Two police officers from the Redmond Police Department arrived in New Orleans on Monday night to assist in Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, Police Chief Lane Roberts said.

Mike Kidwell and Gary De Korte left Friday night in a Redmond squad car loaded down with water, food, sleeping bags and a tent.

”We were asked to arrive self-contained,” Roberts said.

It’s unclear exactly where the men will be assigned or what they will be doing.

Roberts chose the men for the assignment; each has more than 20 years of police experience, he said.

Kidwell has a background in SWAT team and emergency response work. De Korte is a graduate of the FBI national academy and works as a patrol commander with the Redmond Police Department.

”When it gets violent and someone is going to get hurt, it’s very important to have the experience there,” Roberts said.

Both men have families in Redmond, Roberts said.

Later this week the Redmond Fire Department will send two paramedics to the Gulf region, said Fire Chief Ron Oliver.

The city of Redmond is also looking into whether evacuees from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina could be relocated to Redmond, City Manager Mike Patterson said.

Patterson said the city is investigating low-cost housing and available jobs if evacuees were to move to Redmond.

”Our thought is with a relocation program like that, Redmond could really help,” Patterson said.

Holly Armstrong, a spokeswoman for Gov. Ted Kulongoski’s office, said if the state does receive evacuees they are likely to remain at a Red Cross shelter in Portland, although some may settle in the region.

She said donating money to Red Cross chapters in Oregon is the most important way to help evacuees that do arrive in the state.