Thanks for the link. The link below (from September of 2003) also lists these two guys primary responsibilities and how they supposedly had the city prepared for any disaster. I think we'll be hearing more about these two in the future.
http://www.securitymanagement.com/library/001489.html
One reason to bring these diverse groups together was to implement the public safety wireless network (PSWN), says New Orleans Fire Chief Charles Parent. He explains that this computerized system will give different agencies the opportunity to communicate with each other during a crisis. The system is under the auspices of the fire department (the Coast Guard has a backup system), says Parent.PSWN, which went operational in July, allows any combination of agencies to connect and communicate at the click of a mouse. New Orleans is one of the first cities to implement it fully.
The system will offer "tremendous capability," Ebbert says. "It allows all agencies to talk on their own radios regardless of brand or what bandwidth they're on."
I'd like to hear how this system fared during Katrina and her aftermath and whether the Feds were allowed to communicate with New Orleans DHS people through this system.