Statement from GOHSEP Director Mark Cooper

BATON ROUGE– Today, Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP) Director Mark Cooper released the following statement to highlight the agency’s continued commitment of working with local officials and other state agencies in strengthening the state’s disaster sheltering system:

“Last week, I traveled to Shreveport to see first-hand how our state shelters were operating. I saw conditions that were unacceptable and changes that needed to be made immediately. Working with local officials, we brought in a special team from the Red Cross and we immediately implemented policy changes and other measures to improve the conditions at the shelter and provide for the safety and wellbeing of those Louisianians who need state-assisted sheltering during times of disaster.

“Before Hurricane Ike, we took measures to address the shortfalls we identified in the state’s shelters so we could provide even better, more comfortable assistance for future residents in need. We brought in a company to help manage the Shreveport facility and a team consisting of a day and night manager, along with 20 employees to help operate the shelter. Since identifying needed improvements after Hurricane Gustav, the shelter now has showers, additional portable toilets, a laundry facility, a hand washing area and back-up generators. Cooper says, “We appreciate the hard work and dedication of the local officials in Caddo/Bossier Parishes in implementing these changes.” He adds, “Of course, our first priority in times of emergency is to protect the lives of our people. We were incredibly successful in doing that during both of these storms. Evacuation efforts worked – as we saw with the largest evacuation of more than 1.9 million – and Louisianians were kept out of harms way.

“While our number one concern is to get people to safety, it is also important to make them as comfortable as possible in times of crisis. GOHSEP is continuing to work with the Department of Social Services (DSS), partner agencies and local officials to ensure that we are assessing any challenges faced in these storms so we can make our programs even stronger and more efficient as we move forward,” said Cooper.