Professional funeral directors compassionately support and assist grieving families every single day. In events that results in mass fatalities, the victims who lose their lives have families and friends who are devastated. A grieving family will always experience an array of emotions, which for several reasons can be multiplied and magnified when the death is a result of an MFI. Many of these MFI-based emotions will differ from those directors often witness in families they serve. This may be due to the period of time between the MFI and when the loved ones learn of the death of their family or friend. Other members of the death care industry will be needed following an MFI. When an event occurs within an area, it requires the cooperation of many industry sectors. This participation and cooperation will be needed in the immediate aftermath, as well as in the subsequent time to come. If the event primarily included victims who were residents of the general area of the incident, there will be a vital need for coordination with local cemeteries and crematories. A great increase in the number of burials or cremations will require close coordination and cooperation between all of those involved to properly serve the families. If the MFI primarily includes victims from other areas, such as a plane crash, there will be a need to coordinate with all of those who will be involved in returning the remains to their homes, including the suppliers of containers required for transportation.
in which members can assist in the mass fatality response. The third is through coordinated participation in disaster mortuary response teams (Gershon, 2011). These teams could include the DMORT or teams associated with local or state associations. All aspects of involvement by funeral service professionals are important contributions to the efforts. Funeral industry professionals are among the first volunteer groups from which assistance will be requested and allowed. Funeral directors can be a valuable asset in many capacities following an MFI. Funeral directors who volunteer must serve at the direction of the agencies in charge. Many funeral service professionals are qualified and willing to serve in more than one capacity. Funeral directors who volunteer must keep in mind that those coordinating the efforts have experience and training in MFIs. Funeral directors are most often asked to volunteer to interact with the victims’ families, most commonly within the family assistance center. Families will gather there to receive timely and factually accurate information, to provide vital information about the victims, for spiritual and mental health care, and to obtain other services. The first and most important task is to collect and record information from the loved ones about the victims. With directors being familiar with gathering vital statistic information for death certificates and other arrangement information, this role tends to be a natural fit.
FAMILY ASSISTANCE CENTER
DMORT has created a questionnaire that provides a universal set of questions for the interviews. In addition to vital statistics and other information requested on questionnaires, DNA samples or other resources may be required to help aid in identification. It is critical that those collecting this information assure the family that it will remain strictly confidential. The antemortem data that is collected can be transmitted to the family’s selected funeral home. Volunteer funeral directors are often asked to serve in this area, which has been found to be an especially beneficial service to the families (Blakeney, 2002). This data collection is used to officially notify the family and release the body to them for services and final disposition. It is imperative that the information collected from the family be detailed and accurate. Volunteer funeral directors serve as representatives of the FAC, not as funeral directors. This is critical for several reasons. First, family members who are being interviewed may or may not know yet whether their loved ones will be rescued, or their bodies will be recovered. Introducing oneself as a funeral director may give the impression that you will be making funeral arrangements rather than assisting the families of the victims following a tragedy. Second, the event—and thus the deaths resulting from the event—is likely to garner widely disseminated media attention. The tragic and unexpected nature of the deaths is a primary reason for the media coverage. Calm, respectful FAC volunteers can convey truthful information as it changes and is officially verified. An FAC provides a safe haven for families. It is a dedicated place for family members to gather with other families experiencing some of the same emotions, fears, and uncertainties. It provides a place in which volunteers can provide care for these families in physical, mental, and spiritual ways. Organizations such as the American Red Cross can serve with the aid of volunteers and other organizations to provide food, medical care, and other services. A scheduled informational update is provided to families on a regular basis. The families who live out of town or are otherwise unable to attend these updates dial into a system and listen to the updates in real time.
In mass fatality incidents, the families and friends of the victims need care and support. The most appropriate place for these loved ones to receive support is a family assistance center (FAC). Following the mid-air explosion of TWA Flight 800 off the coast of Long Island in 1996, the assistance provided to the victims’ families gained nationwide attention. The Aviation Family Assistance Act tasked the National Transportation and Safety Board (NTSB) to coordinate the assistance provided to the victims’ families in the aftermath of major aviation accidents. One of the requirements included in this act was for the NTSB to identify a human service organization to assist in coordinating mental health and spiritual care services for families. The American Red Cross (ARC) received that designation and has worked closely with the NTSB since that time. In this capacity, the ARC works to assist families affected by transportation- related disasters (LaDue & Herrmann, 2009). The American Red Cross has also been instrumental in the recovery and aftermath efforts of many other MFIs throughout the years. Whenever an MFI occurs, an FAC should be a top priority for those coordinating the efforts—at the local, state, or federal level. Individual localities may have their own standard operating procedures. An example is King County in the state of Washington (Public Health — Seattle & King County, 2015). It is only natural for family members and loved ones of the victims to rush to the site of the incident. Those who arrive at the scene may have differing and conflicting intentions. The intentions may include trying to locate surviving victims, seeking information concerning victims, or desiring to assist with the rescue and recovery efforts. Or it may be as simple as not knowing where to go or what to do. Having a safe place for the victims’ loved ones to gather is of utmost importance. In addition to providing a safe place for friends and relatives, the FCA can provide a location for other vital roles needed in the aftermath efforts. A primary benefit of an FAC is that it serves as a respectful and private place to interview families for information that can assist in a variety of ways. Funeral directors who volunteer in the aftermath of an MFI are often asked to gather and collect antemortem data. In addition to the importance of gathering this information for identification purposes, the information can be used for potential future involvement of a funeral home. Many states require similar information for death certificates. The
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