LAS VEGAS -- FEMA Director R. David Paulison acknowledged that while EMS is the most utilized component in any disaster, it is the least recognized of all responders.

Watch Video: EMSResponder.com Interview with FEMA Director R. David Paulison - Wrap Up from Wednesday at EMS Expo (Windows Media Player) or View in Our Video Center

Paulison told several thousand people during opening ceremonies Wednesday at EMS Expo/Firehouse Las Vegas that he believes EMS needs to be represented and have a voice.

It's essential, he said, to develop and foster relationships with all the players before a crisis strikes. Without a cohesive agenda, FEMA will never gain public confidence.

He said it's unforgivable that officials didn't have the straight story about what was going on in the Superdome or the convention center. With the technology and logistics now in place, he said similar scenarios will not be repeated. Paulison pledged that there is a new FEMA in place.

Only experts with proven track records in EMS, law enforcement and emergency management are being selected for his team. "To get to FEMA, you must know what you are doing," he said.

And, those people will be deployed before the storm.

Paulison said FEMA's new approach is to act immediately rather than sit back and wait until local and state services are overwhelmed. "It was clear to me it didn't work," he said.

But, he added: "We're not coming in to take over. We're coming to offer you the support you need."

Tractor-trailer loads of MREs, medical supplies, water and other essentials stand ready and can easily be tracked as they are now GPS equipped. Technology is in place to assist with victim registration, so family members and others will know where their loved ones are.

There's a new way to distribute money to victims, and procedures have been implemented to prevent widespread fraud. Paulison said it's important to get money quickly to the right people.

The new FEMA director said he wants EMS to be part of the process as the National Response Plan is reviewed, adding that it will only be effective if all responders have a part.

Moments after Paulison made the offer and commitment, NAEMT President Ken Bouvier told the crowd his organization is more than willing and is already involved.

Bouvier said that he has spoken personally with Paulison, and that NAEMT leadership would be in touch to discuss the issues.

The NAEMT president, a paramedic in New Orleans, thanked the EMS audience for its assistance last year following Katrina. And, he reminded them that she created havoc for many areas in the south, not just his beloved hometown.

The EMS special operations liaison said he was getting a bad feeling this time last year as his organization was wrapping up its annual meeting as part of EMS Expo in New Orleans. Attendees raced to the airports to get out of town.

Many who stayed behind, rolled up their sleeves and pitched in to help during what he called the most fearful time in his city's history. "Thank you, thank you, thank you," he said.

The task was greater and more difficult than any had imagined. Yet, despite the horrific conditions, not one New Orleans EMS person walked off the job.

The crowd broke into applause in appreciation.

Bouvier said New Orleans had a plan. But, it went under when the levies failed. The situation brought out the best and worst in people. SWAT officers became water rescuers, firefighters and EMS crews started carrying guns. Civilians were desperate, angry and dying on the streets. People were eating raw foods because they didn't know how to cook the MREs. Photos of the starving, anxious stranded people were being shown around the world.

"The children will be remembered..." Bouvier said, adding that MRE boxes and crates were made into makeshift cribs.

The audience of several thousand was silent as the images of the hurricane victims stared from a wide screen. There was an emancipated nursing home patient abandoned in the middle of the street in their hospital bed, and a toddler sitting with a puppy in a tiny box.

The conditions were unlike any ever experienced. Bodies were everywhere. Some were covered, others were not. People are still suffering psychological issues, and Bouvier said the images will never be completely erased.

Things are on the mend in New Orleans. There's an EMS bike team, a swift water rescue crew, new ambulances, truckloads of supplies nearby and enhanced communications. But, Bouvier said nothing will ever be the same again in his hometown.