saving johnny butler

Saving Johnny Butler:The Role of the SMORT and Family Assistance Center

(and Others) In Mass Casualty Disasters(And How You Can Help!)

John R. WibleGeneral Counsel

Alabama Department of Public Health (Retired)Northwest Alabama VOAD - August, 2013

SMORTF A C

John R. Wible, 2013 2

This is the State – The Great State of

Alabama

And this is the County – Cotton County

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


This is the Coroner

• This is the Coroner of Cotton County, Quincy Sebem, III. He is the owner and operator of the Loving Care Brown Service Funeral Home. He has a budget of $7,000 per year and a staff of two, counting himself and his Wife, Sammie.

• He’s about to be overwhelmed.


I work here . . . I’m the FAC Director


This is Johnny Butler


University of Rural AlabamaThis is the


And this is the DISASTER!


And the Fire!


Response

Agency: A,B,C,D, E,F,G,H,I,J,K,L,M,N,O,P,Q,R,S,T,U,V,W,X,Y,Z


Rescue


Casualties

Sixty-Seven Dead . . . One hundred Eighty-Five Injured


SMORT


SMORT Administration


On the Way


Victim Information Center


Family Assistance Center (FAC)• Activated quickly following a

mass fatality incident • Provides critical and secondary

services to family of victims• Coordinates with partner

groups • Maintains a high degree of

sensitivity and respect• And provides security and

protection from media


FAC Services

• Assist SMORT in identifying victims– Antemortem interviews

• Provide comfort and assistance to families• Refer family members for:

– Spiritual or psychological counseling– Medical assistance– Material needs


FAC Staff• County Coroner/Medical Examiner is Incident

Commander• SMORT Commander is FAC Superior Officer• FAC Executive Director (FACED) and Deputy

– Chief of Professional Personnel (ChoPPs)• Family Assistance Representatives (FARs)

– Chief of Operations (Ops)• Antemortem Interviewers (AMIs)• Antemortem Data Entry Personnel (ADEP)• Administrative Staff (Admin)

– Chief of Logistics (CoLog)


Faces of FAC


FAC Layout


Just Who is a “Family?”


Caring for Families, the FAR


FAC Partners in Service

FAC

Baptists and Clergy

Salvation Army

Mental Health

Emergency Management

Agency


Mental, Health or Spiritual Interventions

• Psychological First Aid- comfort care• Crisis intervention- provide opportunities for family

members to make decisions to regain control of their lives

• Psychological education on stress symptoms and coping

• Casualty support- connect with support systems decision making on disposition of remains

• Spiritual Care Interventions by Disaster Chaplains


Identification of Remains


The Antemortem Interview


Data Entry and Reporting

Data Entry (FAC)

Press Conference

Private Family Briefing

Data Compilation (ADFS)

FAC

Coroner Quincy


Beginning to Wrap Up


Saying “Good-Bye”


Rituals


Saving Johnny Butler


Insights Gained Family Support and Services: FAC

• Families must be identified quickly and given access to information and services that are victim sensitive and easily accessible.

• There is a strong need for continuous flow of information.– Regularly scheduled family briefings and a– pro active approach to family issues and requests.

• Consistent and equitable support to all victim family groups is a challenge, but is important.

• “One stop” support center approach was efficient, provided a safe haven for families and helped facilitate ID process


FAC Wants You!


Volunteer Registration

• https://alresponds.adph.alabama.gov/agreement.php?mode=unit

• “Unit type” dropdown, click “SMORT”• “Choose Unit” dropdown, click

– FAC Care Assistant, or– FAC Data entry-Admin, or– FAC Interviewer

https://alresponds.adph.alabama.gov/agreement.php?mode=unit

https://alresponds.adph.alabama.gov/agreement.php?mode=unit

For A Copy of Presentation and the Text

• See “FAC Presentation,” a download on Slideshare 7 <slideshare.net>

• See also my Facebook Page

36John R. Wible, 2012

saving johnny butler

Health & Medicine