While the New Orleans Saints have marched back into the Superdome amid the bright lights of a Monday Night Football extravaganza, the repair center that keeps the Big Easy’s emergency vehicles running continues to operate under primitive conditions. “They’re still using flashlights to go to the bathroom” because of limited electricity, says Todd Hoffman, executive director of the “Tools for Techs” program and Scene of the Accident, Inc. in Missouri City, Texas. “The city’s insurance policy didn’t cover any of the equipment or the technicians’ personal tools,” reports Hoffman, requesting that the industry step up to provide assistance. It’s been a year since Hurricane Katrina struck, and donations have slowed. “People are tired of hearing the word ‘Katrina,’ and the pictures of Bourbon Street on the news leads people to think that things are back to normal,” he says. Basic tools, shop equipment and fixtures remain elusive; blue tarps are serving as garage doors, floor jacks are used in place of inoperable lifts and portable lamps provide the only illumination. “The guys are working with generators and halogen lights,” notes Carl Flores, director of logistics for the New Orleans Emergency Medical Service. The fleet of 40 ambulances and other assorted emergency vehicles was decimated by the storm and the shop and its contents severely damaged. “They sustained over 10 to 12 feet of water, and the tools were in that brackish water for weeks and weeks,” says Flores, who did not ask to be interviewed for this story. The request came from Hoffman, who feels the technicians deserve better because they heroically stayed on the job as the floodwaters rose. “These guys came back, and they could have walked away,” Flores proudly confirms. “We evacuated 25,000 people and we had no ambulances! We did it on foot from the Convention Center: We used hand trucks and executive chairs to move people out of there.” “They’re the lifeblood of what keeps us going,” Flores points out, referring to the technicians. “They handle all of the city’s vehicles, and if we can’t get there we can’t save anybody.” The fleet under their care made some 68,000 emergency runs per year, pre-Katrina. Nearly 50,000 calls are expected to be logged by January; the responses are currently averaging 2,500 to 3,000 a month. The tool boxes had been secured against theft when the hurricane alert first sounded, but the surging saltwater ruined everything it came in contact with. (The division’s location had never before been breached by a flood.) “I wound up losing 19 ambulances due to the saltwater damage that occurred” in the initial deluge, and “I’ll probably lose my entire fleet because they all ran through brackish water. I might be able to salvage a good five,” he says. “The thing I’m really missing is my ‘sprint cars,’” Flores continues. “These are regular cars (staffed by emergency supervisors) that patrol the area. They can get to somebody and supply advanced medical care” prior to an ambulance’s arrival. The division has received 25 new vehicles, yet the contributions of the repair and maintenance technicians remain critical to the function of the police, firefighting and medical first-responder services. Still, funds have not been made available to replace the ruined personal tool boxes or the shop’s equipment and fixtures — hence the struggle to complete the necessary vehicle repairs amid such crude conditions. The Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) and other disaster relief resources have not been forthcoming. Hoffman is asking the automotive industry for assistance. “I know people have been beaten to death with disaster, but these guys in New Orleans really need some help. Both the service and collision industries have opened their hearts and their tool boxes in the past to help out, but I am asking them to make one more donation that could literally save a life. We will accept any new or used tool,” he says. (The Internet site, www.toolsfortechs.org, has stock numbers listed for specifically desired equipment.) “My heart sank when I thought of all of the people that have suffered and lost so much in the New Orleans area who now have an additional risk because they don’t know if the fire, police or ambulance will get to their location in time or if it will break down along the way,” Hoffman observes. Donations or inquiries can be made to:
Todd Hoffman
Scene of the Accident, Inc.
Tools for Techs Project
4311 Shady River
Missouri City, TX 77459
(713) 553-6279
(281) 754-4259-fax hoffman@ev1.net
www.toolsfortechs.org
www.sceneoftheaccident.com | 
