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

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56 S e c t i o n 6 “My support person was there and talked to me and my family. He was wonderful. Very understanding and compassionate. He predicted our needs, listened, and came up with suggestions.” – Family member from an aviation disaster In the aftermath of an aviation disaster, airport staff may be in the position of directly assist- ing families and survivors. A coordinated family assistance program addresses the infrastructure and processes needed to effectively assist families; it should also include guidance on methods, strategies, and skills for communicating effectively with families and survivors. The first step in communicating effectively is to understand what information will be needed. Four Fundamental Concerns of Family Members The U.S. DOT’s Task Force on Assistance to Families of Aviation Disasters identified universal concerns of families affected by avia- tion disasters (Slater and Hall, 1997). These are the four most com- mon concerns planners should anticipate and be prepared to address (see Table 4). Survivors typically have a slightly different set of concerns; their prin- cipal focus is on access to information and resources and on recovering their personal belongings from the aircraft (see Table 5). Responsibility for Initial Notification of Involvement Airports should be familiar with how notification of involvement is provided in different aviation disaster scenarios and include this infor- mation in the Family Assistance Plan. In a legislated commercial aviation disaster, families and friends can expect notification confirming their loved ones were involved in an avi- ation disaster to come from the affected air carrier. In a non-legislated aviation disaster, the airport should identify an appropriate agency to coordinate this notification. Airports should also note that if an avia- tion disaster involves a private business operator, its corporate office will likely provide notification to the affected families, and this may cause initial confusion following the accident. Communicating with Affected Families, Friends, and Survivors General Aviation Airport Note Ensure that anyone speaking with the family members expresses empathy. It is best to assign any role working with families to someone who is a good communicator and who is well practiced in speaking with people undergoing emotional stress. General Aviation Airport Note Identify the role/individual responsible for notifying the family that their loved one was involved in an aviation disaster. Ensure that this is documented in the family assistance program.

communicating with Affected Families, Friends, and Survivors 57 Providing Information Regardless of the type of aviation disaster—legislated or non-legislated—the informational needs of those affected remain the same. Accurate and timely information is paramount in working with survivors, families, and friends. An airport official who has been trained in basic crisis communications (training materials available in conjunction with this guidebook; see Appendix 4) should participate in informational briefings in the FRC and PGA. The person participating in the briefing should keep the following considerations in mind: • Information must be factual, relevant, and delivered in as timely a manner as possible; • Avoid jargon and acronyms; • Honor commitments to deliver information (e.g., if families are promised that they will be updated in 30 minutes, meet with them even if there is no new information to provide); • Brief the affected survivors, families, and friends before briefing the media and public; and • Provide factual information about the response process; this is especially important if there is limited information available about the aviation disaster. Fundamental Concern Examples of Questions Families May Ask Initial notification of involvement (notification that a loved one’s name was on the manifest or that the aircraft has crashed)  What happened?  Where did it happen?  Was my loved one’s name on the manifest?  Was my loved one on board? Victim accounting (determining the location and condition of a loved one)  Where is my loved one?  Did they survive? Are they alive? Are they ok?  What hospital or medical facility have they been taken to?  Can I see them?  When will they be identified? Access to information and resources  Who can I call for information?  Who can I contact for emotional and spiritual support?  What will happen next?  Can I go to the site? Personal effects  Where are my loved one’s belongings? Source: Slater and Hall, 1997. Table 4. Fundamental concerns of family members. Survivor Concern Examples of Questions Survivors May Ask Access to information and resources  Who can I call for information if I leave the airport?  How can I get to my final destination?  Who can arrange a hotel for me?  Who can I call for emotional or spiritual support? Personal belongings  Where are my belongings?  How do I replace my identification documents?  Who is going to pay for my belongings? Table 5. Fundamental concerns of survivors.

58 establishing a coordinated Local Family Assistance Program for Airports Phone Calls Airports can expect their phone systems to be overwhelmed following an aviation disaster. Some of the phone calls may be from family members seeking information. In cases where there is no air carrier or there is a virtual air carrier with limited response capability, airports should expect a large influx of calls. Airports may also see increased calls when the air carrier’s published number is busy or from individuals seeking more information who believe the airport may be a source for it. Families may call any published number associated with the airport, so it is impor- tant that all airport staff know how to direct inbound calls following an aviation disaster. The airport family assistance program should address call flow, recommended language, and how follow-up will be conducted. • Work flow: What information does the employee need from the caller (name, contact infor- mation, passenger being inquiring about)? Should the call taker take a message? • Language: Is the phone answered using a generic greeting? What questions are asked? What words of empathy are used? When can the caller expect updated information? Will the airport call the caller back, and if not, who should be contacted for further information? • Follow-up: What does the employee do with the information collected from the caller? (Share this information with air carrier or aircraft operator if they are responding to the aviation disaster.) Is there a way to track or log the calls? Does the airport call taker return the call? If so, who will make the call, and when and how will the airport track the callback? One of the general aviation airport representatives surveyed for this project recalled that fam- ily members left messages on the airport manager’s voice mail. These calls went unanswered for an extended period following the aviation disaster. The airport manager said it was impossible to answer the number of calls received that day. Another manager stated that he spoke to family members several times during the day until they arrived at the airport. General aviation airports or airports with limited staff should consider transferring calls to a phone number staffed by another agency. One airport interviewed for the project noted that it partners with the 211 national resource and helpline for this service; one of its resources is a disaster help line. The ARC or another volunteer agency may also be able to assist if the com- munity does not have access to 211 or a similar support phone service. Best practices suggest that if the airport plans to have a phone number that families and friends can call to obtain information about the disaster, this number should be separate from the one that is published for media inquiries. The phone numbers should also be placed on any recorded outgoing phone message and voice mails to make it easier for affected families and friends to reach the airport. Communications Guidance Working with an individual in crisis requires an empathetic and compassionate understand- ing that the affected person is having a normal reaction to an abnormal situation. Rarely does an event such as an aviation disaster escalate into a behavioral health emergency where expert intervention is required. Following are several basic principles to empower airport personnel to support an individual affected by an aviation disaster or other incident occurring on airport property. Confidentiality Survivors and families of those involved in past aviation disasters have reported nega- tive impressions of individuals who were assigned to work with them taking notes during

communicating with Affected Families, Friends, and Survivors 59 conversations; this was because they were unclear as to why the person was taking notes and unsure of how the information would be used. The NTSB’s Federal Family Assistance Plan for Aviation Disasters stresses that “personal information provided by family members and victims through discussions, interviews, counseling, or any other form of information exchange should remain confidential and shall not be used for future litigation purposes” (National Transporta- tion Safety Board, 2008). Yet there will be a need to gather information in the hours after the aviation disaster, and responders may need to write down questions or items needing follow-up. If a situation arises where airport personnel need to gather information from the affected survivors, families, or friends, it helps to explain up front what information is needed, why it is needed, and how the information will be used. Also, if asked, allow the person to review the notes that were collected and allow them to agree that the information is correctly documented. Information should be operational in nature, factual, and free of any personal impressions about the affected individual/family. Airport personnel need to consider procedures for the proper handling, storage, and discard- ing of personal information. These procedures should include: • Establishing privacy policies for all information obtained from the PGA/FRC or other gather- ing areas; • Developing confidentiality statements to incorporate into family assistance program training to ensure that airport personnel honor individuals’ right to privacy (e.g., do not share stories with friends about those affected); • Instructing responders not to leave paperwork in an open area, thereby risking the possibility of the media or public obtaining this information; • Identifying locked cabinets/offices in which paperwork can be placed for safe storage; and • Consulting with the airport’s legal team on how to appropriately store or discard the docu- ments once the response is completed and the air carrier or NTSB no longer requires the airport’s paperwork. Appropriate Verbal and Nonverbal Communication When working with families and survivors, an effective method for establishing rapport is to speak in a soft monotone while maintaining eye contact. Both verbal and nonverbal communi- cation skills are important to keep in mind when communicating with persons processing the shock of an aviation disaster. While speaking with affected family members, remain aware of the shock, absentmindedness, and forgetfulness they may be experiencing, all of which are normal stress reactions. • Speak clearly and in a soft monotone. • Expect repetitive questions. • Expect to repeat information. • Do not use acronyms or jargon. • Be mindful of using aviation and related professional terminology. Be prepared to explain who the relevant agencies are and their roles in the response process. It is appropriate to say the following: • “I am sorry this has happened to you.” • “I am sorry for your loss.” In the early hours following the aviation disaster, official notification of fatalities has more than likely not happened. Therefore, responders should pay attention to the words used with those affected. They should speak in the present tense and be mindful of using the term “loved one”

60 establishing a coordinated Local Family Assistance Program for Airports versus “victim.” When referring to the individuals involved, it is recommended to use “loved one,” another relational phrase (e.g., “mother,” “father,” “brother,” “sister”), or even the victims’ names. “He kept saying something about being a family of five when I come from a family of six. My brother died in the crash. We always will be a family of six, and he didn’t pick up on my mother who was becoming increas- ingly tearful and upset as he kept saying over and over ‘family of five’ or ‘the five of you.’ ” – Family member; from The Aviation Disaster Family Assistance Project (Severin and Miller, 2013). It is not necessary to respond to every comment from or reaction of the affected. There are times where silence and remaining with them is the most effective supportive approach. There are some phrases that should be avoided. Survivors and families have indicated that the following phrases were not helpful when spoken to them by airport and air carrier personnel following an aviation disaster: • “It was God’s will.” • “Everything happens for a reason.” • “I know how you feel.” • “If you do X, you will gain closure” (or the word “closure” generally). • “They are better off.” • “Maybe there was no pain.” • “You are lucky they survived.” • “You are lucky they did not survive.” • “They only have . . . a [broken leg, broken arm, burns, etc.]” Airport personnel should remain aware of physical proximity, use of eye contact, and hand gestures. If possible, they should sit down to be at eye level with the person they are speaking to, and sitting side-by-side suggests equality and allows the conversation to flow more comfortably. Lastly, given the many cultural influences around touching, allow the family member or survivor to take the lead regarding this. If they reach out, they may be receptive to a handshake or hand on their arm or shoulder. An array of emotions and behaviors can be expected following an aviation disaster. Following are key points to consider when faced with a situation that may need deescalating: • Remain calm and compassionate, • Ensure that your tone of voice is lower than that of the person you are deescalating, • Ensure that your body language is open and non-threatening, • Allow the person space and time to say what he or she needs to say, • Do not verbally correct people or state that they are wrong for feeling as they do, and • Use silence and nonverbal affirmation, such as nodding your head up and down, to assist in moving the conversation along. If over the course of 20 minutes or so the person does not calm down, it is appropriate to ask for assistance from security or a mental or behavioral health professional. Language, Religious, and Cultural Considerations When working with diverse populations and in situations where race, gender, ethnicity, reli- gion, or cultural concerns may become an issue, airport employees should communicate with sensitivity. Airports may look into obtaining training for employees and responders on topics including cultural sensitivity and diversity as this will help facilitate communications following an aviation disaster. Access to translators during an emergency situation is crucial for responders supporting those with functional and access needs and individuals who do not speak or read English. Airports

communicating with Affected Families, Friends, and Survivors 61 should have provisions in place to meet the need for translation and interpretation services. These services may include telephone-based language assistance services, local language resources, sign language interpreters, and access to braille printing. Use of Social Media To protect the privacy of others, survivors and families should be asked to refrain from post- ing pictures of the PGA, FRC, or reunification location. They should not live stream any content inside the room. Airports should determine the best method to enforce and manage this issue. It may be best to post signage that requests that social media not be used and to include this information in briefings to ensure that everyone is aware of the policy. Recommended Training and Additional Resources When seeking training and educational materials for working with affected survivors, friends, and families, the following resources may be helpful. • Mental Health First Aid (United States and international) – https://www.mentalhealthfirstaid. org/cs/take-a-course/, • Psychological First Aid by the ARC (contact the local/regional chapter for options), and • Crisis Response Team Training by the National Organization for Victim Assistance – http:// www.trynova.org/help-crisis-victims/crisis-training/. Section 6: Communicating with Affected Friends, Families, and Survivors Summary and Checklist This checklist is to be used to help develop a strategy for communicating effectively and com- passionately with those affected by an aviation disaster; relevant infrastructure, responsibilities, resources, processes, and training should be addressed in the family assistance program. Include guidance for communicating with the affected family members, friends, and survivors. M If responders need to take notes, they should ask first. M Notes taken by responders should be factual and remain confidential. M Speak softly; make eye contact. M Do not use abbreviations or industry jargon. M Expect to hear the same questions repeatedly. M Use phrases like, “I am sorry this happened to you.” M Remain calm and compassionate. M Use appropriate vocal range, body language, and wording. M Ask for assistance from a professional if the family member, survivor, or friend does not calm down within 20 minutes. M Include contact information for local translators and interpreters in the plan. The plan may also contain information for using telephone-based language assistance services. – Note information for translating signage, forms, and pamphlets into other languages and braille. – A sign language interpreter should also be included in the plan. M It is recommended that responders be trained in communicating and supporting individuals in crisis.