PNOLA Begins Hurricane Preparation for the City and their Organization

NEWS RELEASE

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Contact: Lashon Daley, Public Relations Representative FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

E-mail: Lashon@pnola.org

PNOLA Begins Hurricane Preparation for the City and their Organization

NEW ORLEANS, LA: June 19, 2009

As of early this month, the Phoenix of New Orleans (PNOLA) has begun working on its hurricane preparation system to assist the city in evacuating residents if need be this hurricane season. Partnering with Evacuteer.org and the Office of Emergency Preparedness (OEP), PNOLA’s staff will be evacuteers at the Warren Easton High School Neighborhood Pick Up point. Being one of the few grassroots organizations in Lower-Mid City, PNOLA’s participation will be essential.

“We are tremendously happy to have PNOLA as a partner,” said Robert Fogarty, the founder of Evacuteer.org. “PNOLA’s knowledge of their residents and needs will be a major asset if we have to evacuate this summer. There isn’t anything that matches an organization with a direct knowledge of their neighborhood and its residents.”

Created to make sure that New Orleans’ most vulnerable citizens have a way to leave the city, the City Assisted Evacuation Plan (CAEP) was first initiated in 2008 with the Hurricane Gustav evacuation. Nearly 20,000 residents used the plan. Although there were some complications, Fogarty is using those hitches to better execute this year’s plan.

“It was a good for a first try,” said Fogarty. “We also learned that many things need to be improved. I think the biggest obstacle that we recognized is that you need to have a united front. City government, state government, federal government, non-profits and citizens working together make things go well.”

The flexibility of PNOLA’s AmeriCorps volunteers are one of the reasons Rachel Massey, PNOLA’s Volunteer Coordinator, believes that the organization’s staff members make the perfect evacuteers.

“We don’t have the kinds of commitments that others have,” said Massey referring to the fact that the AmeriCorps members do not have to the anxiety that comes with evacuating one’s family and protecting one’s possessions. Being transient allows the group the ability to leave on shorter notice than permanent residents.

Although the peak of the season is still a few months away, PNOLA recognizes the importance of being prepared. As a non-profit that was created out of the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina, Jim Coningsby, PNOLA’s Director of Program wants his staff to be a part of what the city is doing to protect its residents.

“We’ve recognized the importance of evacuteers in mitigating the risk in a neighborhood like ours with high vulnerability to future disasters,” said Coningsby. “The idea of empowering neighborhood organizations to be leaders in helping residents get out safely is a wonderful. We are happy to be involved.”

To learn more about PNOLA’s involvement, contact Rachel Massey at (504) 717-4731 or at Rachel@pnola.org.