Terrebonne gets grant for emergency preparedness
Mary KilpatrickStaff Writer
Terrebonne Parish has received a $19,715 federal grant to prepare for a possible biological attack, said Earl Eues, director of the Terrebonne Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness.
The office receives the money annually to reassess and update its plan and to practice training exercises, he said.
If terrorism did hit Terrebonne Parish, Eues said his office is fully prepared to act.
Eues spends most of his time imagining worse-case scenarios — hurricanes, floods, even biological attacks — and figuring out how to respond.
As the director, he makes sure the parish is equipped to handle whatever disaster Mother Nature or anyone else throws its way. That's why his department and departments like his across the country practice reaction drills.
"In the event that there is a terrorism event there is a plan to distribute antibiotics to some of the residents," he said.
Because of security reasons, he said he can't go into the plan's details but guarantees the parish is prepared to take on the most serious of crises.
The plan protects every parish resident, he said.
His office practices drills about three times a year to stay up to speed on the latest training and reviews and revises its plan. It also has gas masks ready for first responders, such as paramedics, police officers and firefighters.
The office prepares for "any type of chemical or biological" attack that may harm residents, he said.
"Our job is to be prepared for all types of emergencies," Parish President Michel Claudet said. "It doesn't just have to be a natural disaster."