Disaster response planning between Louisiana National Guard and Haiti

By Capt. Peter A. Drasutis, Louisiana National Guard Public Affairs Office

NEW ORLEANS – The Louisiana National Guard hosted representatives from multiple Haitian national response organizations for a Search and Rescue Operations Planning Exchange at various National Guard installations across southern Louisiana, March 20-24.

The Haitian delegation in attendance included officials from the General Directorate of Civil Protection (DGPC), the National Office of Civil Aviation (OFNAC) and the Haitian Coast Guard.

Representatives from the 1-141st Field Artillery Battalion, 61st Troop Command, 205th Engineer Battalion, strategic plans and policy directorate of the Louisiana National Guard and members of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries discussed and demonstrated their individual processes for planning and executing search and rescue operations with the Haitian delegation.

The exchange is a direct representation of the State Partnership Program between Louisiana and Haiti, which was established in 2011. The Search and Rescue Operations Planning Exchange is one of thirteen events planned for this year. In addition to key leader engagements between Haitian leadership, U.S. Embassy representatives and the Louisiana National Guard joint staff, delegates will also address issues such as civil unrest, civil preparedness and cross-security force cooperation during disaster scenarios.

Regarding the goals and purpose of this exchange and the State Partnership Program, Capt. Douglas Henderson, bilateral affairs officer of the Louisiana National Guard, stated, “Our primary mission with these State Partnership Program events is to build and maintain a cooperative relationship with our partner nation through mutual exchange and learning from shared experiences of responding to natural and man-made disasters.”