Table Of Contents
Definition of terms
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Disaster | Normal conditions of existence are disrupted and the level of suffering exceeds the capacity of the hazard-affected community to respond to it. In the context of DVI, it is an unexpected event causing the death of many people |
| Mass Casualty Incident (MCI) | A situation that places a significant demand on medical resources and personnel |
Types of disaster
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Open disaster | Death of several unknown individuals for whom no prior records or descriptive data are available e.g. public gatherings with no formal list |
| Closed disaster | Death of several individuals belonging to a fixed, identifiable group e.g. aircraft crash with passenger list |
| Combination of closed and open disaster | e.g. aircraft crash in a public area |
Comparative antemortem data can be obtained more quickly in the case of closed disasters since there is a reference point e.g. passenger manifest or log of attendees at an event.
Phases of the DVI process
| Phase | Activity |
|---|---|
| Phase 1: Scene | Processing human remains and property at the disaster site |
| Phase 2: Post-mortem | Detailed examination of human remains in mortuary |
| Phase 3: Ante-mortem | Collection of missing person data from various sources |
| Phase 4: Reconciliation | Matching post-mortem and ante-mortem data |
Methods of Identification
- methods of idenification used in cases of disasters should be scientifically sound, reliable, applicable under field conditions and capable of being implemented within a reasonable period of time
Primary identification
- most reliable means of identification
- primary identification methods
- friction ridge analysis
- comparative dental analysis
- DNA analysis
Secondary identification
- these means of identification serve to support identification by other means and are ordinarily not sufficient as a sole means of identification
- secondary identification methods
- personal identification
- medical findings
- tattoos
- property and clothing found on the body
