NEW ORLEANS — When the levees broke and 911 went silent during Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans EMS kept moving. Medics waded through floodwaters, improvised landing zones and carried patients out of hospitals cut off from the world. Twenty years later, their stories are being retold — not in statistics, but in the voices of those who lived them.
Throughout August, as the city marks the 20th anniversary of Katrina, NOEMS has been honoring the medics who answered the call when the city went silent. Their stories — shared through a month-long social media series — are leading up to the premiere of “The Ones Who Stayed,” a documentary debuting Aug. 29 that captures EMS providers’ experiences in their own words.
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Deputy Chief Keller: From chaos to “LZ Superman”
On the morning after Katrina, with communications down and 911 calls silent, Deputy Chief Keller and his crew drove through wreckage, responding to whatever they came across — fires, rescues, collapsed buildings.
By Sept. 4, nearly 20,000 people were stranded at the Convention Center. Keller, a civilian pilot, joined fellow medics Cedric Palmisano and Perry Lew to transform a parking lot into “LZ Superman,” a makeshift helicopter landing zone. For nearly 20 hours, they cycled aircraft in and out, three at a time, in what became one of the largest civilian air evacuations in U.S. history.
“Katrina was an unimaginable experience at NOHD EMS. In the face of devastation, our team showed incredible resilience — rescuing, comforting, and caring for our community and each other. I’m proud to still serve alongside those who rose to that challenge, in spite of great personal loss, and those who keep the spirit of our mission moving forward today,” Keller said.
Deputy Chief Cedric Palmisano: From rescues to rebuilding
Palmisano was stationed at the Hotel Monteleone when Katrina struck. With communications down, he assisted New Orleans Fire Department crews with water rescues in the 7th Ward before moving to the Superdome, where ICU patients began arriving in desperate need of care.
After tensions rose inside the Superdome, Palmisano and fellow medics waded through chest-deep water to escape. Days later, he was back at the Convention Center, coordinating alongside Keller and Lew to keep helicopters cycling in and out of “LZ Superman.”
Later, he was reassigned to the city’s Emergency Operations Center, where he helped coordinate logistics and rebuild EMS from within.
“Katrina was a horrible experience, but I was surrounded by some truly great and dedicated people,” Palmisano said. “Together, we were able to rebuild our service and become one of the leaders in EMS.”
Paramedic Perry Lew: Holding the line at the Convention Center
When Katrina made landfall, Paramedic Perry Lew was assigned to the BellSouth Building in New Orleans East. By morning, every ambulance staged outside had been swallowed by floodwaters.
After days of treating patients with limited supplies, Lew was evacuated by air to the Superdome, where he joined in moving ICU patients. But soon he was back on the front lines at the Convention Center, grounding helicopters and guiding evacuees through chaos to the aircraft.
He remembers the heartbreak of leaving people behind on the overpass when his crew was pulled out — but also the overwhelming kindness of strangers when he briefly reunited with family in Memphis before returning to New Orleans.
Twenty years later, Lew is still serving the city. His Katrina story, he says, is proof that because of medics like him, New Orleans EMS endured.
Lieutenant Esther Swan: Resilience under pressure
In 2005, Lieutenant Esther Swan was assigned to the LSU Dental School when Katrina made landfall. The building held through the storm, but the morning after, the levees broke. Water poured into Gentilly, rising quickly until the surrounding neighborhood and the first floor of the school were underwater.
Wildlife & Fisheries evacuated Swan and the other responders to the 610 overpass. In the heat and chaos, they waited for hours with evacuees and fellow first responders, uncertain of what would come next.
From there, Swan carried on into the rescue and recovery efforts that stretched on for weeks after the storm.
Twenty years later, she is still serving with New Orleans EMS — now as a lieutenant — bringing the same steady presence she showed when the city needed it most.
Kenneth “Kenny” Knowles: The heart of the department
Kenneth “Kenny” Knowles has long been a steady presence in New Orleans EMS. When Katrina struck, he made his way to join his EMS family. By Sept. 3, he was at the Convention Center, standing shoulder to shoulder with fellow medics in one of the storm’s darkest and most desperate moments.
Nearly 20,000 people were stranded there with no way out. The scene was chaotic, but medics turned a broken parking lot into a helicopter lifeline. Aircraft cycled in and out for hours, moving evacuees to safety. In the middle of it all, Knowles did what he’s known for: lifting spirits. He cracked jokes, offered encouragement and helped his partners believe they would make it through.
The longest-serving field operations paramedic at New Orleans EMS, Knowles has shaped generations of medics. His one-liners — “It’s just another item,” “Back in the day” — are part of the department’s culture.
“There will never be another Kenny Knowles,” the department wrote. “His legacy is written not just in the history of Katrina, but in the countless lives he’s touched, the medics he’s mentored and the family he’s built inside these walls.”
Captain Keeley Williams-Johnson: Steady through the chaos
In the hours before Katrina made landfall, Keeley Williams-Johnson was dispatched to two emergencies: a woman in labor and a man suffering a diabetic emergency. Both patients made it to Methodist Hospital, which closed permanently after the storm.
Days later, Williams-Johnson was airlifted to the Superdome, where she joined in evacuating ICU patients by any means available. From there, she linked with other medics and continued moving across the flooded city, helping reunite families and provide care wherever needed.
Today, she serves as a captain on C Watch. While many came to know her from the TV show Nightwatch, colleagues know her for the same focus and commitment that carried her through Katrina.
Honoring the many voices of NOEMS
Alongside these stories, NOEMS has recognized the steady service of other medics who answered the call:
- Captain William Niemeck, marking 40 years as a paramedic, who served as a liaison at the state Emergency Operations Center
- Deputy Chief Lynn “Goose” Ramagos, who organized recovery efforts after being evacuated from LSU Dental School
- Captain Darryl Richardson, among the first to spot the incoming floodwaters on Gentilly Boulevard
- Captain Kevin Hoag, who kept responding across the city despite being stranded without transport
- Retired Deputy Chief Yolanda Wilson, who documented losses by hand, providing vital records for the department’s recovery
- Lt. Charlie Brown, who carried out recovery missions in the Lower Ninth Ward and continues to serve as a logistics leader
Remembering those lost
The department also honored four medics who served during Katrina but have since passed: Frank Petta, Jay Winston, Raymond “Mad Dog” Mandola and Jacob Oberman. Their legacies remain part of the EMS story and the city’s recovery.
‘The Ones Who Stayed’
The upcoming documentary, produced with Prodigy EMS, highlights not just the work but also the sacrifices of medics who lost homes, friends and colleagues while continuing to serve.
“This story is hard. Our medics were not just responders; they lost everything too. Their homes, family members, friends, coworkers. They grieve with the city for New Orleans before Katrina but still hold hope for the city and its future,” NOEMS wrote.
Twenty years later, the voices of New Orleans EMS stand as a reminder of resilience, sacrifice and service — proof that, even in the darkest hours, they never stopped answering the call.
What’s the biggest emergency response lesson you’ve learned from Hurricane Katrina?
