EMS personnel in New Orleans are bracing for calls once residents and tourists come back to town.
Things were calm Tuesday afternoon as utility crews and public works personnel went about assessing damage and working to get things up and running.
EMS operations as well as other city services stopped Monday morning when 45 mph sustainable winds occurred, said Jeb Tate, EMS spokesman. They resumed service about 4 p.m. after Gustav moved out.
There were only two calls for service during the time that EMS crews were not on the street. One was a medical alarm, while the other was for a man in a bar who was reportedly having a seizure.
Officials checked back with the caller to learn that the man had resumed drinking.
Tate said typically there's a surge in EMS calls when the city begins to repopulate.
Public safety personnel begin getting their families to safety and their properties secured when storms enter the gulf. That way, they are ready to assist.
Some hospitals, including Children's Hospital, did not evacuate. Doctors, nurses and others volunteered to stay put to care for their critically ill patients.
"We're ready," Tate said. "We all know it's going to get busy. Right now more than half the city has no power. But, that won't stop some from coming back."
