Louisiana National Guard Floats Firetrucks Across Bayou After Ida
In the wake of Hurricane Ida, millions (if not billions) of dollars of infrastructure damage was left behind.
Homes, businesses, recreation centers, police stations, fire stations, emergency vehicles, power transmission lines, water lines, cable and internet service structures, roads, bridges, all victims of the storm's power.
Due to the storm, emergency response is, understandably, not as reliable as normal, and for several reasons. The first responders may still be dealing with damaged homes/property. Emergency vehicles may have been damaged/lost in the storm. Communication is still spotty or non-existent in areas. Roads might still have debris or be too torn up from the storm. And bridges may be out.
We reported on a fire that ripped through several homes in Lafitte/Barataria area last week. One of the reasons it was able to get to so many homes is that the fire department had no way to get their trucks to that side of the water because of a damaged bridge.
Well, over the weekend, the Louisiana National Guard came to the rescue! According to the Louisiana Office of State Fire Marshal, the Louisiana National Guard used a floating bridge to ferry firetrucks across the water.
Hats off to the men and women of the Louisiana National Guard; just look at the muck in which they are having to work.
With the bridge being damaged, firefighters were unable to get to the source of the fire which allowed it to spread to nearby homes.
After the Louisiana National Guard put their skills and training to use, firefighters now have firefighting equipment on both sides of the water which will allow them to respond to every incident even with the bridge still being unpassable.
The bridge, which may be an Improved Ribbon Bridge (IRB), appears to have been used more like a barge. The ramps on the IRB allowed the fire engine to drive up, and then it appears that a tug boat helped the bridge cross the waterway, allowing the fire engine safe passage to the other side.
There are hundreds, if not thousands, of stories of Guardsmen (and women), first responders, family, neighbors, friends, and even strangers lending a helping hand, a warm meal, a soft bed, or a dollar or two. Sharing a cool drink, donating generators, sharing a laugh, hugging through tears. It's times like these that, I feel, we show our true colors.
If you are able to donate ANYTHING to help people recover from Hurricane Ida, please do.