By Crystal Hamm, DynCorp International
DynCorp International sent law enforcement officers to the Gulf
Coast to offer security to residents and the company's employees,
and to help evaluate six hospitals hit hard by the effects of
Hurricane Katrina.
Thirteen officers on leave from their regular jobs flew to
Hattiesburg, Miss., on September 2 at the request of H. Ross Perot
and Tenet Health Organization. They evaluated the loss of employees
and patients, and the hospitals' structural damage and
functionality.
The DI officers were deputized in St. Bernard Parish and
helicopters were provided for their transportation around the
flooded areas.
They assessed the damages to five hospitals in New Orleans and one
in Biloxi, Miss. Of the six hospitals, only one - in Slidell, La. -
was functional. The officers controlled access to that facility to
maintain peace in the wake of the hurricane.
The officers also helped provide security to engineers while they
assessed damages. And, in one instance, DI officers escorted Tenet
management to a local bank to acquire payroll for their
employees.
DI's operation also contributed to the rescue of many animals
stranded by the storm.
"When we searched Memorial Hospital … we discovered that the entire
parking garage was full of animals," said Paul Gant, DI's detail
lead for this operation.
The discovery of the overwhelming number of abandoned animals led
to the development of Operation Bow-Wow, in which DI, an Oprah talk
show crew and others rescued more than 50 dogs, cats, and even
hamsters, from flooded New Orleans.
"This assignment is unique to anything we have done before, but
aspects of it are similar to operations that we are currently
running around the world. We provide asset protection in several
locations including Iraq, Afghanistan and Qatar," Gant said.
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