As chaos and desperation reigned in a historic American city, Minnesotans are ready and willing to help. But so far many have been unable.
Across the Twin Cities, police are ready to travel to New Orleans to help combat looting, firefighters are poised to rescue the stranded and doctors are willing to tend to the dying.
Their deployment has been delayed by federal and state officials insisting that the response be measured rather than quick, even in the face of mounting outrage over slow-to-develop disaster aid in New Orleans and along the Gulf Coast.
"Everyone wants to help today, and they're just not ready for everything yet," said Terri Smith, spokeswoman for Minnesota's Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.
Some are becoming frustrated.
Robert Einweck, director of the Minnesota Department of Health's Office of Emergency Preparedness, said he hoped to send about 100 doctors and medical assistants to areas devastated by Hurricane Katrina. The effort is part of the federal government's call for 4,000 health care volunteers nationwide, but whether Minnesota's contingent leaves this weekend is up in the air.
"We're still, frankly, in need of some critical information from the feds," said Einweck, who is waiting for assurances that the personnel will be "federalized" to protect them from local liability rules.
Police in St. Paul and Minneapolis could send more than 40 officers to Mississippi. St. Paul would send 21 officers and 10 vehicles, but whether they go depends on a cost analysis required by emergency officials.
"We're in the process of looking at it," said Sgt. Chris Nelson of the St. Paul Police Department. "We should know within the next 24 hours whether we're going to do this."
Nelson insisted the budget-first approach isn't as crass as it sounds. He said if it's cheaper for Mississippi to bring in officers from Tennessee, for example, police here might stay put.
Dave Pleasants, St. Paul assistant fire chief, was told he would know within 24 hours whether to send six firefighters, but by Friday that deadline had passed. Pleasants said he inquired about the status of their deployment but things seemed "testy" at the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
"They're just swamped with paperwork right now," Pleasants said.
Bob Dahm, bureau chief for the state fire marshal, said there has only been one nationwide request for firefighter help so far.
"The federal government is saying, 'Please do not self-deploy down there,' " Dahm said. "If the Minnesota fire service is asked to go, we won't be able to keep enough of them home."
Charity workers are running into obstacles, too.
Dawn Marie Nelmark of Second Harvest Heartland in Maplewood said the lack of available trucks has stymied her food bank's plans to send food and supplies to the area.
"We are so in desperate need of licensed, insured, bonded trucking firms," she said, urging any local company with a spare 48- to 50-foot semitrailer to call. It does not need to be a refrigerator truck, she said.
There were some success stories.
The Twin Cities-based 934th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron sent 25 Air Force Reserve volunteers to San Antonio, with at least two crews headed to an airport in New Orleans to help care for the sick and wounded. Thirteen security personnel from the Minnesota Air National Guard's 148th Fighter Wing in Duluth were called to active duty.
Brooklyn Park-based Feed My Starving Children diverted food headed to Central American orphanages to the gulf region and said they could eventually send as many as 285,000 high-nutrition meals.
The Minnesota Department of Public Safety also activated its Emergency Management Assistance Compact operations center in New Brighton, which coordinates the Minnesota response to calls for help from states in the region.
Mark Davidson, a spokesman for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, said a contingent from St. Paul was in Vicksburg, Miss., and could head to Gulfport, Miss. near where Katrina made landfall this weekend. They're handing out ice and water, finding suitable shelter for victims and surveying the damage.
Emily Gurnon contributed to this report.
