Mass Fatality Incidents: A Guide for Forensic Identification

Section 6: Other IssuesI. Reimbursing Local and StateAgenciesPrinciple. Mass fatality response operationsincur expenses related to staffing,supplies, and equipment. Local/Stateemergency management departmentsshould have the appropriate documentsand procedures in place before a massfatality incident occurs within theirjurisdiction.Procedure. The appropriate administratoris expected to—A. Understand the regulations regardingreimbursement issues.B. Provide a responsible fiscal representativeto oversee the creation of financialand expense records.C. Provide supporting documents to verify:1. The number and types of personnelinvolved.2. The number of hours worked byeach individual.3. The agencies involved.4. The supplies and equipment used.5. The services contracted.D. Coordinate with other responsibleagencies.E. Understand that some costs may belong term, including:1. Legal considerations.2. Employee health/mental healthfollowup issues.3. Disposition of evidence, remains,and records.Summary. Reimbursement for personnel,supplies, equipment, and other relatedIn aviation incidents, the air carrier may beresponsible for some expenses incurred in therecovery and identification of remains.expenses is a critical consideration thatrequires careful planning and thoroughdocumentation.II. Implementing a Transition PlanPrinciple. Effective operations require continuityof services.Procedure. The appropriate administratoris expected to—A. Establish criteria for daily shiftchanges.B. Establish criteria for the implementationof replacement teams.C. Facilitate the communication of informationbetween teams.D. Plan regular meetings between incomingand outgoing teams.E. Hold regularly scheduled functionalspecialty meetings.Summary. Effective planning and communicationthrough regularly scheduledmeetings can foster the exchange of informationbetween the agencies and individualsinvolved in the investigation.III. Mutual AssistanceAgreementsPrinciple. Mutual aid statutes and memorandaof understanding (MOUs) providefor assistance from other jurisdictions inobtaining required support services andequipment.49