A difference between the Great Storm and Hurricane Katrina was the preparedness of individuals to assist in properly caring for the victims and their families. There were many agencies, teams, organizations, groups, and individuals involved in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, just as with many other MFIs in recent years. Responses to other MFIs in recent history include the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995. In May 2022 in Uvalde, Texas, 19 children and two teachers were killed in a tragic mass shooting. Funeral directors, embalmers, and other staff from many parts of Texas stepped up and facilitated the funeral services over a grief-heavy 2½-week period. Morticians came in from around the state to assist with the highly skilled facial reconstruction services that were required from the gun shootings (Gomez Licon, 2022).
Despite preparations and advanced planning for MFIs, the devastation of storms can still be just as massive. On August 27, 2005, members of the federal Disaster Mortuary Operations Response Team (DMORT) were deployed to the state of Louisiana. There was a massive hurricane—Hurricane Katrina—expected to hit the coast in less than 48 hours. At the time, Katrina was a massive tropical storm that was growing to a Category 5 hurricane, as indicated by the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. The DMORT set up temporary morgue facilities in an empty brick warehouse in nearby St. Gabriel, Louisiana. The direct impact of Hurricane Katrina killed more than 1,200 people. Nearly 850 of the deceased bodies were taken to temporary morgue facilities in St. Gabriel, where they were identified and cared for before being returned to loved ones for final disposition (Page, 2005).
INFRASTRUCTURE
appropriate and helpful place for funeral directors to volunteer. Mental health support and spiritual care are also needed in these centers, and local ministers, church groups, and other spiritual organizations can be instrumental in aiding professionals specifically trained for these situations. Such trained groups include the American Red Cross and similar organizations. Accurate, timely, and regular information is one of the most important aspects of care that must be provided to surviving loved ones. In most cases, the foremost question that is being asked is regarding the condition of their loved ones. In the immediate aftermath of an MFI, family members may not yet know if their loved one is a survivor or a victim. Agencies and groups involved in the MFI must strive to rapidly search and rescue survivors while also making every possible effort to search, recover, and identify the victims. Funeral homes should know where in their community is the first place for loved ones to find the most current and accurate information—the police, the FBI, the local hospitals, or an ad hoc family service phone number. Many local jurisdictions have predetermined plans in place for when an MFI occurs. The plan may be in place on a municipal, county, or state level. The sectors involved within the MFI infrastructure may have some independent roles, but most sectors have interdependent responsibilities. Every funeral home should be up to date with MFI plans. The cause of an MFI may dictate special considerations during the aftermath efforts. An event caused by natural forces does not have the same legal and investigative issues as an event that was, or may have been, caused due to the commission of crimes. For example, in the bombing of the federal building in Oklahoma City, the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) was actively involved in the aftermath efforts. Since the bombing was a criminal event, certain protocols were instituted and followed that would not be required nor necessary for a natural event. One protocol included a mandatory evidence collection process, in which each personal item recovered from the victims was transported to the medical examiner’s office along with the victims. The FBI stationed agents at the medical examiner’s office with the pathologists. These agents were in place to package and document the identified and collected evidence (Blakeney, 2002).
Multiple agencies, groups, and organizations are involved in the aftermath of an MFI. These can include the medico-legal system, the death care industry, health departments, faith-based organizations, voluntary organizations, offices of emergency management, and the DMORTs. The medico-legal system is the original agency of jurisdiction that most commonly requests assistance when the number of deaths exceeds its normal response capabilities. This system typically consists of medical examiners and coroners. Within the context of this course, these systems will all be used interchangeably and may be abbreviated as ME/C. When the number of deaths exceeds the normal capabilities of a ME/C, the local authorities can request assistance and additional resources. The first additional resources are typically provided by county and state offices of emergency management (OEMs) and departments of health (DOHs). These agencies, as well as ME/Cs, often collaborate with and request assistance from other agencies, groups, and organizations (Merrill et al., 2015). Local offices of medical examiners and coroners are accustomed to properly dealing with and investigating deaths on a regular basis. These agencies are adept at investigating deaths caused by homicide, suicide, accidents, and unattended manners. However, most of these agencies are not accustomed to handling mass fatalities. Organizations and teams, such as the DMORTs, are specifically trained and prepared to deploy to these types of incidents. Having the specialized training, the working knowledge of various related situations, and the proper equipment, these teams and organizations can work to safely recover the deceased bodies as rapidly as possible. Once the bodies are recovered, these teams are also properly equipped and trained to accurately identify the deceased while also properly documenting the required data. Safe recovery, accurate identification, and proper documentation are all very important; however, those are not the only important steps. The victims’ families and friends must be considered. This includes providing timely and accurate information to these families and friends while also providing care for many of their physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. Following prescribed procedures and designated plans prior to an MFI will help ensure that the victims and their loved ones are properly served. The rapid establishment of a family assistance center will provide many benefits to these loved ones at a time when they need it most. This center is often the most
DEATH CARE INDUSTRY COOPERATION
be working outside of their normal capabilities; it is also local funeral homes and all others involved in the death care industry. There are three primary ways in which members of the death care industry of a local jurisdiction can contribute to the aftermath efforts of an MFI. The first is by responding to the local community’s needs. The second is mobilization by the ME/Cs
The death care industry has a crucial and important position within all communities, both urban and rural. The need for these professionals is no different in times of crisis resulting in mass fatalities. The death care industry is comprised of funeral homes, cemeteries, crematories, vault companies, casket companies, and funeral industry suppliers. When mass fatalities occur in a community or other area, it is not only the ME/Cs who will
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