New Orleans, LA
March 2010
Tearing Down Templeman I & II
Hurricane Katrina devastated the Orleans Parish Prison (OPP) system. FEMA has obligated $28.8 million to replace the OPP facility known as ���Templeman One and Two���.Templeman 1 and 2 was really our medical observation unit 
as well as the dormitory where we housed about 1800 inmates. Katrina really caused a lot of damage to the security systems, to the infrastructure, to the electrical systems, life safety systems and that���s what necessitated the tearing down of  Templeman 1 and 2. The storm really didn���t cause much damage to the structure of the building, as much as it caused damage to the inside of the building with the floodwaters. 
So we evacuated all of the inmates. That was actually the first building that we evacuated was the Templeman 1 and 2. 
And that was because we had people that were physically impaired as well as ill in that building.We���re looking forward of course to the complete demolition of  Templeman 1 and 2 and then to having it rebuilt.But this is a great opportunity to do a bunch of different things ��� everything from raising all of your generators and forced air units to putting in the electrical at a higher level. We���re also going to have a pathway elevated so that in the event of any disaster or problem, we can move within the structure, as opposed to having to go down on the city street.Always better to be smarter, always better to prepare for the unthinkable.FEMA���s been a great partner in all of this. We couldn���t have done anything without FEMA.We really have made a lot of progress, need to make more.So I���m thinking in the next 3 years we���re going to be just about finished, if not finished.
For more information visit www.FEMA.gov.