FEMA's organized response with a pediatric subspecialty team: the National Disaster Medical System response: a pediatric perspective.

A HURRICANE IN New Orleans, Louisiana, was no longer just a threat but a reality. At the New Orleans Louis Armstrong International Airport, a small group of Boston-based National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) physicians met with military officers, who informed us that 5 years ago they were charged with preparation for potential national disasters. A hurricane in New Orleans was 1 of 3 scenarios they predicted. As a nation, as individuals, and as a disaster team we were living that prediction. Although we took care of disaster victims of all ages and disaster-relief workers, for those of us in the field of pediatrics, our focus was on the youngest victims of the disaster.