"RELIANT CITY"
Day One Posting.
First Day.
I decided to go by the Astrodome today to do a recon before I had to report in on Tuesday, at 9pm. I took some time this morning to clean my duty weapon and carefully put together a clean uniform, then put on my ballistic vest underneath my shirt, and hit the road on the Goldwing. I arrived this afternoon between 4:30 and 5:00 pm and found the Sheriff's Office Command Post pretty easily. I lucked out and arrived in time for a staff meeting of all supervisors and learned some great info I'd have missed out on if I'd shown up a little later than I did.
Afterwards, once the meeting broke up, I hooked up with a couple of other Sergeants and did a roving tour of the dome and all of the areas we are responsible for. When I got off the elevator on the 5th level, and looked out over the floor of the Astrodome, it was a somewhat overwhelming sight.
The television coverage really doesn't do it justice. It is quite literally a sea of people. Many are down on the floor of the dome, but many others are up in the stadium seats. In addition, there are rows of cots up on each floor behind the stadium seats, with phone banks, showers, food distribution areas, clothing and other sundries distribution areas, and a full medical screening and treatment area down on the floor. After that initial tour, I roved the building pretty much on my own and took in as much as I could.
There is so much being brought in that they have had to tell people to stop bringing the donations to the Astrodome!! They have created a clearing center for donations and everything is being taken there now. There are so many people in the Astrodome!!! It is amazing. Upwards of 18,000 people are living there day in, and day out. It is like a small city unto itself, and we are acting as the police force. I walked my butt off tonight all around each and every level. I nodded to folks, smiled at them, and chatted with a few. They are just regular people, just like everyone else, only they've been through a very traumatic event in their lives. I guess I kind of sympathize with them after being in the flood here in 1994 where I lost my house and everything we owned. Luckily, I didn't have to ship out to another state and try to recover there.
There are a million stories as well, some inspiring, some very disappointing. The Houston Police Department stopped a patrol car over on the east side. It was a New Orleans Police Department squad car. In it was a Sergeant who just basically quit, and drove off IN the squad car. Why do they all come to Houston???? LOL. I was most disappointed to hear of it. I cannot conceive of abandoning my post in such a grave situation. I just cannot wrap my mind around the mentality of a POLICE OFFICER who just up and quits when he is needed the most. There may never be such a challenge again in his lifetime, and to have to look back and know he just left his city, and its citizens, in the lurch would be unbearable to me. I'd rather have eaten my gun.
The babies are the ones who bring tears to my eyes. The little kids, toddlers, and preschoolers, those that have not yet learned of prejudice and fear of the police, make my heart joyful. I smile at them, and they smile back almost automatically. Their laughter and giggles are healing to me and to those around them; they don't know they are in the middle of a great disaster. They don't know how close they came to being a casualty of such a great storm. They are blessed.
The faces of those who went through the worst are easy to pick out. Many sit with their head in their hands and just cry softly, only to pick themselves up a little later and keep going on. I saw people helping each other to move things around, find things they had lost, and just talking to people that needed to talk. The volunteers are amazing as well. There are so many people who have turned out to help that it is just mind boggling. I can't tell you how many of those folks there are, because it would have taken me the whole time I was there to count them all. Doing every kind of job imaginable, from taking care of the mountains of trash, to running the shower areas, to working the triage area of the medical support section. They were everywhere, doing everything, and more.
There are sheriff's deputies, police officers, constables, marshals, and state troopers everywhere you look. If you need a police officer of any kind you do not have to look far, or wait long, before one is there. This is no Superdome, this is Houston, Texas, and several folks have heard that phrase, "You're in Texas now" when they try to explain that in New Orleans, their behavior is acceptable...lol. I am amazed at the professionalism of my brothers and sisters in law enforcement under these extreme circumstances, they are magnificent. Our ethos is intact; it is our honor to do a good job, a professional job, and to hold each other to a high standard of service. This is my pledge.
I will try and report as often as I can, I want you to share this with me as much as possible. I know that once the "new" wears off it wont' be nearly as exciting, but for now, I hope you enjoy it. I'm going to go get some rest since now I've kind of come down from the emotional "high" and I feel like sleeping. Presidents George H. W. Bush, and William J. Clinton will be at the dome in the morning sometime, I'm so glad I don't have to go back in till tomorrow night....lol.
Mac