Mass Fatality Incidents: A Guide for Forensic Identification

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Appendix B. Disaster Mortuary OperationalResponse Team ActivationThe Disaster Mortuary Operational ResponseTeam (DMORT) is a federally fundedteam of forensic and mortuary personnelexperienced in disaster victim identification.DMORT provides a mobile morgue,victim identification and tracking software,and specific personnel to augment localresources. DMORT is part of the NationalDisaster Medical System, a section of theU.S. Department of Homeland Security,Federal Emergency Management Agency(FEMA).DMORT can be activated by one of fourmethods:Federal Disaster Declaration. The FederalResponse Plan dictates how Federal agenciesrespond following a disaster. A requestfor DMORT assistance must be made by alocal official through the State emergencymanagement agency, which will then contactthe regional office of FEMA. Based onthe severity of the disaster, FEMA can askfor a Presidential disaster declaration,allowing the DMORT team to be activated.This process can take from 24 to 48 hours.Aviation Disaster Family Assistance Act.Under this Federal act, the NationalTransportation Safety Board (NTSB) canask for DMORT’s assistance. The act coversmost passenger aircraft accidents inthe United States and U.S. territories.NTSB coordinates with the local medicolegalauthority to assess local resourcesand capabilities and can activate DMORTon the request of the local authority.Public Health Act. Under this Act, theU.S. Public Health Service can providesupport to a State or locality that cannotprovide the necessary response. However,the State or locality must pay forDMORT’s services, including salary,expenses, and other costs.Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)with Federal Agency. A Federal agencymay request that DMORT provide disastervictim identification. Under this mechanism,the requesting agency must pay thecost of the DMORT deployment. As anexample, following the crash of UnitedAirlines Flight 93 in Pennsylvania onSeptember 11, 2001, DMORT was activatedunder an MOU with the FBI.Other DMORT issues include thefollowing:■ DMORT normally requires 24 to 48hours to become fully operational.■ The DMORT portable morgue requiresa building for morgue operations. Thisguide lists potential disaster morguesites capable of housing the DMORTmorgue (see p. 6).■ The Federal Government pays travel,lodging, food, salary, and other expensesof DMORT personnel, except in thecase of an activation under the PublicHealth Act.■ The DMORT team supports the localmedicolegal authority by providing expertise,personnel, supplies, and equipment.The responsibility for assigningthe cause and manner of death, signingof death certificates, and death notificationremain with the local authority. Allrecords created by DMORT should beleft with the local authority. DMORTshould provide identification reports anda computer program documenting theinformation collected during theirresponse.57
SPECIAL REPORT / JUNE 05■ The DMORT family assistance center(FAC) team assists in the organizationand operation of the FAC.■ If a DMORT team member is activatedfrom your agency to work at a disaster,that employee should present you witha copy of his or her travel orders asproof of activation.58
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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
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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 and 18: Section 2: Arriving at the SceneI.
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Page 21 and 22: Section 3: Processing the Scene I.
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 64 and 65: Appendix C. Facilities/Organization
Page 66 and 67: Appendix D. Procedures for DNASampl
Page 68 and 69: SPECIAL REPORT / JUNE 05Potential L
Page 70 and 71: Appendix F. Dental Numbering System
Page 72 and 73: Appendix G. Sample Remains ReleaseA
Page 74 and 75: SPECIAL REPORT /JUNE 05AFIP, Office
Page 76 and 77: SPECIAL REPORT /JUNE 05Indiana Stat
Page 78 and 79: SPECIAL REPORT /JUNE 05National Gov
Page 80 and 81: SPECIAL REPORT /JUNE 05Tarrant Coun
Page 82 and 83: About the National Institute of Jus
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