Breaux Bridge Man Named to State Board

A St. Martin Parish native will continue his service on Louisiana Emergency Response Commission.

Governor John Bel Edwards reappointed Chris Guilbeaux to that commission. Guilbeaux, of Breaux Bridge, is the deputy director of preparedness, response, and interoperability at the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness.

The Louisiana Emergency Response Commission coordinates and supervises all aspects of the state's emergency management plan, including the development, coordination, and leadership of that plan. The commission also handles the implementation of the federal hazardous materials Emergency Planning and Community Right-To-Know Act within Louisiana.

Guilbeaux has four decades of experience in emergency response. He joined the Louisiana National Guard in 1979. He served 18 years in the 256th Infantry Brigade before being selected as the senior operations sergeant for the 62nd Civil Support Team, Weapons of Mass Destruction. In that roll, Guilbeaux received more than 800 hours of emergency management, hazardous materials, and weapons of mass destruction training.

Since retiring from the National Guard in 2002, Guilbeaux has held a number of high-profile emergency response positions. He served as a member of the Louisiana Department of Health's bioterrorism program, as St. Martin Parish's 911 director, and as the assistant director for the St. Martin Parish Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness. He joined GOHSEP in 2008.