Managing Mass Fatalities: A Toolkit for Planning - Public Health Department (DEP)

Mass Fatalities Toolkit

Managing Mass Fatalities: A Toolkit for Planning is a comprehensive toolkit that evolved from recognition of the need for communities to increase their preparedness for managing mass fatalities. Its focus—the care and management of the dead—is one of the most difficult aspects of disaster response and recovery operations. Toolkit materials are based on lessons learned from actual events, including the Oklahoma City bombing, 9/11, and Hurricane Katrina. The toolkit provides scalable, operational direction and tools to guide jurisdictions in creating a local plan.

Highlights include:
Identification of stakeholders involved in mass fatality management and recommendations for a planning process that is co-led by public health and the medical examiner/coroners office;
Specific guidelines for all medical examiner/coroner responsibilities at the incident site, morgue, and family assistance center;
Guidance on infection and other health and safety threats; and
Requirements and recommendations for managing mass fatalities during a worst-case scenario pandemic influenza.

How to Use Toolkit

The Managing Mass Fatalities Toolkit is designed to give you easy access to all the documents you will need to create your local plan. Each document is available in its original format (Microsoft Word, PowerPoint) as well as a PDF document.

Click on a section link below to view or download the narratives/tools. If you do not have Microsoft Office or PowerPoint on your computer, you will only be able to view documents as a PDF file using Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you do not have the Adobe Acrobat Reader on your computer, you can download it here. The Acrobat Reader will allow you to view and print the documents but you cannot edit or customize them.

Customizing the Documents

The documents on the Managing Mass Fatalities Toolkit can be edited or customized to suit your specific requirements. To edit/customize a document, save it to your computer and open it with Microsoft Word or Powerpoint (you must have Microsoft Word and/or PowerPoint already installed on your computer). These documents can be opened and edited using either PC or Mac versions of the Microsoft software.

Many of the documents have fields where information can be inserted or spaces where information specific to your needs can be added. Most of the documents also have a bar graphic at the top of the page referencing the APC (Advanced Practice Center). This graphic can be removed if necessary by going to the "View" menu in Microsoft Word and highlighting "Header and Footer". Once the "Header and Footer" view is accessed, you can select the graphic and delete it.

The Managing Mass Fatalities Toolkit is arranged in sections that can become your local plan.

Section A - Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements

Section B - Introduction

Introduction
PowerPoint Presentation Mass Fatality Management

Section C - Planning Context

Planning Context Narrative

Section D - Concept of Operations

Concept of Operations Narrative

Section E - Incident Notification/Plan Activation

Incident Notification/Plan Activation Narrative Form
Notification of Mass Disaster

Section F - Command and Control

Command and Control Narrative

Job Responsibility Checklists

Coroner's Services Branch Director Job Responsibility Checklist

Deputy Coroner's Services Branch Director Job Responsibility Checklist

Common Responsibilities Job Checklist

Section G - Human Remains Recovery

Human Remains Recovery Narrative

Responsibility Checklists

Scene Evaluation Team

Scene Investigation Branch/Human Remains Recovery Officer in Charge

Human Remains Recovery Logistics Officer

Death Investigation Record or DMORT Site Recovery Record Form

Incident Site Recovery Record

Release of Copyright

Transportation Log

Section H - Morgue Services

Morgue Services Narrative

Job Responsibility Checklists

Morgue Services Officer in Charge

Morgue Logistics Officer

Chain of Custody Form

Embalming Classification of Human Remains Form

External Preparation/Embalming Case Report Form

Release of Human Remains Form

Transportation Log Form

VIP/DMORT Anthropology Form

VIP/DMORT Program AFIP/DNA Specimen Form

VIP/DMORT Program Clothing Inventory Form

VIP/DMORT Program Fingerprinting Form

VIP/DMORT Personal Information Questionnaire Form

VIP/DMORT Program Jewelry Inventory Form

VIP/DMORT Program Pathology Form

VIP/DMORT Program Radiology Form

VIP/DMORT Program Tracking Form

ALL Morgue Forms listed above

Section I - Family Assistance

Family Assistance Narrative

Job Responsibility Checklists

Family Assistance Center Officer in Charge

Family Assistance ME/C Officer in Charge

FAC Logistics Officer

Common Team Leader Responsibilities

FAC Priority Action Checklist for Startup Form

FAC Daily Status Update Form

FAC Daily Staff Registration Form

FAC Family/Friend Registration Form

FAC Daily Sign In Log Form

VIP/DMORT Personal Information Questionnaire Form

Requested Record List Form

Call Center Forms

Call Record and Family Member Contact Form

Crisis Call Center Intake Form

Release Authorization Form

ALL Family Assistance forms listed above

Section J - Public Communications

Public Communications Narrative

Job Action Sheets

JIC Lead Public Information Officer (PIO)

JIC Manager

JIC Media Relations Lead

JIC Research and Writing Lead

JIC Special Projects

JIC Field Deputy PIO

Decedent Operations Organization Chart

Section K - Death Certificates and Disposition Permits

Death Certificates and Disposition Permits Narrative

Section L - Death Care Industry

Death Care Industry

Section M - Mass Fatality Plan Maintenance

Mass Fatality Plan Maintenance

Section N - Security

Security Narrative

Security Tools

Physical Security Assessment

Security Plan Template

Traffic Control Plan Template

Section O - Mass Fatality Information Systems

Mass Fatality Information Systems Narrative

Section P - Staff/Volunteer Processing Center

Staff/Volunteer Processing Center Narrative
DMORT Team Member Data Form

Section Q - Family Concerns and Religious/Cultural Considerations

Family Concerns and Religious/Cultural Considerations Narrative

Section R - Infection and Other Health and Safety Threats

Infection and Other Health and Safety Threats Narrative
FAQs: Management of Cadavers

Section S - Pandemic Influenza

Pandemic Influenza Narrative

Contact:

Advanced Practice Center Coordinator
Public Health Preparedness
Santa Clara County Public Health Department
976 Lenzen Avenue
San Jose, CA 95126
T (408) 792-5040
F (408) 792-5041

Santa Clara County Public Health Department
www.sccphd.org
apc@hhs.sccgov.org