Chapter 4: Mass Fatalities Incidents 1 CE Hour
By: Gene Jerskey Learning objectives After completing this course, the learner will be able to: Interpret the definition and meaning of MFIs and the role of funeral directors and embalmers. Recognize the vital role funeral service professionals, personnel, and related entities have played in historic MFI. Differentiate between the classification levels of MFIs. Course overview Funeral directors and embalmers play an active role in the aftermath of mass fatality incidents (MFIs). This course will define MFIs and their classification levels, as well as the preparation, Implicit bias in healthcare Implicit bias significantly affects how healthcare professionals perceive and make treatment decisions, ultimately resulting in disparities in health outcomes. These biases, often unconscious and unintentional, can shape behavior and produce differences in medical care along various lines, including race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, and socioeconomic status. Healthcare disparities stemming from implicit bias can manifest in several ways. For example, a healthcare provider might unconsciously give less attention to a patient or make assumptions about their medical needs based on race, gender, or age. The unconscious assumptions can lead to delayed or inadequate care, misdiagnoses, or inappropriate treatments, all of which can adversely impact health outcomes. Addressing
Recognize the infrastructure designed for the occurrence of such incidents, including the roles and responsibilities of various agencies and organizations. Design standard operating procedures and plans for staff and personnel in preparation for MFIs impacting one’s local community or area.
consideration, coordination, and communication required to best serve the victims and loved ones affected.
implicit bias in healthcare is crucial for achieving equity in medical treatment. Strategies to combat these biases involve education and awareness programs for healthcare professionals. These programs help individuals recognize and acknowledge their biases, fostering a more empathetic and unbiased approach to patient care. Additionally, implementing policies and procedures prioritizing equitable treatment for all patients can play a pivotal role in reducing healthcare disparities. Ultimately, confronting implicit bias in healthcare is essential to creating a more just and equitable healthcare system where everyone receives fair and equal treatment regardless of their background or characteristics.
INTRODUCTION
Funeral directors and embalmers have always stood ready to assist families in their most difficult times of need. On a typical day, the schedule of a funeral director can, and often does, change with a single phone call. When these calls come,
funeral service professionals are willing and prepared to care for victims while also caring for their loved ones. Complex and comprehensive planning is required to adequately prepare an infrastructure for MFIs.
MASS FATALITY INCIDENTS DEFINED (MFIS)
remains of the deceased with chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, or explosive contaminants is referred to as a complex MFI (Merrill et al., 2015). The events that result in MFIs can be caused by natural forces or by humans. The incidents resulting from the actions of humans can be intentional or accidental. Examples of natural incidents that have resulted in MFIs include hurricanes, cyclones, tornadoes, earthquakes, wildfires, floods, heat waves, and blizzards. Events that have been intentionally caused by humans and resulted in MFIs include foreign and domestic terroristic attacks, and can also include mass shootings and other criminal acts. There are also MFIs that are humanmade but accidental, such as factory explosions, construction failures, and transportation-related accidents. There are those who plan, prepare, train, and stand ready to respond in order to serve the victims and their families.
The conventionally recognized MFI definition involves a situation in which the number of deaths exceeds the local jurisdiction’s response capabilities (Merrill et al., 2015). A particular event does not need to result in a preset number of deaths in order for it to be considered an MFI. The jurisdiction for deaths is typically determined by local laws and regulations. When an event results in deaths that exceed the normal capability of these local offices, they can request assistance from a number of other agencies, groups, and organizations. When this assistance is requested, the incident is referred to as an MFI. The number of deaths that constitute an MFI will vary across jurisdictions. Some generally accepted terminology exists to describe various types of MFIs. An incident that results in hundreds of deaths or more is considered to be a large-scale MFI. An event that results in contamination of the site or the
HISTORICAL MFIS
Dead, Dead Everywhere.” Martial law was enacted, and citizens were forced to load barges with deceased bodies, which were then sent out to sea. The bodies were attached to weights and dropped into the vast waters. In the days following this disposal method, many bodies were swept back ashore. It was then that vast funeral pyres were built, and the corpses burned. The funeral pyres burned on the beaches for two months straight, emitting nauseating fumes as far as 50 miles off the coast (Kolker, 2000).
To properly serve the victims and families affected by future events, we must look to the reactions, management, successes, and failures related to past MFIs. A seaport in Galveston, Texas, experienced a normal heat wave in the middle of hurricane season. On September 8, 1900, the Great Storm made landfall with winds in excess of 120 miles per hour and a tidal surge that exceeded 15 feet. The storm resulted in at least 6,000 fatalities, one-sixth of the city’s population. The headlines of The Daily Times Herald of Dallas read “Dead, Dead,
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Book Code: FAR0624
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