Contact: W. Keith Simon, VP, PR & Marketing, 1.800.259.3333

Pictures taken by Ray Bias before and after the storm can be found on our Web Gallery at acadian.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, August 30, 2005

The evacuation efforts continue as the rising waters in New Orleans create a critical situation. It is estimated that the waters are rising at a rate of one foot per hour. All Acadian Ambulance off-duty medics and 50 extra ambulances have been activated to help with the evacuations.

Acadian is prepared to evacuate over 300 patients from New Orleans Charity Hospital and transport patients to accepting hospitals in the cities of Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Alexandria and New Iberia.

Some patients will have to be transported by boat to the awaiting ambulances that have been stopped by flood waters. One Acadian ambulance crew was able to make it to the emergency ramp of New Orleans Charity Hospital, but before the ambulance could depart, the emergency ramp became submerged under water. The Acadian ambulance unit remains stranded on the emergency ramp.

Acadian's Air Med Fleet of six emergency helicopters will also evacuate critical life-threatening patients from Tulane Medical Center in New Orleans.

Other air ambulances throughout the South have called to offer their assistance and Acadian's communication center is coordinating efforts to land them at the New Orleans Superdome. Calls have been received from as far away as Shreveport, LA, Beaumont, TX, and Little Rock, AR.

An additional 150 to 200 patients from six other New Orleans hospitals will need to be evacuated over the next three-five days.

“We continue to work around the clock with the Office of Emergency Preparedness and local law enforcement agencies,” said CEO and Chairman Richard Zuschlag “We handled 700 evacuations in less than 36 hours before Katrina made landfall, and are prepared for more evacuations as long as we are needed.”

Acadian's "Hurricane Plan" has been in effect since last Saturday when the company met with field operations, communications personnel, fleet maintenance, and medical supply to put into place those directives.

To meet the extensive evacuation needs, 100 medics, staffing 50 ambulances have joined the normal daily contingent of 160 on-duty ambulances in the areas affected by the storm. Acadian's off-duty medics, and contract paramedics who were evacuated from oil rigs due to the storm, are standing by and will be used on an as-needed basis, Zuschlag said.

Those unaffected by the storm can be assured that Acadian's operations for their area will not be diminished. Due to our regional operations, we have access to additional medics on an as-needed basis without affecting the level of service expected in our service area.

Persons facing life or death situations should dial 911. Acadian Ambulance can be reached for non-emergency medical assistance by calling 511 direct.

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