Seventy-two hours after Hurricane Katrina's landfall, Louis Armstrong International Airport (MSY) was designated as the primary evacuation site for New Orleans. FEMA assigned 3 DMATs to set up and staff the site until more, if any, assistance would be needed.
Level 1 and 2 teams deploy with 30 to 35 members within 6 hours of activation by the federal government. The team is supplied with medical, pharmaceutical, and logistical supplies and equipment capable of providing emergency care for 250 patients a day and for 72 hours without resupply. A fully deployed team staffs 15 general positions under the following categories: Medical (nurses, doctors, and paramedics), Logistics, Communication, and Administration (see Table 2). DMATs operate under the incident command structure designated by the National Incident Management System.
