Operation Hoosier Relief

Daily Update – Day 11

Mission Assignments:

• ISP and DNR water patrol officers traveled with Mississippi Fish and Wildlife officers to areas north of I-10 that had been previously unvisited.

• DNR Forestry Teams cleared roughly 250 trees in Hiller Park in Biloxi. The park is being used as a tent city with meals and medication being made available.

• South Bend medical team treated 153 patients, filled 80 prescriptions, and gave 820 Tetanus shots.  They also visited 75 homes to give shots during the day and made 80 house calls during the night shift to provide shots to people who couldn’t visit during the day.

• Separate medical team treated 152 patients and gave 171 vaccinations.  Team also established a community outreach program through a church, Red Cross station, and a Buddhist temple in Biloxi.

• Operation Hoosier Relief medical teams have attended to 2,808 patients and 13 responders to date.

• Some ISP officers raised money to buy a washer and dryer for the Biloxi Fire Department since many members lost their homes and all their possessions. While at Home Depot, the manager had a suspected heart attack and fell to the floor. ISP assisted the manager and called paramedics. The manager was taken to the hospital. As the ISP officers searched for the washer and dryer, they told another employee their plan to donate it to the Biloxi FD. When the officers went to pay for the machines, they were told the machines would be free because the Home Depot was grateful for the assistance to the area and the medical attention for the manager.  The Biloxi FD was very grateful.

• Hoosier Helper personnel found numerous broken down vehicles and assisted with removal of abandoned vehicles from roadways.

• Tonight members of Operation Hoosier Relief will be enjoying a hot dog cookout.  Marsh Supermarkets donated the food and supplies for this cookout. 

Evacuee Assistance:

• Indiana is currently home to an estimated 2,600 evacuees.

• Indiana is encouraging all evacuees residing in Indiana to call the following toll-free number to register with the state and make themselves available for state assistance – 866-679-4631
  

State Government Action:

• The Indiana Gaming Commission accepted the license of a sous-chef from Louisiana to work on the Blue Chip Casino as a sous-chef.  This action follows the Gaming Commission’s decision to allow displaced casino workers in Mississippi and Louisiana to temporarily work at Indiana Casinos.

• The next relief team based at Camp Indiana as part of Operation Hoosier relief will depart Indianapolis on Thursday at 9 a.m. from Stout Field.  The current relief team will depart Biloxi on Saturday and return to Indiana.

• This relief team will consist of:

31 Indiana State Police

30 local police support (various agencies)

37 DNR Officials

42 Health professionals

Volunteer Efforts:

• Hoosiers interested in volunteering to help Katrina victims should not self deploy.  All volunteers should be coordinated through Indiana’s Emergency Operations Center.

Anyone interested in volunteering should contact INVOAD online at www.invoad.org or at 866-909-4673.

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