Mass Fatality Incidents: A Guide for Forensic Identification

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SPECIAL REPORT / JUNE 05areas; and allocate resources, includingequipment, supplies, and personnel.Procedure. The incident command isexpected to implement the followingprocedures—A. Establish the incident command center.Possible sites may include:1. Airport hangar.2. Auditorium.3. Gymnasium.4. Warehouse.5. Tents and/or mobile units.B. Evaluate the initial response to theincident and coordinate subsequentactions.C. Establish staging area(s) for theassembly of the functional teams:1. Police, fire, and EMS personnel.2. Forensic recovery and identificationspecialists.D. Establish other functional areas asrequired:1. First aid center.2. Temporary morgue. Possible sitesmay include:a. National Guard armory.b. Airport hangar.c. Warehouse.3. Family assistance center (FAC).Possible sites may include:a. Hotel/motel.b. Conference/convention center.c. Auditorium.4. Communication center.5. Media staging area.6. Briefing/debriefing area.7. Stress management/support area.E. Address other issues directly relatedto the recovery effort:1. Parking areas.2. Utilities/power supply.3. Biohazard/refuse removal.4. Storage areas for equipment andsupplies.5. Responder accommodations(including meals, lodging, andrestrooms).6. Administrative/operationalresources:a. Office supplies/equipment.b. Electronic/computer equipment.c. Identification/recovery tools.d. Safety equipment.e. Vehicles.Summary. The incident command is responsiblefor implementing a unified IMS/ICS to facilitate the coordination, documentation,and recovery/collection of remains,personal effects, and evidence. Theincident command should use this systemto secure the scene, manage and allocateresources, and ensure safety of all personnelinvolved in the rescue and recoveryoperations.III. Scene SafetyPrinciple. Safety overrides all other concerns.First responders must take steps toidentify and remove or mitigate safety hazardsthat may further threaten victims,bystanders, and public safety personnel.To avoid injuries to themselves and others,they must exercise due caution while performingemergency operations.6
MASS FATALITY INCIDENTS: A GUIDE FOR HUMAN FORENSIC IDENTIFICATIONProcedure. Following the preliminary evaluationof the scene, first responders areexpected to—A. Assess and/or establish physicalboundaries.B. Request and/or conduct a safetysweep of the area by personnel qualifiedto identify and evaluate additionalhazards and safety concerns.C. Follow standard Environmental ProtectionAgency (EPA) and OccupationalSafety and Health Administration(OSHA) regulations (see appendix Afor agency contact information).D. Follow standard precautions for potentialnuclear, biological, and chemicalhazards.E. Mark hazard areas clearly and designatesafety zones.F. Communicate hazards to other personnelarriving at the scene.G. Monitor the physical and psychologicalcondition of personnel (e.g., dehydration,stress, and fatigue) and treat asnecessary.Summary. Safety is the overriding concernduring emergency operations and thesubsequent investigation. To ensure thesafety of civilians and public safety personnel,first responders should take steps toidentify, evaluate, and mitigate scene hazardsand establish safety zones.IV. Security and ControlPrinciple. First responders are responsiblefor establishing control and restrictingscene access to authorized personnel.Procedure. To establish scene securityand control, first responders are expectedto—A. Set up a security perimeter.B. Establish staffed entry/exit points.C. Restrict access (e.g., by the media,bystanders, and nonessential personnel)into and out of the scene andsecured areas through the securityperimeter:1. Issue site-specific identificationbadges (for the FAC, temporarymorgue, etc.), if possible.2. Maintain and update access logs/databases.3. Brief/debrief personnel when theyenter or leave the staging areas.D. Remove unauthorized personnel fromthe scene.E. Establish staging areas:1. Parking area (for emergency responsevehicles).2. Media staging area (for releasinginformation to the public about theincident).Summary. First responders are expectedto establish a controlled security perimeterand designate staging areas.V. Rescue-to-Recovery TransitionPrinciple. The shift from search-andrescueto search-and-recovery operationsrepresents a major operating transition.The incident command is responsible forcoordinating search-and-recovery effortswith the remains/evidence processingteams.Procedure. The incident command, togetherwith the remains/evidence processingteam leaders, is expected to considerthe following when shifting the operationfrom search and rescue to search andrecovery—A. Identify and select the remains/evidence processing team members.7
Page 3 and 4: JUNE 05Mass Fatality Incidents: A G
Page 5 and 6: Message From the DirectorEvery acti
Page 7 and 8: Technical Working Group for Mass Fa
Page 9 and 10: Cook County HospitalChicago, Illino
Page 11 and 12: AcknowledgmentsThe National Institu
Page 13 and 14: Appendix D. Procedures for DNA Samp
Page 15 and 16: SPECIAL REPORT / JUNE 05III. Consid
Page 17: Section 2: Arriving at the SceneI.
Page 21 and 22: Section 3: Processing the Scene I.
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Page 25: Identification of Human Remains SEC
Page 30 and 31: Section 4.2: Identification of Huma
Page 34 and 35: SPECIAL REPORT / JUNE 05idiosyncras
Page 36 and 37: SPECIAL REPORT / JUNE 05inventory,
Page 38 and 39: SPECIAL REPORT / JUNE 05b. Train in
Page 40 and 41: SPECIAL REPORT / JUNE 0530g. Conduc
Page 46 and 47: SPECIAL REPORT / JUNE 05remains. A
Page 48 and 49: SPECIAL REPORT / JUNE 05C. Establis
Page 52 and 53: Section 5: Disposition of Human Rem
Page 56 and 57: SPECIAL REPORT / JUNE 05Procedure.
Page 58 and 59: SPECIAL REPORT / JUNE 05Procedure.
Page 60 and 61: SPECIAL REPORT / JUNE 05Federal Avi
Page 62 and 63: Appendix B. Disaster Mortuary Opera
Page 64 and 65: Appendix C. Facilities/Organization
Page 66 and 67: Appendix D. Procedures for DNASampl
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SPECIAL REPORT / JUNE 05Potential L
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Appendix F. Dental Numbering System
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Appendix G. Sample Remains ReleaseA
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SPECIAL REPORT /JUNE 05AFIP, Office
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SPECIAL REPORT /JUNE 05Indiana Stat
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SPECIAL REPORT /JUNE 05National Gov
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SPECIAL REPORT /JUNE 05Tarrant Coun
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About the National Institute of Jus
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