EDITORS: SHEILA HALL AND TERRY SWANSON
July 2005
REGION V ANNUAL TRAINING
Columbus , Ohio
Over eighty team members attended the Region V Annual
Training Session in
The highlight of the training was a mock mass fatality
airplane disaster at
All team members and representatives from participating
agencies (including the FBI) were required to obtain and wear mission-specific
photographic identification badges for security purposes. This allowed restricted admission into the
disaster scene, temporary morgue, and
Sample
identification badge
Brent Hartley prepares an identification
badge for OFDA President Kenneth A.
Cahall
A fully functional portable morgue –
Mock deceased victims were transported to refrigerated trucks at the temporary morgue, where post-mortem examinations were simulated. Trackers moved the bodies through the various morgue stations: Admitting, Photography, Personal Effects, Radiology, Pathology, Anthropology, Dental, Fingerprinting, and DNA Stations carefully documented their findings, before Embalming and Casketing.
Meanwhile, a complete and operable Family Assistance Center (FAC) was established at a nearby hotel. Mock family members were interviewed for pertinent
ante-mortem information.
The combined data, collected from the temporary morgue and FAC, were then entered into the Victim Identification Program (VIP) database and used to match the deceased with the proper identity. This process produced simulated identifications for over thirty victims during the drill period.
At the conclusion of the training, a comprehensive recap of the drill was presented. This included a videotape of the entire exercise – disaster site, morgue, and FAC - which was skillfully taped and edited by Mark Haskins (DMORT Region V) for the team. Participants also offered comments on their learning experiences.
Noteworthy, the exercise demonstrated how use of the Ohio DPMU allowed for the smooth transition of a disaster from a local level mission to a federal level mission. Jack Sudimak (Franklin County Coroner’s Office) was especially impressed by the cooperation, exhibited between local, state, and federal agencies.
Besides the airport drill, DMORT Region V conducted a team meeting. Dr. Frank Saul (Region V Commander) and the other Region V Officers provided an overview of the training and introductions.
Sue Atwood (Region V Administrative Officer) updated the team on Administrative Protocols and FEMA Travel Policies, including: Travel Vouchers, National Travel Arrangements, Per Diem rates, Eligible/Ineligible Expenses, and Government Travel Card information.
Mike Gedert
(Region V Training Officer)
informed the team on the current online training
requirements: although it has been determined there is no mandatory requirement at
this time, there is a high
probability that there will be in the near future. He also reviewed DMORT’s
logistic mission in
Bob Stevens
(Region V Quartermaster) described his deployment to
Brian Fiffick of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) discussed mission protocols, standard operating procedures, and the interaction between the Local Coroner/Medical Examiner, NTSB, and DMORT. He stressed the importance of interagency cooperation, while preserving local responsibility.
Dr. Alan Warnick explained the use of Dexis Digital Dental Imaging, the integration of Dexis and WinId, and the importance of both systems in supporting Morgue Operations.
Dr. Frank Saul provided an overview of the acceptable modalities of positive identification, followed by a description of the role of the Anthropologist at the scene and in the morgue. Dr. Joyce deJong discussed the subject from a Pathology and DNA perspective.
Michael W. Lowder (Director,
Planning and Operations; Response and Recovery Directorate; FEMA,
Michael Lowder supports the role of DMORT: he will do all
that he can to educate others on what DMORT is capable of accomplishing during
a disaster situation. At the conclusion of his presentation, Mr. Lowder
presented Dr. Saul with a gold FEMA coin, symbolizing the organization’s honor
to the achievements and esteem of its recipient. Dr. Saul, in true team spirit,
passed the coin on to Mike Gedert for his untiring efforts as Region V’s
Past-Training Officer. Mike announced his resignation as Region V Training
Officer; he then introduced Region V’s Newly Appointed Training Officer – David
Hunt.
Gold FEMA coin (front) Gold FEMA coin (back)
Carl Adrianapoli discussed “regionalization,” or the integration effort between DMORT and DMAT. He also addressed the benefits of reclassifying DMORT as a division of FEMA, with an expanded range of deployment possibilities as one of the modifications.
Two local Federal Occupational Health (FOH) nurses were also present at the training to provide medical immunization updates and administer necessary immunizations.
Overall, the 2005 Region V Training Session was a success: the team regrouped, reviewed administrative protocols, discussed team business, and shared information. Lecture content clarified many questions that members have been asking. The “hands on” simulated disaster drill was an extraordinarily significant training exercise, demonstrating the successful interaction between pertinent local, state, and federal agencies. The exercise confirms that a seamless integration of ALL resources can be achieved, if we ALL work together as “Partners in Preparedness.”
Derek Husmanne interviews a family member in the
Michael J. Fielding (Columbus Health
Department-Director of Emergency Preparedness), Dr. Teresa Long (Health
Commissioner for the City of
Jan Simons
and Ruth Grant at the Admitting Station of the morgue
Brian Wood and Harold Risk at the
Photography and Personal Effects Station of the morgue
Dr. Don Simley, Dr. Mary
Cimrmancic, and Dr. Allan Warnick performing dental comparisons for victim
identification
FEDERAL BUREAU
OF INVESTIGATION
EVIDENCE RESPONSE TEAM
MOBILE UNIT
Members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) were
present at the Region V Annual Training Exercise in
At Rickenbacker Airport, Paul Messner (Special Agent/Cleveland Division of the FBI and DMORT Region V Team Member), along with Christopher Garnett (Senior Team Leader, Special Agent), Jane Pearson (Special Agent), and Victoria Erickson (Special Agent), guided other DMORT members on a tour of their Evidence Response Team Mobile Unit, utilized for efficient on-site evidence recovery, inventory of evidence, task coordination/command, and data entry. This unit is considered second generation, distinguishing it from a less modern prototype.
The Mobile Unit is fully equipped with workstations, highly technological instruments, satellite television, and essential evidence recovery supplies. Included with the unit is a built-in generator, capable of up to 24-hours of service time; concurrently, the workstations function on a separate circuit breaker for energy efficiency.
Every FBI Division in the nation has either a first or second generation Mobile Unit. There are currently over fifty-six units nationwide.
The Mobile Unit complements the Scene Response Truck, which carries the bulk of he evidence recovery and packaging equipment. The Cleveland Emergency Response Team (ERT) also has a cargo trailer outfitted to respond to clandestine grave sites and body recovery operations. This carries additional supplies for mass fatality incidents.
DMORT Team Members examine the
Scene Response truck, which is nose-to-nose with the
Special Agent Paul Messner gives
a guided tour of the Mobile Unit to Region V Team Members