Establishing a Coordinated Local Family Assistance Program for Airports (2017)

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16 “I assume that there is a protocol that must be followed and only certain people are trained for this type of event, but to simply tell people that they had to keep waiting for the airline team to arrive from headquarters and then they would be given information was insufficient.” – Family member from an aviation disaster Developing an Airport Family Assistance Program Once an airport’s leadership determines the need for the development of an airport family assistance program, the first and most critical element is the development of a Family Assis- tance Plan. The Family Assistance Plan will outline the roles and responsibilities of airport personnel, response agencies, and supporting partners that will be activated to provide family assistance. The following sections outline how airports of any size can establish a family assistance program, which should include a Family Assistance Plan, a training and exercise program, and after-action reviews. Designate a Leader The first step is to designate a project leader to guide development of the plan. The leader will organize a working group to support program development; develop a budget; coordinate plan- ning meetings; identify resources and facilities to be used during an aviation disaster response; engage stakeholders; and in many cases, serve as the primary author of an airport Family Assis- tance Plan. Qualifications The leader should become familiar with aviation disaster family assistance laws and guidance documents. The leader’s ability to direct and delegate work, use effective project management tools, and adhere to timelines will ensure that the plan is completed in an efficient and productive man- ner. Airport leadership should ensure that the leader has the necessary time to devote to the project. Developing an effective plan may take significant time, and this may mean that other responsibilities need to be reprioritized. Qualities The leader should be open minded about the project and about including multiple partners and stakeholders in the planning process. It is the leader’s role to promote the project. The leader will be the champion for the airport’s family assistance program and will be responsible for pro- moting stakeholder buy-in. The leader should treat working group members with respect and dignity in all circumstances. The leader should understand that the project will make a difference Family Assistance Program Development S e c t i o n 2

Family Assistance Program Development 17 to the responders, airport employees, air carrier or aircraft operator staff, and most importantly, the survivors and families involved in aviation disasters. Establishing a Working Group Many airports have found it especially effective to create a stakeholder working group to address family assistance issues and develop the airport Family Assistance Plan. The working group may be involved in information gathering, clarifying roles and responsibilities, identifying resources, writ- ing the plan, and providing final approval of the plan. At a minimum, research and best practices suggest the working group should include representatives from the following organizations: • Airport emergency management; • Tenant air carriers or aircraft operators; • City, county, and state emergency management; • City or county government, particularly for publicly owned or man- aged airports; • ARFF or local fire departments; • Law enforcement; • Hospital or medical coalition representative; • ARC; • Local behavioral health providers; • Multi- or interdenominational clergy representative; • Transportation Security Administration (TSA); • Customs and Border Protection [CBP (for international airports)]; • Airport departments that will be activated to support family assis- tance operations; and • Others on or off airport property who would provide support (e.g., military representatives). The working group may also include other airport tenants, ground handlers, fixed-base oper- ators, concessionaires, survivors or family members affected by previous aviation disasters, vol- unteer service organizations, members of the hospitality industry, and others who will provide support or personnel if the program is activated. Develop a Budget Developing the family assistance program will require some use of airport financial resources; at a minimum, it will require staff hours and office supplies. Before starting the project, it is important to create a budget for any known and anticipated costs associated with developing the program. Some considerations may include: • How much money has airport leadership allocated to the project? • Are there other funding sources available to help finance the project? • How many staff hours is this project expected to use? Consider the following costs for inclusion in the budget: • Equipment/supplies for developing, printing, and distributing the plan; • Communication costs; • Travel expenses, if applicable; • Rental of meeting venues, if applicable; • Meeting supplies, including refreshments; and • Unforeseen costs (usually 10% to 15% of the total). The working group should be kept apprised of the budget and any variances; this encourages accountability and careful use of resources. General Aviation Airport Note General aviation airports should include the fire department and other local emergency response partners in the working group. They should coordinate with the local and regional emergency management agencies to incorporate aviation disaster response in the all- hazards plan/emergency operations plan.

18 establishing a coordinated Local Family Assistance Program for Airports Review Existing Plans The next step is to review other applicable emergency response plans to ensure that the family assistance program will integrate with them seamlessly. The review should ensure that facilities, personnel, and equipment designated for other uses during response to an aviation disaster are not included in the family assistance program. If family assistance is addressed in other plans, this should be noted to ensure that the family assistance program fits within the existing policies or that existing policies are amended. At a minimum, the following should be reviewed: • AEP (if the airport is required to maintain one), • Airport communication plans, and • Stakeholder plans that reference the provision of emergency response or family assistance in mass casualty events (e.g., hospital consortium or public health plans, ARC plans). Conduct a SWOT Analysis A strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis (see Figure 1) will help the working group determine needs and capabilities as it prepares the Family Assistance Plan. The SWOT analysis examines internal and external considerations that may support or hinder plan development and implementation. It will help identify what resources and procedures are in place that can be used, which partners can be worked with to quickly obtain additional resources and assistance following an aviation disaster, and what areas are likely to present the greatest challenges. By identifying the internal and external factors that will affect the develop- ment, acceptance, and implementation of the family assistance program, the working group can determine which areas require additional focus and develop strategies to address any anticipated challenges that may arise during plan development. Determine Roles and Responsibilities Identify Key Responsibilities and Tasks This guidebook provides comprehensive information about family assistance considerations. It can be used as a resource to develop a list of responsibilities and tasks that will need to be accomplished following an aviation disaster affecting the airport. Review the list of responsibili- ties and tasks with the working group and add to the list as needed. Figure 1. SWOT analysis chart. Strengths Opportunities Ex te rn al In te rn al Weaknesses Threats Helpful Harmful

Family Assistance Program Development 19 Identify Responding Organizations Many airports have stressed that cultivating strong relationships with responding organizations is the foundation of a successful family assis- tance program. At a minimum, responding organizations will include: • Air carriers and aircraft operators, • ARC, • Hospitals or public health organizations, • Medical examiner or coroner, • ARFF or fire department, and • Police. Once responsibilities are defined, they can be assigned to the appro- priate responding organizations. A list, grid, or matrix can be useful to document the assignments. Consider the following steps when documenting roles and responsibilities: • Identify the responding organization’s role and specific duties during a family assistance program activation. • Document the responding organization’s contact information. • Ensure that responders have the necessary level of access to the airport, including any neces- sary identification badges, keys, or codes, in order to fulfill their roles and responsibilities when the program is activated (or determine how they will receive this access). • Determine how the responding organizations will be notified. Examples are using a call tree, notification system, or other computer application. • Add the organization’s contact information into the airport’s call-out system (if the airport has such a system). • Establish a schedule and process for verifying and updating contact information. Identify Resources Resources are the equipment, materials, supplies, and tools used to address family assistance needs. A few examples of family assistance resources are: • Tables, chairs, and other furnishings for the FRC and PGA; • Tracking programs to support victim accounting; and • Blankets and dry clothing for the PGA. The airport Family Assistance Plan should include a comprehensive list of resources that may be needed to support the response. Many resources can be identified and prepared in advance and maintained in go-kits. The contents for PGA and FRC go-kits are provided online and discussed in Appendix 3. Identify Response Partners Response partners are those organizations and individuals that provide resources or supple- mental staffing to support family assistance operations. They may include governmental, non- governmental, and private organizations or individual citizens. Some examples of response partners are: • Airport tenants, • Furniture rental companies, • United Service Organizations (USOs), General Aviation Airport Note General aviation airports should reach into the surrounding community and businesses to build their response part- ners and resource list. This list may consist of many members from the private sector, including doctors, mental health profes- sionals, grocery stores, transportation organizations, city or county government, religious organi zations, and other non- governmental organizations.

20 establishing a coordinated Local Family Assistance Program for Airports • Department stores, • Restaurants and catering companies, • Transportation companies, and • Airport family assistance response teams.3 The airport Family Assistance Plan should include a list of response partners, what services or supplies they will provide, what guarantees or forms of payment will be required, and 24-hour contact information. As with other contact lists, it is important to establish a schedule and process for verifying and updating information. Identify Facilities All locations described in the Family Assistance Plan should be identified and documented so that they can be quickly activated and responders know where to report. At a minimum, the airport should identify locations for the following facilities, and include maps and floor plans to assist with their rapid setup: • PGA, • CRA, • FRC, and • Reunification location. Other areas to consider are a press briefing area, a separate media gathering area on or near airport property, a JIC, a reflection or spiritual care room for the affected and their families and loved ones, a childcare room, a rest area for responders, a gathering place for all responders, and offices or meeting rooms to be used for private conversations with family members (e.g., to provide them with updated information on their loved one’s status or whereabouts). It can be helpful to make an inventory of all available facilities and create a table summarizing options. Information in this inventory might include: • Facility location (noting whether it is sterile or non-sterile), • Intended use for aviation disaster response (PGA, FRC, etc.), • Whether it is the primary or alternate location, • Estimated seating capacity, and • ADA compliance rating. Identify Airport Responders The airport should identify the specific airport employees or positions that will assume each airport response role addressed in the plan. Assign- ing roles and responsibilities will help ensure that airport employees can quickly and effectively implement family assistance operations during a family assistance program activation. The airport should complete the following actions: • Assign airport positions (including backups) to assume airport fam- ily assistance roles during an activation; • Record contact information in the Family Assistance Plan; • Document the contact information in the airport’s call-out system, if the airport has such a system; and General Aviation Airport Note The friends and relatives center may be an office, a meeting room, or a training room set up to receive arriving family members. If only one family is affected by the accident (i.e., a general aviation accident with a single pilot, or in which everyone on board is in the same family), all of the duties associated with these areas may be consolidated into one room. General Aviation Airport Note While this guidebook assigns family assistance roles among a group of individuals, at smaller airports, many of these duties can be combined and completed by one or two individuals. Airports should design the plan according to staffing anticipated during an emergency response.

Family Assistance Program Development 21 • Document training information in the airport’s training system, if the airport has a desig- nated system. Consider Accessibility Issues All aspects of plan development should address the needs of indi- viduals with disabilities related to independent functioning and acces- sibility, including those: • With vision, hearing, and dual sensory disabilities; • Who need support for mobility; • Who need support due to complex medical needs; • Who require medication(s); • Who need psychological, behavioral, mental health, or emotional support; and • Who have a cognitive disability. Plan Development and Approval Once plan development research and assignments are complete, the leader should establish a step-by-step process for writing the final Family Assistance Plan document and obtaining approval. This can be done in partnership with the working group, or it can be prepared in advance and presented to the group. Following are examples of ways the Family Assistance Plan can be written: • The leader may research and write the plan with input from the working group provided at various development stages. • The leader may assign individual plan sections to working group members to write and then integrate the parts together into a cohesive document. • Several working group members may work collaboratively to write some or all of the document. Following are examples of ways to engage the working group in plan development: • Identify individual expertise, strengths, and weaknesses for each of the working group mem- bers and use these to develop work assignments. • Provide working group members with the authority to approve and modify the plan as it is being developed. • Allow for collaborative research and writing, with group members volunteering to work on areas in which they have particular interest or expertise. The Writing Process Writing the airport’s Family Assistance Plan may seem like a daunting task, particularly for individuals who are not experienced plan writers. Guidance on an effective writing strategy can be helpful to the process. An example of how to approach the writing process is shown in the following: • Research. Conduct research, including plan reviews. This may be done by one individual or assigned to members of the working group. • Conduct a working group meeting to review findings. Meet to report on research findings. Discuss the goals and objectives of the plan and ensure that each one is addressed. • Develop a plan outline. Incorporate the working group’s ideas and organize them in a way that can be easily understood by the plan’s readers. General Aviation Airport Note The room used as the FRC should be accessible to individuals with disabilities and others with access or functional needs. Translators should be available for languages spoken in the local community (American Sign Language included).

22 establishing a coordinated Local Family Assistance Program for Airports • Write the plan. – If a single author is writing the plan, he or she should set aside time to focus solely on writ- ing the plan. While this may be hard for employees of smaller airports or those with a large number of responsibilities, it is imperative that the author take time to focus on writing a cohesive and actionable plan. – If multiple members of the working group are writing the plan, it may be advantageous to use collaborative online tools. Such tools enable multiple users to edit documents and allow each working group member to participate in writing and editing the plan. This places credit and responsibility for the content on the entire working group. • Review the plan. Each working group member should read the entire document to ensure that the plan meets the goals and objectives outlined in the initial meeting(s). The plan should be easy to understand and implement. Working group members should suggest edits to the plan, and these edits should be incorporated. It can take multiple drafts and reviews before the plan is ready for final approval. • Approve the plan. The working group should conduct a meeting to ensure that the plan meets all the stated goals and objectives. Once all members of the working group agree, the draft plan is finalized and sent to airport leadership for approval. • Review and revise the plan. The Family Assistance Plan should be reviewed and updated on a regular basis. Prepare Checklists Develop a checklist or job action sheet for each airport position identified in the Family Assis- tance Plan, detailing the role, responsibilities, and duties of each position. • Checklists should have clear objectives. • All critical/actionable steps should be addressed. • Checklists should be ordered in time-progressive steps or in a logical order that is actionable by the user. • Include steps to ensure communication with other team members. Sample checklists for key positions in airport family assistance are discussed in Appendix 3 and provided online. Training and Exercises The Family Assistance Plan should include a requirement that all individuals assigned a role in family assistance operations be trained prior to program activation. Training gives personnel a chance to ask questions, learn their roles, and identify areas for program improvement in a safe environment. Along with training, the plan also should include a requirement for periodic exercises. The exercises allow trained individuals to practice and refine their skills while identify- ing areas for improvement or gaps in the family assistance program. Training Training allows individuals to become familiar with the family assistance program, the Family Assistance Plan, and their designated roles and responsibilities. Training provides an opportu- nity to learn and refine the skill sets needed for response duties. Training for family assistance commonly uses scenarios, role play, and interactive methods to help participants understand the impact they will have on survivors and families following an aviation disaster. This ensures that participants gain knowledge and confidence, therefore increasing the quality of the response. Training materials are discussed in Appendix 4 and provided online.

Family Assistance Program Development 23 Exercises Exercises are designed to evaluate the family assistance program, strengthen teamwork, define roles, and provide a comfort level for participants. Most exercise programs use a building block approach, starting with discussion-based exercises and building to operations-based exercises that may include the movement of physical response assets or setup of family assistance loca- tions. At the conclusion of the exercise, a participant debriefing should take place to capture lessons learned and areas for improvement. Airports should investigate the possibility of including the Family Assistance Plan as part of any required annual tabletop exercises and triennial full-scale drills. Exercises of the Family Assistance Plan should also be conducted regularly, independent of other plans. Exercise materi- als are discussed in Appendix 5 and provided online. After-Action Reporting Conduct an After-Action Review Following an exercise or an aviation disaster requiring the activation of the family assistance program, an after-action review should be completed. All parties that participated in the fam- ily assistance operations should be brought together to discuss successes, best practices, areas for improvement, and any gaps or shortfalls. If a formal after-action report (AAR) is developed, it should include a corrective action plan (CAP). Any revisions to the family assistance program should be documented in the CAP and implemented as soon as possible following the program activation. Many airports find it helpful to review successive AARs and CAPs to identify patterns of recurring, unresolved problems and to note progressive changes and improvements. Conducting Regular Reviews The plan should undergo a review and revision every 2 years at minimum, regardless of whether an aviation disaster has occurred. A section of the plan should describe the revision process and its timeline. This periodic review ensures that the core material is accurate and includes any new legislative or regulatory requirements. All contact information should also be reviewed regularly. Section 2: Family Assistance Program Development Summary and Checklist This checklist is intended to guide airport leadership though the high-level steps involved in creating a family assistance program. M Designate a leader to spearhead development of the family assistance program. M Establish a working group to develop the family assistance program. M Develop a project budget and timeline. M Review existing plans and procedures related to family assistance. M Conduct a SWOT analysis to identify existing strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. M Identify key family assistance responsibilities and tasks that will need to be accomplished at the airport following an aviation disaster. M Identify responding organizations; assign and document family assistance program respon- sibilities and tasks.

24 establishing a coordinated Local Family Assistance Program for Airports M Identify and document equipment, materials, supplies, and tools needed to implement the plan; note their location; prepare response go-kits. M Identify and document response partners that can provide resources or supplemental staffing to support family assistance operations; involve them in the planning process. M Identify airport facilities to be used in the family assistance program, and document the selected space in the Family Assistance Plan. M Identify airport personnel and positions that will fulfill Family Assistance Plan responsibilities. M Ensure that consideration has been given to persons with disabilities and others with access and functional needs. M Create a step-by-step process for writing and approving the plan. M Develop checklists for each role. M Develop a training and exercise plan and timeline. M Schedule periodic training for all responders; record all completed training. M Schedule exercises according to the plan’s timeline, beginning with discussion-based exercises and moving to operations-based exercises; include all relevant responders and partners in the exercises; do not wait for the triennial exercise for each of these drills. M Develop a maintenance schedule for the plan that does not exceed 2 years between reviews.