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25 S e c t i o n 3 âIf it is not up to the airport personnel to provide any specifics, then someone should at least brief the families about what to expect from the air carrier personnel.â â Family member from an aviation disaster Assigning family assistance roles and responsibilities creates the basic framework for an airport family assistance program. By documenting critical tasks and designating the orga- nization responsible for each one, the airport builds the foundation for effective command and control. A coordinated Family Assistance Plan relies on a network of local and state resources and should be designed for both legislated and non-legislated aviation disasters. Some roles will remain consistent regardless of the nature of the aviation disaster; other roles will vary depend- ing on whether there is an air carrier response. By becoming familiar with the roles, strengths, and capacities of responding organizations, airports can develop a family assistance program for any aviation disaster scenario that best uses available resources. Airport Role in Command and Control The airportâs role in command and control begins with the decision to activate the family assistance program. The airportâs emergency response plan should clearly document which positions have this authority, when and how they will be notified of the event, and the steps they will take to activate the program. Additional guidance on this subject is provided in Section 7. Managing the complexities of the family assistance program is best accomplished by unified command (UC). Both the airport and the affected air carrier (if there is one) play critical roles in managing information, resources, and support during the initial hours of a response. The airport EOC functions as an informational nerve center, so it is vital that a link be established between the EOC and the affected air carrier or aircraft operator as quickly as possible, whether through representation in the EOC or by telephone. The sample EOC checklists discussed in Appendix 3 provide guidance and tools for information that needs to be tracked, monitored, and communicated between stakeholders to support a coordinated family assistance response. Leadership of family assistance activities in the FRC and PGA may also be best accom- plished with UC. Several airports interviewed have designed this approach into their emer- gency response organizations. One airport that did not have this as part of its organization structure, when faced with an aviation disaster involving multiple casualties, created an ad hoc FRC UC because it proved essential to managing the facility and operations. Where no air carrier support is present, some airports have created volunteer airport family assistance Roles and Responsibilities
26 establishing a coordinated Local Family Assistance Program for Airports response teams to take on many of the responsibilities otherwise performed by air carrier staff. These teams are composed of volunteers from airlines, airport departments, and even the local community. Local Government Some airports may use local government resources as the first responders on the scene to address aviation disasters. ARFF or fire department resources will be used to address any fire, rescue, and evacuation operations and likely the initial triage of patients. Local emergency medi- cal services (EMS) will assist with patient triage, treatment, tracking, and transport of injured passengers. Law enforcement resources will be used to set up the initial perimeter and preserve evidence to support the investigation. After their initial response roles are fulfilled, these resources may be reassigned to support the airportâs family assistance program. Fire personnel, if provided with the appropriate train- ing, can support the initial collection of information from families and friends and provide any information briefings to people in the FRC. EMS personnel can remain on standby to address the medical needs of people in the FRC. Law enforcement personnel can provide security for the PGA, FRC, and reunification location and assist with the transport to and security of an FAC if one is opened. Local public health departments and emergency management agencies (EMAs) may also be available to provide support during an aviation disaster and support the airportâs fam- ily assistance response. Public health departments may be able to deploy behavioral health specialists to the PGA and FRC or provide nurses to address simple medical needs of injured passengers. While the local EMA will likely open an EOC following a large aviation disaster, it may be able to respond to the airport EOC for smaller aviation disasters. In either case, coordination will be important to ensure that the airport and EMA EOCs are working effec- tively together and not duplicating efforts. For small and general aviation airports, the local EMA can provide a coordination point for obtaining mutual aid resources and access to state and federal agencies. All of these entities should be represented in the airportâs family assistance working group, included in the family assistance program, and involved in airport exercises. By including these entities, airports can exponentially increase the resources available to assist with the PGA and FRC and use the special training and response expertise of many of these agencies. State Government State organizations can also support the airportâs family assistance program. For instance, after an aviation disaster involving fatalities, the office of the medical examiner or coroner will be called in to lead the collection of remains, provide death notifications to families, and release remains for final disposition. Airports should also consider creating relationships with other state organizations such as those in public safety, emergency management, and public health. These organizations have a broader knowledge of the resources available across the state and may be able to provide personnel resources to support an airport after an aviation disaster. State police may be able to provide additional security to the airport, and EMAs may be able to request mutual aid resources from within the state or outside the state using the Emergency Management Assis- tance Compact, as needed.
Roles and Responsibilities 27 By creating these relationships prior to an aviation disaster, airport EOCs will have a point of contact available immediately following an aviation disaster to assist with the response and provision of family assistance services. Nongovernmental Organizations Following a legislated accident, the ARC is tasked with supporting the affected air carrier in the operation of an FAC. Under the provision of family care and mental health support, the ARC disaster mental health team provides emotional support for affected families at the FAC or remotely (via telephone). The ARC volunteers are licensed behavioral health professionals and are qualified to support those affected. While creating a family assistance program, it is recommended that airport personnel reach out to their local ARC chapter early in the process and include it in the planning and prepared- ness activities. The ARC may be able to assist airports with refreshment, equipment, and per- sonnel to staff the PGA and FRC, as it does for many local emergency shelters. This is a role that it fills for many local government entities and that it is well trained to fulfill. By involving the ARC early and often in the planning process, airports can build close relationships with their counterparts and obtain the resources necessary to run the PGA and FRC without having to procure and maintain them. Airport-to-Airport Mutual Aid Where two or more airports are within close geographic proximity, airport-to-airport mutual aid agreements can potentially provide a source of additional family assistance staff- ing and resources in the initial hours after an aviation disaster. These arrangements should be coordinated in advance so that airports are familiar with each otherâs plans and have a process for activating mutual aid agreements. Airports participating in the Southeast Airports Disaster Operations Group or Western Airports Disaster Operations Group may also be able to use the resources of those organizations. Other Supporting Organizations In addition to the governmental and nongovernmental agencies that will be called upon to support family assistance, airports should look to include both on-site partners and off-site organizations with which they may not coordinate on a daily basis. These entities can potentially bring many diverse resources to support family assistance programs. On-site partners may be used to provide additional personnel to support the FRC or to address the needs of the families and friends who come to the airport seeking information. Off-site organizations may provide services, resources, or information to support the response. Hospitals During the immediate aftermath of an aircraft crash, it is likely that the fire department, EMS, and local EMA will coordinate with local hospitals to transport patients and address first responder injuries. In the initial minutes following an aviation disaster, patients in critical con- dition are immediately transported and are not always accurately tracked. As a result, when families and friends arrive at the airport, airport and air carrier personnel are unable to pro- vide information about where their loved ones were transported. To address this issue, airports should develop a working relationship with their local hospital safety officers and emergency
28 establishing a coordinated Local Family Assistance Program for Airports departments, local medical coalitions, and state hospital emergency preparedness representa- tives to coordinate patient tracking. A representative in the airport EOC should be assigned the management of this information. Airport Tenants, Concessionaires, Fixed-Base Operators, and Ground Handlers While legislation requires the affected air carrier to provide family assistance services, there will be times when the air carrier is not represented at the local airport or does not have per- sonnel on-site who are properly trained to provide these services. One airport representative interviewed for this guidebook reported that after a commuter flight crashed in the community, it took over 3 hours for an air carrier representative to arrive at the airport and over 6 hours for the air carrier go-team to arrive. This scenario emphasizes the need for airports to be prepared to support individuals following an aviation disaster. For general aviation and smaller airports, there may not be an air carrier on the premises, and the airport may need to provide all of the assistance to the friends and families who arrive seeking information. Although they may be faced with providing direct family assistance in the immediate aftermath of an aviation disaster, airport personnel may not have the resources or capabilities of setting up the FRC and PGA. To address this, the airport should reach out to its tenants, con- cessionaires, and FBOs, if any are on-site, to build a response team that could support the initial setup of family and passenger assistance ser- vices. Airport tenants, especially other air carriers, could serve as sup- port personnel for the FRC or be available in the lobby area to direct families and friends to the FRC or FAC. After one major hub airport experienced an aviation disaster where the affected air carrier had very limited response capability, airport and air carrier personnel came together to create a multidisciplinary response team. They developed a plan to support any affected air carrier with their initial, local family assistance response following an aviation disaster or emergency event. Other airport tenants and concessionaires can be called upon to provide resources to support family assistance such as food and beverage services, parking and other transportation needs, or basic comfort and hygiene items. Creating prepositioned contracts and other agreements ensures that these basic services can be quickly provided to the PGA, FRC, and reunification location. By addressing this in the planning and preparedness processes, airports can avoid rush- ing to find these items during setup of the FRC and PGA and the chaos of collecting information from arriving families and friends. FBOs, especially those with hangar space, can provide much needed support to the air- portâs family assistance program. Agreements can be made to use hangar space for the PGA, for the collection of remains, or for housing the FRC if open space is available in the airport itself. By having these facilities (especially the PGA and FRC) located away from the air- port, affected passengers and their families and friends can potentially be shielded from the media and other carriersâ passengers. These agreements should be negotiated well ahead of any aviation disaster and be regularly exercised to ensure that they can be rapidly deployed and are operational. Ground handlers can also be of great assistance following an aviation disaster. Personnel can be diverted to assist with locating survivors and taking them to the PGA and to assist with pro- viding snacks and beverages and other personal comforts to survivors as they wait in the PGA. Ground handlers inside the airport can assist with escorting persons to the FRC and answering General Aviation Airport Note General aviation airport planners can reach out to pilots, flight schools, fuel providers, hangar operators, and others at the airport for permission to use their facilities for family assistance program activations and to request volunteers to support the family assistance response.
Roles and Responsibilities 29 questions posed by unaffected passengers who are seeing information about the aviation disaster on social media or other media outlets. Vendors/Service Providers In addition to prepositioned contracts with concessionaires and FBOs, airports should look to create emergency contracts that can be used in the aftermath of an aviation disaster to support family assistance services. Examples include contracts for tables and chairs that can be used to set up the PGA and FRC or additional janitorial services to address keeping restrooms provisioned and facilities clean. By planning for these services prior to an aviation disaster, airport personnel can focus on providing services to the affected passengers and their families and friends. Animal Care/Rescue Organizations With many passengers carrying household pets on board aircraft, airports should be prepared to address the needs of the animals after an aviation disaster. Passengers may carry their pets with them as they evacuate the plane, or first responders may locate them as they search for sur- vivors. First responders will require special equipment to provide oxygen and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to household pets, and these can often be provided by animal control and animal rescue organizations. Animal care/rescue organizations can provide veterinary services to injured pets or long-term sheltering for pets of injured passengers who are transported to the hospital. Animal care/rescue organizations can also be used to house unclaimed animals fol- lowing an aviation disaster until they can be claimed by passengers or the families of deceased victims. These animal care/rescue organizations should be included in the planning team for the family assistance program as well as in any training and exercise activities.4 Faith-Based Organizations In addition to the family care and behavioral health support provided by the ARC, many peo- ple will look to members of the faith-based community to assist them in addressing their fears and losses resulting from an aircraft disaster. Some people may not feel comfortable addressing their feelings with behavioral health professionals and may only want to speak to clergy members or may ask to pray with them for support and comfort. The airport should identify a diverse group of clergy members of the faith groups represented in its community. By creating a group of interfaith clergy that can immediately respond following an aviation disaster, the airport can provide this vital support to individuals in crisis, regardless of their personal faith and cultural preferences. Air Carriers and Aircraft Operators The roles and responsibilities of air carriers were discussed briefly in Section 1. From an airport perspective, local involvement by the air carrier or aircraft operator will be affected by whether it is legislated or non-legislated and whether it has local staff and resources available to respond. In legislated events, there are defined roles and tasks for the air carrier. Although there are no explicit requirements for assisting families and uninjured passengers at airports, research clearly shows that legislated air carriers typically include airport response procedures in their family assistance programs because many of the airport-based efforts dovetail with their other family assistance requirements. Air carriers may have local procedures to establish the FRC and PGA and to coordinate reunification of uninjured survivors and families. This supports their
30 establishing a coordinated Local Family Assistance Program for Airports required task of making initial notification to families. Many air carriers also have local proce- dures to reserve hotel facilities near the aviation disaster location; this supports their required task of establishing an FAC. Even for non-legislated aviation disasters, there may be air carrier support at the airport. For example, an aviation disaster with serious injuries but no fatalities would be a non-legislated event, but if it involved a major (legislated) air carrier, the carrier would probably activate its family assistance program. Some non-legislated aircraft operators, including several business jet charter companies, have implemented family assistance programs; they might respond in much the same way that a legislated air carrier would. Responsibilities of the air carrier may be fulfilled by the affected air carrier itself, its codeshare or alliance partners, contracted ground handlers, a family assistance vendor, or some combina- tion of these resources. Airports should be familiar with the responsibilities and capabilities of tenant air carriers in order to better anticipate what level of local air carrier support would be provided in response to an aviation disaster. Roles and Responsibilities of Responding Organizations in an Air CarrierâSupported Aviation Disaster For planning purposes, it is helpful to think in terms of air carrierâsupported aviation disasters. These may be legislated or non-legislated events in which the air carrier/aircraft operator has the procedures and sufficient staff to implement a family assistance response at the airport. Figure 2 illustrates the family assistance process flow for an air carrierâsupported response. It depicts three phases of response: initial aviation disaster site activities, short-term assistance while families and survivors are at the airport, and the transition to an airline-operated FAC. Organizations that have required or recommended leadership roles in each phase are indicated in the left-hand margin. Many stakeholders and support organizations may be needed to implement the airport family assistance program, particularly in aviation disasters with a high number of casualties. Table 1 shows a typical assignment of family assistance roles and responsibilities for an air carrierâsupported aviation disaster. It incorporates information from airport and airline inter- views, family assistance laws, guidance documents, and best practices.5 It can be used as a start- ing point in airport family assistance program development. The lists of responsibilities are in approximate chronological order and are not exhaustive. In the table, responsibilities that are specifically required or assigned for legislated accidents are denoted with an asterisk. Roles and Responsibilities of Responding Organizations in an Aviation Disaster Without Air Carrier Support There are several scenarios where local air carrier support may be limited or nonexistent after an aviation disaster, regardless of whether it is a legislated or non-legislated event. Examples include where: 1. Non-legislated aircraft operators may lack plans, capability, and resources to respond to an aviation disaster. 2. Legislated air carriers may lack local resources during the initial hours after the aviation disaster. Many air carriers use the services of ground handlers at airports rather than employ- ing their own staff. There are no family assistance requirements for ground handlers, and
Roles and Responsibilities 31 Figure 2. Legislated aviation disaster passenger and family assistance initial response flow. often they are not prepared or equipped to implement a local Family Assistance Plan on the air carrierâs behalf. 3. The aviation disaster may occur at a diversion airport where the air carrier does not have a presence. In any of these scenarios, responsibilities that would otherwise be fulfilled by air carriers need to be reassigned to other responders, especially at smaller airports. The needs and concerns of families, friends, and survivors are universal regardless of whether local air carrier support is available.
32 establishing a coordinated Local Family Assistance Program for Airports Responding Organization Tasks Airport operator ï§ Establish, activate, and manage an EOC/airport operations center/department operations center. ï§ Contact the aï¬ected air carrier to coordinate on local family assistance response. ï§ Identify facilities for an airport PGA, FRC, and reuniï¬cation location in coordination with the air carrier. ï§ Refer family inquiry calls to the aï¬ected air carrier. ï§ Coordinate victim accounting with hospitals/public health, EMS, and air carrier to determine location of all passengers and crew from the aï¬ected ï¬ight. ï§ Manage media relations regarding the airportâs role in responding to the aviation disaster and any airport- related issues (closures, access, etc.). Coordinate with the aï¬ected air carrier; brief victimsâ families and friends before brieï¬ng the media. ï§ Manage airport communications, including signage, prerecorded messages, and airport website. ï§ Provide support for FRC and PGA operations in coordination with the aï¬ected air carrier. This may include providing the facility and furnishings, communications support, parking validation, and other services as needed/prearranged. ï§ Participate in FRC brieï¬ngs. ï§ Participate in PGA brieï¬ngs. ï§ Assist air carrier in reuniting uninjured passengers with families and friends. ï§ Manage airport access for family assistance responders, including parking, badging, etc. ï§ Identify a temporary morgue location in coordination with the medical examiner/coroner. ï§ If requested and prearranged with air carriers, assist in reserving a hotel, or other appropriately sized facility, near the airport for the FAC. ï§ Support familiesâ transition from the FRC to the FAC, coordinating with the air carrier. Assistance may include issuing parking validation, providing shuttles, and designating areas for ground transportation access. ï§ Assist in coordinating site visit if aviation disaster is on airport property; coordinate with NTSB and air carrier. ï§ Assist families in recovery of victimsâ vehicles in airport parking facilities. ARFF or ï¬reï¬ghting ï§ Manage ï¬reï¬ghting and rescue operations; keep EOC informed. ï§ Participate in FRC and PGA brieï¬ngs to the extent possible. ï§ Support victim accounting function by relaying any known information regarding passenger and crew location and condition. Table 1. Typical assignment of family assistance roles and responsibilities for an air carrierâsupported aviation disaster.
Roles and Responsibilities 33 Responding Organization Tasks Air carrier ï§ Notify NTSB TDA Division.* ï§ Send representative to the airport EOC. ï§ Send representative to incident command post if requested/authorized. ï§ Establish air carrierâs local emergency command center. ï§ Coordinate other air carrier (alliance, codeshare, and mutual aid) support for families, friends, and uninjured survivors. ï§ Provide aircraft statistics and information to airport incident command [number of people on board (not names), fuel, dangerous goods]. ï§ Support air carrier headquarters in preparing a veriï¬ed manifest of passenger and crew names.* ï§ Establish a toll-free number for families (headquartersâ role).* ï§ Establish and manage an FRC at aï¬ected locations; coordinate with airports. ï§ Arrange services and assistance to families and friends at the FRC. ï§ Facilitate brieï¬ngs for families and friends in the FRC. ï§ Participate in brieï¬ngs for uninjured passengers at the PGA. ï§ Make initial notiï¬cation of involvement to families (done via toll-free number or in person at the FRC).* ï§ Arrange check-in, verifying, badging, and information collection for families and friends at FRC. ï§ Respond to the PGA and assist uninjured passengers with: - Physical needs (food, water, dry clothing); - Coordination with airport and NTSB regarding return of personal belongings; - Overnight accommodations, ongoing travel, etc.; and - Coordinate reuniï¬cation of uninjured passengers and relatives/friends. ï§ Establish an FAC.* ï§ Select and equip a JFSOC.* ï§ Arrange transportation for families from the FRC to the FAC.* ï§ Send liaisons to hospitals.* - Coordinate with ARC and airport on victim accounting. - Coordinate with ARC to provide victim/family assistance. ï§ Manage media relations regarding air carrierâs role in responding to the aviation disaster. Coordinate with the airport on any joint brieï¬ngs; brief victimsâ families and friends before the media. ï§ Arrange for disposition of remains in consultation with families.* ï§ Return personal eï¬ects to families per their wishes; store unclaimed items for a minimum of 18 months.* Table 1. (Continued). (continued on next page)
34 establishing a coordinated Local Family Assistance Program for Airports Responding Organization Tasks Airport tenants ï§ Direct inquiring families and friends to aï¬ected air carrierâs ticket counter or escort them to the FRC, per instructions from airport management and the aï¬ected air carrier. American Red Cross ï§ Assist families and survivors in the FRC and PGA with services, including disaster mental health, childcare, and spiritual care. ï§ Send liaisons to hospitals.* - Coordinate with air carrier and airport on victim accounting. - Coordinate with air carrier to provide victim/family assistance. ï§ Vet and coordinate assignments of spontaneous volunteers. ï§ Provide assistance to families and friends at the FAC.* Services include behavioral health support, spiritual care, childcare, and coordinating a memorial service if requested by the families. Animal services (city/county animal shelter or wildlife agency) ï§ Care for animals separated from owners in the aviation disaster or animals traveling as cargo. Customs and Border Protection ï§ Expedite processing for uninjured crew and passengers on aï¬ected flight if it was an international arrival. ï§ Assist any traveling foreign nationals with contacting their countryâs embassy. ï§ Expedite processing for family members who are traveling due to the aviation disaster (inbound on international ï¬ights). ï§ Coordinate with EMS and hospitals to process injured crew and passengers from inbound international ï¬ights. Department of Health and Human Services ï§ Deploy federal assets such as the Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team (DMORT) to support medical examiner/coroner with victim identiï¬cation.* Emergency medical services ï§ Provide triage, stabilization, ï¬rst aid, and medical care at the disaster scene. ï§ Transport injured passengers to medical care facilities. ï§ Transport uninjured passengers to the PGA. ï§ Maintain a list of injured passengers and casualties and their destination treatment facilities and keep incident commander informed. ï§ Provide medical support for screening and assisting uninjured passengers at the PGA. ï§ Provide medical support for families and friends at the FRC. Faith-based representatives ï§ Provide spiritual support to families and friends in the FRC and to uninjured passengers in the PGA (as needed). Table 1. (Continued).
Roles and Responsibilities 35 Responding Organization Tasks Law enforcement/security ï§ Provide security at the FRC and PGA to ensure privacy for families, friends, and uninjured passengers. ï§ Provide traï¬c control at airport access roads and terminal. ï§ Provide crowd control in terminal. Medical examiner or coroner ï§ Arrange for recovery of remains. ï§ Identify victims (conduct antemortem interviews/ postmortem examinations).* ï§ Coordinate with DMORT if its services are requested and deployed.* Service providers (e.g., ground handlers, family assistance vendors, FBOs) ï§ May assist in fulï¬lling responsibilities on behalf of the aï¬ected air carrier. Transportation Security Administration ï§ Arrange expedited screening for families and friends if the FRC is located in a sterile area. ï§ Make accommodation for surviving passengers whose government-issued identiï¬cation was lost or destroyed in the aviation disaster and who wish to continue travel. Note: * = required items for legislated aviation disasters. Hospitals and public health ï§ Liaise with the airport EOC and ARC to support departments passenger/victim accounting. ï§ Liaise with ARC and air carrier on victim/family assistance at the hospital. Table 1. (Continued). Table 2 illustrates a typical assignment of family assistance roles and responsibilities for an aviation disaster where there is limited or no air carrier support at the airport. It incorporates information from airport and airline interviews, family assistance laws, guidance documents, and best practices.6 It can be used as a starting point in airport family assistance program development. The lists of responsibilities are in approximate chronological order and are not exhaustive. Responding Organization Tasks Airport operator ï§ Establish, activate, and manage an EOC/airport operations center/department operations center. ï§ Notify airport family assistance working group or volunteer team, if one has been established. ï§ Obtain manifest information via air carrier/aircraft operator or owner [number of people (not names) on board, fuel, dangerous goods]; FAA assistance may be required to determine the operator. ï§ Identify facilities for the PGA, FRC, and reuniï¬cation. Table 2. Typical assignment of family assistance roles and responsibilities for an aviation disaster where there is limited or no air carrier support at the airport. (continued on next page)
36 establishing a coordinated Local Family Assistance Program for Airports Table 2. (Continued). ARFF or fireï¬ghting ï§ Manage ï¬reï¬ghting and rescue operations; keep EOC informed. ï§ Participate in FRC and PGA brieï¬ngs to the extent possible. ï§ Support victim accounting function by relaying any known information regarding passenger and crew location and condition. The ability to respond will vary depending on type and size of operator. ï§ Establish and manage the PGA, addressing the informational and practical needs of uninjured passengers. Consider assistance from ARC, other air carriers, and other available resources. Address: - Facility and furnishings, - Communications support, - Physical needs (food, water, dry clothing), - Reuniï¬cation with loved ones, - Coordination with NTSB regarding return of personal belongings, and - Other services as needed/prearranged. ï§ Establish and manage the FRC, addressing the informational and practical needs of families and friends. Consider assistance from ARC, other air carriers, and other available resources. Address: - Facility and furnishings, - Communications support, - Catering/refreshments, and - Establish check-in and badging at the FRC and PGA. ï§ Respond to incoming calls from family members and friends of those on board; for general aviation accidents, consider support from ARC, crisis line, or 211 resource and helpline. ï§ Coordinate victim accounting with hospitals/public health and EMS to determine location of all crew and passengers on board the aï¬ected ï¬ight. ï§ Manage media relations regarding the airportâs role in responding to the aviation disaster and any airport-related issues (closures, access, etc.). Brief victimsâ families and friends before brieï¬ng the media. Responding Organization Tasks ï§ Manage airport communications, including signage, prerecorded messages, and airport website. ï§ Conduct PGA brieï¬ngs. ï§ Conduct FRC brieï¬ngs. ï§ Coordinate reuniï¬cation of uninjured passengers with families and friends. ï§ Manage airport access for family assistance responders, including parking, credentialing, etc. ï§ Identify a temporary morgue location in coordination with the medical examiner/coroner. ï§ Coordinate familiesâ transition from the FRC to the FAC, if one is established. ï§ Assist in coordinating site visit if aviation disaster is on airport property; coordinate with NTSB and air carrier. ï§ Assist families in recovery of victimsâ vehicles in airport parking facilities.
Roles and Responsibilities 37 Table 2. (Continued). Faith-based representatives ï§ Provide spiritual support to families and friends in the FRC and to uninjured passengers in the PGA (as needed). Hospitals and public health departments ï§ Liaise with the airport EOC and ARC to support passenger/victim accounting. ï§ Liaise with ARC on victim/family assistance at the hospital. Responding Organization Tasks Aircraft operator ï§ The ability to respond will vary depending on type and size of operator. Airport tenants ï§ Direct inquiring families and friends to aï¬ected air carrierâs ticket counter or escort them to the FRC, per instructions from airport management and the aï¬ected air carrier. American Red Cross ï§ Assist families and survivors in the FRC and PGA with services, including disaster mental health, childcare, and spiritual care. ï§ Send liaisons to hospitals.* - Coordinate with air carrier and airport on victim accounting. - Coordinate with air carrier to provide victim/family assistance. ï§ Vet and coordinate assignments of spontaneous volunteers. ï§ Provide assistance to families and friends at the FAC.* Services include behavioral health support, spiritual care, childcare, and coordinating a memorial service, if requested by the families. Animal services (city/county animal shelter or wildlife agency) ï§ Care for animals separated from owners in the aviation disaster or animals traveling as cargo. Customs and Border Protection ï§ Expedite processing for uninjured crew and passengers on aï¬ected flight if it was an international arrival. ï§ Assist any traveling foreign nationals with contacting their countryâs embassy. ï§ Expedite processing for family members who are traveling due to the aviation disaster (inbound on international ï¬ights). ï§ Coordinate with EMS and hospitals to process injured crew and passengers from inbound international ï¬ights. Department of Health and Human Services ï§ Deploy federal assets such as the Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team (DMORT) to support medical examiner/coroner with victim identiï¬cation.* Emergency medical services ï§ Provide triage, stabilization, ï¬rst aid, and medical care at the aviation disaster scene. ï§ Transport injured passengers to medical care facilities. ï§ Transport uninjured passengers to the PGA. ï§ Maintain a list of injured passengers and casualties and their destination treatment facilities and keep incident commander informed. ï§ Provide medical support for screening and assisting uninjured passengers at the PGA. ï§ Provide medical support for families and friends at the FRC. (continued on next page)
38 establishing a coordinated Local Family Assistance Program for Airports Responding Organization Tasks Law enforcement/ ï§ Provide security at the FRC and PGA to ensure privacy for security families, friends, and uninjured passengers. ï§ Provide traï¬c control at airport access roads and terminal. ï§ Provide crowd control in terminal. ï§ Store personal eï¬ects per evidence protocols; return eï¬ects to families to extent requested/possible (may require coordination with aircraft operator/owner, its insurer, or a service provider). Medical examiner or coroner ï§ Arrange for recovery of remains. ï§ Identify victims (conduct antemortem interviews/postmortem examinations).* ï§ Coordinate with DMORT if its services are requested and deployed. Service providers (e.g., ground handlers, family assistance vendors, FBOs) ï§ May assist in fulï¬lling responsibilities on behalf of the aï¬ected aircraft operator. Transportation Security Administration ï§ Arrange expedited screening for families and friends if the FRC is located in a sterile area. ï§ Make accommodation for surviving passengers whose government-issued identiï¬cation was lost or destroyed in the aviation disaster and who wish to continue travel. Note: * = required items for legislated aviation disasters. Table 2. (Continued). Section 3: Roles and Responsibilities Summary and Checklist This checklist can assist the airport in assigning family assistance roles and responsibilities. Mâ âIntegrate family assistance into the airportâs emergency organization chart, addressing command and control considerations. â Ensure (in person or via telephone) that the air carrier is included in the EOC. â Apply unified command structure at the EOC, FRC, and PGA. â Address family assistance issues in EOC communication with stakeholders; track and monitor status of response. Mâ âIdentify family assistance roles, responsibilities, capabilities, and resources of governmental, nongovernmental, and other supporting organizations. Consider how these organizationsâ resources may be able to fill gaps where airport response capabilities are limited. Mâ âDiscuss family assistance capabilities, response plans, and mutual expectations with tenant air carriers and aircraft operators. Mâ âDocument the roles and responsibilities of responders in the airportâs family assistance pro- gram. Consider both air carrierâsupported and non-supported scenarios. Ensure that all parties understand their roles, and document contact information for each.
