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Saturday, September 03, 2005

A Look at New Mexicans Helping With the Relief Effort


Associated Press
      Here is a look at how New Mexicans are responding to Hurricane Katrina:
    _Qwest Communications will match employee donations dollar to dollar to a total of $250,000. The firm is providing the American Red Cross with 2,000 free long-distance calling cards to distribute to families affected by Hurricane Katrina.
    Employees and retirees are establishing an American Red Cross phone bank to help assist victims.
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    _New Mexico State Parks has set up donation boxes at all 32 parks. The donations will go directly to the American Red Cross.
    "New Mexico State Parks will do whatever we can to support the survivors of this catastrophic hurricane, and we want to start by assisting the American Red Cross through their efforts,'' said State Parks Deputy Director Tommy Mutz.
    Donations are being accepted in cash or checks only.
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    _Miox Corp. in Albuquerque has announced plans to offer water purification equipment at reduced prices, and in some cases, free of charge, to service providers.
    The company said an affiliate firm, Cascade Designs, has 400 of the highlighter pen-sized devices ready for delivery in Louisiana and Mississippi.
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    _New Mexico state police officers will be heading to Louisiana on Sunday, Department of Public Safety spokesman Peter Olson said.
    He said the 21 officers have not learned where exactly they will be going or what their mission will be.
    On Friday, the state of New Mexico activated its Emergency Operations Center to help identify personnel and equipment around the state that can be used for the Hurricane Katrina relief effort.
    Olson said the center will help coordinate all of those resources and make sure they will be used most effectively.
    Olson said another part of the coordination ensures that New Mexico is not left without its own first-responders.
    The center will be open around the clock indefinitely.
    "We're in for the long haul,'' Olson said. "It's going to be a long, long effort.''
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    _Student groups at the University of New Mexico are collaborating with the American Red Cross on a fundraiser. The Student Activities Office, Greek Life, the Associated Students of UNM and Community Experience hope to raise $40,000 over the next two weeks. Orange buckets will be set up next to Student Union Building vendor cash registers to drop loose change. The groups also will be selling Mardi Gras beads.
    The School of Architecture and Planning is collecting money to be channeled through the United Way.
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    _The New Mexico Disaster Medical Assistance Team is at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, trying to help hurricane victims. The group continues to see hundreds of patients a day, with the flow of ill and injured going from a flood to a steady stream.
    The 35-member team was initially set up in a building near the Superdome evacuation center in the immediate wake of the hurricane, but that was before the Lake Pontchartrain levee broke and the stadium was evacuated.
    Team member Mike Richards said DMAT is bracing for the next big surge of patients, when the evacuation of New Orleans begins in earnest.
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    _Bernalillo County is sending 35 sheriff's deputies to Louisiana to help with law enforcement. Sheriff Darren White and five county firefighters will be a part of the team.
    "We will continue to stay abreast of requests for assistance from state and federal officials and will respond to their requests for aid as we are able,'' said John Dantis, deputy county manager for public safety.
    The officers will be stationed in Jefferson Parish to relieve local law enforcement who have gone days without rest. The team is expected to be gone for 10 days.
    County Manager Thaddeus Lucero added that the county's thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families and emergency workers on scene.
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    _Dona Ana County residents, non-profit organizations and governmental agencies are springing into action to assist hurricane victims.
    Several organizations joined forces to make about 50 government housing apartments available to refugees, and at least one displaced New Orleans family already has moved to Las Cruces.
    There's also a possibility some refugees who need medical attention could be headed to Las Cruces, said county spokesman Jess Williams.
    "We are prepared,'' he said.
    Though local officials had considered offering Las Cruces as the possible location of a tent city for thousands of refugees, they decided against that Friday, hoping that government housing across the nation will provide more permanent shelter for those left homeless.
    "We're just not that desperate yet,'' said Tom Townsend, a state emergency management coordinator.
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    _The New Mexico State University athletics department is planning a series of events to help the American Red Cross and the victims of Hurricane Katrina.
    "The whole sports world is obviously committed to supporting the efforts of trying to recover from one of the worst tragedies in American history,'' said NMSU athletics director McKinley Boston.
    Half of all proceeds from the sale of game programs at Saturday's New Mexico State-UTEP game will be donated to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund.
    Football coach Hal Mumme also will donate $2,000. His staff will match that offer for a relief agency in the New Orleans area. Mumme and nearly all of his current staff coached at Southeastern Louisiana in Hammond, La.
    "Many of our former players and associates have been greatly affected by the storm,'' he said. "Some of our folks have not made contact with loved ones. We know there is great devastation, and we want to do our part to help with the recovery.''
    Wide receiver Anthony Lonon said he would dedicate his performance in Saturday's game to those who died. His hometown is just outside of New Orleans.
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    _Federal and state land management agencies in New Mexico, Arizona and West Texas have sent more than 240 employees to help with relief efforts.
    "The situation is critical — the BLM and its employees will do everything we can to help restore public health and safety,'' said Jesse Juen, associate state director of the BLM in New Mexico. "We've sent 36 employees from New Mexico and are prepared to send as many more as are requested by FEMA to help people through this terrible ordeal.''
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    _Los Alamos and Sandia national laboratories are part of the effort to bring relief to the areas hit by Hurricane Katrina.
    Technology developed by Los Alamos was used this week to monitor the air over New Orleans and the Mississippi and Alabama coasts for any toxic or hazardous vapors. The ASPECT airplane uses two sensors and GPS units to create maps of the land surface and the location of any chemical hazards detected. The map can be transmitted to first-responders on the ground within minutes.
    So far, scientists say nothing has been detected over the Gulf Coast.
    Also, teams from Sandia and Los Alamos are part of the National Infrastructure Simulation and Analysis Center. Each lab involved in the program has specialized computer models designed to predict potential outcomes in various disaster situations.
    The idea is to use the models to warn officials of potential problems before they happen, said Los Alamos spokeswoman Nancy Ambrosiano.
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    _San Felipe Pueblo's Casino Hollywood will donate 10 percent of its Labor Day Weekend slot machine proceeds to the American Red Cross for victims of the hurricane. The pueblo's travel center and casino will also have donation boxes set up through the weekend to take private donations.