The best little hurricane response company no one ever heard of has been handed a contract by the Jindal administration to provide physicians, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, nursing assistants, respiratory therapists, licensed social workers and clerical and administrative staff in case a major hurricane strikes Louisiana.
And the company is in Wisconsin.
Response Systems, Inc., a company in Oconomowoc (can I buy a vowel?), Wisc. was named recipient of the $871,000 contract, apparently because it is more qualified in hurricane relief than any other company from Texas to Florida.
Funny thing is, no one in Wisconsin seems to know squat about the firm.
A business reporter for the Milwaukee Journal knew nothing of the company other than a story that ran several years ago naming a new vice president/general manager who is no longer with the firm.
Even stranger, Bob Duffy, Director of Economic Development for Oconomowoc, drew a blank when asked about the company on Monday. “I never heard of them,” he said.
One would reasonably think that the director of economic development in the very town in which Response Systems, Inc. is domiciled would know of the company and whether it was a viable, thriving member of the local business community.
It required a fairly extensive search, but a web page for the company was finally found which offered some information about the company. http://www.disasterpreparation.net/about-news.html
LouisianaVoice attempted to call Response Systems but got the voice mail of the firm’s registered agent, Todd Grainger.
Here’s what we do know:
- The contract with the Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) runs from Feb. 1, 2012 to Jan. 31, 2016 and is for emergency preparedness and readiness training—something we just assumed in our own naïve way was the responsibility of the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness. After all, what is the function of a state agency with a current budget of $1.3 billion—unless it’s just to be sure the state has a sufficient supply of ice for the next hurricane?
- The company will get even more money in case it has to do anything—like providing medical teams in the event of a disaster.
- Response Systems would be called out for a minimum five-day deployment at a cost of $290,714, plus travel and meals—that’s over and above the $871,000 contract amount.
- The company may provide staffing of more than 150 licensed personnel to ensure operational efficiency and recovery in the event of a mass medical surge or evacuation.
- The company must have teams in place within 48 hours of call-up.
- Response Systems, Inc. employs fewer than 10 people and had revenues of less than $500,000 last year, according to an online business profile service.
- The company was first incorporated in January of 2009, was sent a notice of administrative dissolution for failure file an annual report on Oct. 1, 2010, and was restored to good standing after filing its report on Oct. 28, 2011—barely three months before entering into its contract with DHH.
In perhaps the irony of all ironies with this administration, DHH Secretary Kathy Kliebert was quoted as saying, “If the event (a hurricane of some like disaster) goes on for a prolonged period of time, we didn’t have the staff to really staff those shelters appropriately.”
Might this be because Jindal has gutted state agencies with widespread layoffs so that he could contract with these private firms? Could this be another CNSI on a somewhat smaller (like $200 million smaller) scale?
While LSU has provided professional staff in the past, state public health nurses are getting fewer in number with the cutbacks and Kliebert said hospital privatization changes which have occurred recently made the contract necessary. Really?
State Health Officer Dr. Jimmy Guidry added that while it was nice to have had support from LSU in the past, “It’s a new day. Business is different. We have to get a little more creative.” Really again.
The company’s website says Response Systems, Inc. has contracts with several other states, including Colorado, Washington and Kansas for similar services.
The web page said it is actively recruiting medical teams to assist with on-demand mass evacuation operations on the Gulf Coast.
“We are respectful of the large responsibility Louisiana DHH has tasked us with,” said Grainger on the website. “Our ability to successfully carry out past response missions in Louisiana is a key building block to insure a now larger statewide construct of support.”
The website described the company’s role in assisting DHH following Hurricane Gustav in 2008.
Louisiana Voice 
Mr. Aswell, is the contract limit $50,000 where legislative or some such oversight comes into play? If so, are our legislators complicit in this yet another Jindal charade to reward and curry political favors around the country to promote his national aspirations? And the beat of underfunded education and deprived health care to Louisiana citizens goes on and three millions citizens continue to stand like deer in headlights and wait for Jindal to yet again run over them.
As a retired mental health professional I must say my finest days of service were manning the PMAC during the evacuation of New Orleans during Katrina. I seriously doubt an out of state firm can get a handle on what is needed here logistically, in a timely manner. This is a sad day for Louisiana when our leaders farm us out to Wisconsin. What was once learned is now forgotten and must be relearned. What is the cost of this boondoggle. Having a service in place is a far cry from having a contract in place. What a disgrace when we can not even take care of our own. Our state leaders are pimps and whores. All that is left is to haggle over the price.
I wonder if anybody checked poilitical contributions from Grainger to Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin. Could there be a bit of “I’ll scratch you back, if you’ll scratch mine in the Jindal/Walker friendship?
I had the same thoughts and did a thorough check of campaign contributions by the company and its president to both Jindal and Scott Walker…and found nothing.
In my interview with the director of the Oconomowoc Office of Economic Development, asked him if there might be some connection between Response Systems and Scott Walker and he replied, “Could be.”
Very interesting results of your investigation, Tom. Like many other things, we the unwashed will likely never get the full story, but helping an apparently fledgling company in Wisconsin certainly couldn’t hurt the relationship between our governor and theirs (who is actually a frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination). “Jindalized”: Unless things have changed, contracts of $50,000 up require approval of the Office of Contractual Review located in the Division of Administration which is part of the Office of the Governor.
Our governor will “suck up” to anyone if he thinks he can get something out of them. But while sucking, perhaps he will get exposed as the Benedict Arnold he is, as Romney can attest to after the 2012 election when he separated himself from Romney as quickly as he could. He should know the old saying that when you step on people going up, you have to see those same people on the way down. And usually going down can be faster. Perhaps the people of Louisiana can’t get rid of him, but the Republican Party could surely kick him out!! Maybe that would be the best option, cause the Democrats surely don’t want him either. A dictator without a party! Wouldn’t that be fitting for a governor who doesn’t care about his State.
YES IT WOULD!!!!
This administration is really a joke! No a funny one, but a sad one! Yes it’s easy to make and implement these BAD decisions when it doesn’t affect you. I have never been a supporter of Lil’Jindial just because of what he’s now doing. This guy has always given me bad vibes! I was an employee at DHH when boy wonder was appointed by Foster. I said to myself then, God help us all if he ever became governor. Well, I now pray God help us all! I was one of the DHH IT employees who retired because of the mess Lil’Jindial and his cohorts botched. Thank God I had enough time to retire! I hear DHH IT is still a mess! Work is going undone………. surprise the bottom has not fallen from under it! Oh, that’s right!……..Contracts! Well let’s see, Greenstein and Carol Steckel are no longer there. I’m sure there will be more people facing federal charges in this administration. Like they say, it’s just the wait that kill you. I’m waiting!
Bobby Jindal YOU ARE AN ASS!!
It is just that simple.
Tom I can not thank you enough for un covering the stupid things this person is doing to our state.
What will it take to get this idiot out of office?
Stephen Winham: Thanks for the clarification. I can only assume that when our current constitution was drafted it was never imagined that the Division of Administration could be headed by the likes of Paul Rainwater and Kristy Nicholls operating as minions for the likes of Bobby Jindal. Had that been forseen, then surely the Office of Contractual Review would have been placed under the jurisdiction of someone like the State Auditor.
dlubrano8: You asked what it will take to get this idiot Jindal out of office. I’d like to think that if they were informed that the voters would sign recall petitions or at a minimum never elect such a sleaze ball again. But when you have some of the press, like The Thrifty Garage Sale Advocate that has no news of any significance whatsoever leading the charge, an informed populace is not going to happen. And to make matters worse, the Advocate misinforms its readers. And the Jindal Burial Brigade keeps on covering up the evidence of its murdering of our state.
If not for the determination & courageous actions of veteran state employees going out w/ a bang, the alarmingly insightful reporting of bloggers like Tom, Mercedes, Dane & other, & the Monroe Star – our lone state newspaper reporting the REAL news – the entire state would be in the dark about the reality of living in Jindal’s Louisiana. I believe Jindal is self-destructing as we speak, but who will stop him from continuing to pull the entire state down with him?.
Another episode in the continuing saga entitled “Bobby Jindal:The Pimping of Louisiana”.
This is beyond disgusting. In my non-legal opinion, it is criminal. It sure looks as if lil’ Booby is hell bent on the total destruction of the entire state. What a “legacy” this clown is leaving.
Unfortunately, it will be the citizens of the state and their children and grandchildren who will be stuck trying their best to recover and clean up the mess he is leaving us all. It really makes a semi-sane, somewhat rational human being (me) sick.
This alone should be grounds for impeachment. Yeah, I know, fat chance.
FOR SALE: LOUISIANA GREAT DEAL
POLITICAL DONATIONS GREATLY REWARDED
Equally disturbing is the fact that companies exist in Louisiana that could easily accommodate any and all requirements posed by emergency relief. One in particular that comes to mind is THE SCHUMAKER GROUP in Lafayette, LA. The company’s stated mission plan is that of providing emergency medical personal and staffing. Schumaker is one of the largest, if not the largest, company providing such services throughout the nation. Was SCHUMAKER even provided a RFB, request for bid? Something is just not “right” with Jindal and his Jindanista’s. I’m just wondering when the “FOR SALE” signs will be installed at the state borders?
Is this the official website?
http://www.disasterpreparation.net/services.html
Yes.
Tom, isn’t it about time we start listing all the contracts given out. I think it would be eye opening to see how many companies are owned by repubs from out of state. Also, how many contracts have been awarded in state? Looks to me all my tax money is leaving this state at an alarming rate. If u know what I mean.
Do you realize what you’re suggesting? That would be one of the most monumental tasks ever undertaken. The list is endless. Literally. It’s a great idea but entirely impractical because of the sheer volume. We will, nevertheless, try to monitor the most egregious ones.
Why doesnt anyone send this to the press and see if they play it?
The press is free to pick this up and run with it.
I have forwarded many of these sickening stories to such stations as WWL, WDSU, Lee Zuric and not one of them to my knowledge has so much has lifted a finger to investigate the first one.
Mr. Mann with NOLA.com has been printing a few stories here lately, only to be called a Blanco left over that has it in for Jindal.
There has to be a reason for the silence of the media. It is just beyound me as to why!!
Dream on!! The gutless (and mindless) wonders in the so-called “news” business in the state would run like hell from real news–with the notable exception of the Monroe paper.
You’ve got that right. That tiny little Monroe paper is the only one in the state that does the kind of hard hitting reporting that could bring the Jindal administration to its knees. That charter school would still be collecting if it wasn’t for them.
Could the press and television stations be awaiting the results of the federal investigation of CNSI? I don’t know but I have a sinking feeling that Jindal’s about to be exposed!
Our Governor in a recent jaunt to Virginia to express his contempt for a politician in Virginia was quoted,”As the Governor of Louisiana, I say this scam is so bad it would embarrass even the politicians of Louisiana.” Now what do you think he meant by that? Tom, In regards to Todd Grainger he was employed the longest by MCI and got out before the merger with Worldcom. After his long stint there his employment has been brief at various companies. I find it interesting he is a member of the MCI Alliance Group. Well whatever that means, Jindal seems to know a scam when he sees one at least in Virginia that is. Thanks for the all your work and the contributions made by so many well-informed commenters.
Like there is not a Louisiana based company that could do the work, probably for less money and just be on-call for hurricane season instead of being paid year around to do nothing??? And they really expect people from Wisconsin to tolerate Louisiana’s summers! Plus, Wisconsin is only about 3% African-American. I doubt if they will understand the needs of our people or Southern American English.
The governor of Wisconsin is a Teaparty Republican whom the people of the state came close to recalling about a year ago. He is basically Jindal in white skin. He has destroyed the unions and the schools, laid off state workers and done all the other devilment Jindal has done.
This is what Jindal is best at, running scams and giving jobs to everyone but the people of Louisiana. I am sure there are plenty of doctors, nurses, and respiratory therapists here, with their salaries slashed by privatization who would love to serve their own people.
This should be illegal. Where is he getting the money to pull this kind of tax funded trick? When is he going to do enough harm to be impeached? I am saying it again, it is a a disservice to America to let this man run for national office blot free. He needs his political career ended this year.
[…] Who or what is Response Systems? Wisconsin firm has $900K contract to help with LA. hurricane evacu… […]
On the bright side, maybe those folks from Wisconsin can bring us some delicious Spotted Cow beer. We’ll provide the ice!
Below is what the company says they did during Gustav on thier website as a case study. I am curious to know how they can make this claim when Gustav was in 2008 and the company didn’t get incorporated until 2009.
Response Systems was contracted by the Louisiana State Health Care System Division, the 9th largest Public Health system in the US to help LSU maintain control of their patients post Katrina. Serving as the health care safety net for a significant population in the state, system officials vowed to take care of their own. Many were skeptical of hiring a private contractor to do what the governments of state and federal were revving up focus and resources to do since 2005. The test came and it came in ways that no one prepared for.
Response Systems stepped up and met the challenge. First orderly evacuations as part of planned decompressions and partial shelter-in-place strategies and then ad hoc full out rapid complete emptying of hospitals with little to no warning. LSU HCSD officials hailed the mission as “beyond our expectations” and “validation of our strategies”. Response Systems was able to lend assets to the state to complete their mission promoting further appreciation of state authorities.
Tom, I’m suggesting the privatizing contracts mainly.
Well, that does narrow it down….a little. I’ll do what I can with my limited resources.
Are we missing some connection to Wisconsin’s governor?? Jindal’s BFF as of today……
I have done campaign contribution research as well as corporation research from Wisconsin and to date, have found nothing linking all this to Scott.
That the owners and/or company in question are (or have been) major Jindal contributors is a sure bet.
As part of our “back to school” chores public school teachers across the state have to “retrain” on the LA State Ethics Board laws of 2012. What a joke! The “transparent” Piyush and his puppets passed this bogus piece of legislation, part of the Piyush Dog and Phony Show.
Nothing was written into Jindal’s “ethics” laws about elected officials depositing millions into campaign coffers while awarding millions in state contracts to their supporters. Hmmmmmmmmm………………
What about the statewide Emergency Medical Response Teams? They are volunteers. I work with one in Calcasieu Parish. We had an evacuation drill using the State’s new tracking system. Seems like education, health care, the arts all could use that money. I will not vote for Jindal for President.
Stan Morris
YOU ARE NOT ALONE!!!
The people of this Stste finally see Jindal for what he is or isn’t .
It is very aparant the rest of our country has been on to him long before the people of our State.
Thank you for your voulunter work.
The company website has a testimonial from:
Michael K. Butler, MD, MHA, CPE, FACPE
Acting Chief Executive Officer
LSU Health Systems
Healthcare Services Division
So you might contact Michael Butler for more information and insight into what work this company has done in LA.
Please check your sources. Michael Butler, M.D. works for Jackson Health Services in Miami Florida. I am certain there are enough people out there who can speak on what happened to him and how he did a 180 on LSU during the pre Jindal years and the Jindal LSU privatization plan.