City sends paramedic to New Orleans area

Laguna Beach is helping assist in the Hurricane Katrina disaster.

Firefighter Paramedic Eric Lether, a member of the Orange County

Disaster Medical Assistance Team, has been in the New Orleans area

since Monday working to set up remote care facilities for victims of

Hurricane Katrina, said Chief Mike Macey.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency put out a call Thursday to

California fire agencies requesting 1,000 teams of two firefighters

to assist in disaster response efforts in the area affected by the

hurricane.

It is a 30-day commitment that will require firefighters to live

on bare necessities and work in "severe" conditions, Macey said.

Macey said he already has a long list of firefighters who are

interested in going.

"It's amazing to me, how many individuals are willing to step up

and do that for 30 days," Macey said.