Local fire officials faced unexpected problems with the influx of more than 10,000 temporary laborers hired for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill clean up. These laborers were housed and fed in more than 150 structures, including vacated buildings, tent cities and flo-tels — most of which didn't comply with  building and life-safety codes.

Louisiana State Fire Marshal H. "Butch" Browning Jr., immediately took on the problems associated with the temporary housing, which reminded him of problems during Hurricane Katrina five years earlier.

Browning was appointed by Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal in 2008 and has set about changing response statewide. Browning has served all levels of the fire service, including assistant fire chief for District 6 in Baton Rouge from 1987 to 1998, when he was promoted to fire chief. Prior to his appointment as State Fire Marshal, Browning was fire chief of Gonzales, La.

Browning shared his lessons learned from the most recent disaster in the Gulf region with FIRE CHIEF Editorial Director Janet Wilmoth.