PRESS RELEASE

Search and Rescue Resources Prepared to Respond to Hurricane Ike's Impact
September 12, 2008 - Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) Enforcement Division personnel will be supported by additional state and federal search and rescue (SAR) personnel as Hurricane Ike’s impact unfolds.

State level SAR units in position to respond now total 623 personnel and 334 watercraft.  Those resources are currently divided among staging areas on the north and south shores of Lake Pontchartrain, Thibodaux and Jennings.

State level resource numbers include LDWF personnel and equipment and personnel and equipment provided by the Louisiana National Guard and the states of Arkansas, Kentucky, Ohio and Virginia. The Louisiana National Guard will additionally provide aerial reconnaissance support for SAR missions.

Additional federal level SAR resources include Urban Search and Rescue Support (USAR) providing another 400 personnel and equipment. Those assets have been made available through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the U.S. Dept. of the Interior and U.S. Border Patrol.

Flight assessments by the Louisiana National Guard and LDWF Enforcement personnel will determine the extent of SAR rescue activity needed post landfall.

EDITORS: For more information, contact Bo Boehringer at 225-938-6391 or bboehringer@wlf.louisiana.gov.