Message from Kathy Perkins, Assistant Commissioner, Regulatory Services, Department of State Health Services, regarding Hurricane Gustav

[Guest guest]

EMS/Trauma System Colleagues,

I am sending you a personal appeal. We are facing a critical situation in

regards to ambulance needs to evacuate medical special needs patients from the

potential impact area of Hurricane Gustav. Basically, the federal assets have

to be split with other Gulf Coast states. And, much of Texas is preparing for

either the potential storm or for sheltering of Louisiana and Texas evacuees.

On the State Operations Center Conference call that ended earlier today, Mr.

Jack Colley, Governor's Division of Emergency Management, requested that

everyone look carefully into their available resources and send whatever they

can. Even if this means that you could only spare one ambulance to complete

only one evacuation trip, it will help.

We do not want to leave local areas without the resources they need, so everyone

should consider their current situation carefully. But, if you have available

resources to help, send an email to EMSAssist@... with the

information below my signature or call the EMS Operations Center at

512/834-6761.

Thank you very much,

Kathy

C. Perkins, RN, MBA

Assistant Commissioner

Division for Regulatory Services

Texas Department of State Health Services

Phone: 512/834-6660

Fax: 512/834-6736