note them, and share the information among all entities involved. This was done using cell phones, e-mails, resources in the Incident Command and JIC, as well as good old-fashioned, face-to-face communication – whatever it took to get the job accomplished.
Another interesting challenge that arose was that the volunteer registration area also soon became the location where everyone (staff, volunteers and evacuees) came to obtain a vast array of information on who, what, when and where. This challenge actually became another strength of the operation.
Why do you believe the response was so successful?
The response was successful because of the positive working relationships Judge Eckels and others had created and maintained prior to the event. This aspect was crucial to the ability to coordinate and effectively deliver services to the 27,000-plus evacuees who were provided so many services throughout the Reliant Complex and the Harris County/Houston area. Who could have anticipated the astounding response by our citizens to the call for volunteers – this I credit to the endless capacity and compassion of our fellow citizens to care for those in need. As Judge Eckels has been saying for years, “Working together, we can all make a difference.”
What particular event or episode had the most impact on you as a member of the response team?
the tremendous heartache and sense of loss of the evacuees;
the ability of county, city, federal, state, private, business, non-profit, and faith-based entities to put aside their differences to meet the needs of the evacuees effectively, efficiently and with true care and concern for all involved; and
the astounding number of volunteers who gave not only their service, but their compassion and skills, sacrificing themselves for so many hours and so many days to help those who had nothing. Julie Anderson, Editor