EMS Command - Hilton New Orleans (Account of Hurricane Survival in the Hilton)

EMS Network News ^ | Sept 07, 2005 | John R. Brophy, EMT

[TaxRelief]

Reprinted from EMS news

EMS Command -- Hilton New Orleans Riverside
By John R. Brophy, EMT

On the morning before Katrina hit New Orleans I had made contact with Hilton Security Captain Lucien Fortone to offer my assistance as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), little did I know that a few days later I would have been part of a team of guests and staff that would come together like a family and do so much for so many.

As others came forward to help, we organized into a cohesive unit, developed a plan, and established our own Incident Command Structure. We surveyed the building, considered options and presented our concerns and ideas to the Hilton staff who recognized us as filling a critical need and supported us in helping them and the thousands of other guests and people from the public that were provided shelter and food before, during, and after the storm.

Paramedic Ryan Killion of Piedmont South Dakota renders aid to a guest of the Hilton New Orleans Riverside during Hurricane Katrina.

The Hilton staff and corporate structure was amazing and did not waver in their efforts. They made sure people had three hot meals a day, made arrangements for supplies to be brought in when they could and developed a plan to get everyone to safety regardless of whether or not they were paying guests, staff, or simply people of New Orleans that had somehow made it to the Hilton before the storm.

For my experience I was never prouder to be part of and actually lead a team of people in a time of need than I was when I had the honor of taking the helm of our team of guests at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside. No one was bigger than the team, everyone gave what they could and more in energy, ideas, and just plain hard work.

EMT John Brophy of Edgewater New Jersey briefs and solicits input from the initial EMS team as the storm is about to hit New Orleans. When it was over the team he lead grew to a total of 27 people.

Whether it was carrying someone down from the 27th floor, caring for numerous patients with chest pain, shortness of breath, or even seizures the team of EMS professionals from around the United States and Canada did it all and did it with courage and compassion.

This is the Hilton New Orleans Riverside after the wrath of Hurricane Katrina took its toll.

Early on we knew that there was no way of evacuating people to hospitals during the storm, and after the storm the three hospitals that were close by were either inaccessible or being evacuated. Everyone stayed focused and went back to the most basic of emergency medical care and kept guests calm and provided a quality of care and basic human kindness that assured every guest and staff member got out of the Hilton alive.

This is an example of some of the damage the Hilton New Orleans Riverside sustained on the inside as a result of Hurricane Katrina.

The Hilton staff worked around the clock side-by-side with our team and when it came time that they had busses on the way they called upon our team to work with them to organize and move everyone onto busses in the middle of the night and safely evacuate them from the hotel and the city.

Once out of the city, Hilton arranged a reception point in Baton Rouge where everyone evacuated from their hotel in New Orleans was provided a hot meal and sanitary facilities. Whether you were a hotel guest or a citizen of New Orleans that had the good fortune to wind-up in the Hilton for the storm and the days that followed, Hilton made sure you were safely evacuated from Louisiana to Texas and beyond.

Members and the guests that organized and operated Hilton Katrina EMS team take a time out for a photo with Eric Janecke, (botttom, center) Director of Marketing and Sales for the Hilton New Orleans Riverside. Eric was just one of the many staff of the Hotel that went above and beyond during the Hurricane and its aftermath.

For my part, I will never forget what Hilton and its staff did for all of those people, but even beyond that I will always remember the honor it was for me to serve as EMS Command at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside. I will always remember not because of the position I stepped up and filled, but rather because of the amazing things that the 27 people that came together and created the Hilton EMS Team accomplished.

John R. Brophy

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[TaxRelief]

Copyright 2005. Reprinted on Freerepublic with permission from John Brophy.

[OC_Steve]

Pretty darn cool!!! Thanks for posting.

[frankjr]

[brivette]

Roger that.

[hombre_sincero]

Who's posting this skank-slut on parade for?

It is stinking up the place so bad the 'gators and pigs are all fleeing for fresh air!

[MEG33]

Great teamwork..KUDOS!

[frankjr]

Sorry, I only saw the headline "Survival in the Hilton".

[Zacs Mom]

Boy, what a contrast from this 'account' posted yesterday: Hurricane Katrina - Our Experiences (Leftist EMT's LIES)

Incidentally, if what the the EMT's in the above link wrote is even partly truly, it is probably because of what occurred earlier in the community they were attempting to seek refuge in. see: Flood Victims or Perpetrators? The Ugly Reality

[lilylangtree]

What? No Paris prancing around half-dressed looking out for her inheritance or showing the common people that Paris can actually work at something besides her perpetual posing for the click of the camera??????

[TaxRelief]

The story that you linked, which was written by shop stewards, has the usual organized labor/socialist/worker-party slant.

I believe the story that began this thread is essentially true.

[SilverFoxes]

EMS was wonderful at the New Orleans Riverside Hilton during Hurricane Katrina. My parents may not have survived without you. They are an elderly couple with health problems, and they talked of the wonderful care that they received from you all.

On the Tuesday after the storm they were evacuated in their own vehicle with the help of some other wonderful hotel guests to Houston to my home. Unfortunately here we are almost four weeks after Katrina being visited by Hurricane Rita.

You will probably remember my parents. My mother is 85 years old, and my father is 93. You helped them considerably in their time of need.

Your kind and devoted services will never be forgotten.

[TaxRelief]

I will pass your message on to John Brophy and "the team".