Iberia Parish praises emergency response after Arctic weather, recognizes ESF leads

The Iberia Parish president told the parish council on Jan. 29 that the parish’s emergency response to a recent Arctic weather event was successful, publicly recognizing Emergency Support Function (ESF) leads, partner agencies and volunteers for staffing warming centers and maintaining communications.

The president said the event was the parish’s first major emergency activation under a new ESF framework and praised the teamwork that kept residents informed and sheltered. He named ESF leads across transportation, communications, public works, fire, emergency management, mass care, procurement, health and utilities and thanked municipal partners in New Iberia and elsewhere for assistance. “This was a phenomenal thing that he put in place for us here in Iberia Parish,” the president said, describing coordination across departments and volunteers.

Why it matters: Council members said the activation validated investing in an organized ESF structure and in parish employees leading those functions rather than relying only on volunteers. Councilmember Natalie Broussard described staff and volunteers’ work at warming centers as lifesaving and singled out specific ESF staff for praise.

Council action and next steps: No formal vote was required. The president encouraged residents to sign up for the Iberia Parish Information Notification Center, which officials used during the event to publish updates and reach tens of thousands of residents via social media and the parish website.

The meeting continued with routine business and agenda items.