(Washington, D.C.) – U.S. Sen. David Vitter today received confirmation from the acting director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency that the housing needs of first responders will be met by FEMA after the cruise ships depart the New Orleans area on March 1.

            Following are his comments:

            “I’m very happy to report that today we have solved this problem of first responders possibly not having housing after March 1 when the big cruise ships leave the port of New Orleans.

            “I talked to the FEMA director today, after working on this issue for really weeks with many other folks, like the New Orleans Police Foundation, and we struck a deal and an agreement with the FEMA director. He absolutely assured me that all of those first responders’ needs would be met, either through trailers, which are being hooked up now, or through other housing-like apartments and other possibilities that are being located in the area. And then as a last resort, in case there’s still some ongoing need, hotel rooms would be used temporarily for those first responders.

            “So it’s very good news that we can say without equivocation that those first responders, NOPD and others, that their needs will be met in terms of temporary housing, even after those cruise ships are slated to leave New Orleans at the end of the month.”