EPLOs supporting Mississippi River flood response effort
Posted 5/13/2011
Email story
Print story
by Angela Pope
Air Forces Northern Public Affairs
5/13/2011 - TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. (AFNS) -- The recent flooding along the Mississippi River has disrupted lives and commerce, and now the next threat is to several parishes in Louisiana.
To help save lives and mitigate property damage, officials at the Air Forces Northern National Security Emergency Preparedness Directorate have deployed two emergency preparedness liaison officers in response to the flooding.
Although the river is not projected to crest until May 22 in Louisiana, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is contemplating a slow release of the Morganza Spillway, north of Baton Rouge, La., to alleviate massive flooding over multiple locations, officials said. However, the potential still exists for extensive flooding within those parishes near the spillway.
The EPLOs will be assigned to the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Region VI Defense Coordinating Element, the officials said. One EPLO is assigned to FEMA's Regional Response Coordination Center in Denton, Texas, while the other is assigned to the initial operating facility in Baton Rouge.
The EPLO's skills, experience and knowledge of Air Force capabilities will assist in determining the right resources if Department of Defense assets are requested by civilian authorities to support the response within the flooded areas, officials said.
"When a natural disaster occurs, local officials are initially in charge of the response effort," said Michael Thornal, from the National Security Emergency Preparedness Directorate. "If the disaster becomes as catastrophic as this flood, FEMA typically steps in and takes the lead. Our EPLOs deploy to the scene to augment the local and federal officials and to advise them of the resources AFNORTH can provide to aid in the response."
The EPLOs are slated to be in Texas and Louisiana for 10 days, but they will stay longer if warranted, he said.
"We have been monitoring the flood and began preparing to provide assistance when we learned how bad it was going to get," Mr. Thornal said. "Once AFNORTH was asked for support, we briefed our EPLOs and got them on site as soon as possible."
NSEP officials are prepared to deploy additional EPLOs to other states and regions if tasked.
Air Force EPLOs are senior Air Force Reserve officers who are subject-matter experts in state and regional disaster-response plans, advising state and regional leaders on Air Force capabilities that may be used during disaster responses.
EPLOs are geographically assigned to each state and the 10 FEMA Regional Response Coordination Centers. The officers come from a wide range of career fields, including air operations, logistics, medical, security forces and public affairs. |
|
|
