176:(NFDA) formed a committee to address the need for a way of dealing with mass casualty situations. The group had the goal of formulating a plan for funeral directors to deal with the situation. As the committee worked on the plan, it was revealed that such a situation would call for multiple forensic specialties. As a result, the committee created the first portable morgue unit in the country.
188:(NTSB) was assigned the role of managing the federal response to aviation disaster victims and their families. The division responsible for this response was the Office of Family Affairs, which was later renamed the Office of Transportation Disaster Assistance. The NTSB made use of DMORTs to handle large scale transportation disasters.
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in 2002, the DMORTs were moved into the
Emergency Preparedness and Response directorate as part of the National Disaster Medical System. In 2007, the National Disaster Medical System was removed from DHS and returned to the Department of Health and Human Services under the control of the Assistant
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scientists (pathologists, anthropologists, odontologists) examine the recovered remains, they enter their findings—called postmortem data—into VIP (Victim
Identification Profile). Depending on the availability of data, the WIN-VIP system enables scientists to match the remains to their identity.
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For organizational purposes, the country is divided into ten regions, each with a regional coordinator. For the duration of their service, DMORT members work under the local authorities at the disaster site, and their professional licenses are recognized by all states.
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For the World Trade Center attack, Secretary of Health and Human
Services Tommy G. Thompson activated the National Disaster Medical System. It was the first time this system had been activated on a full nationwide basis. In Manhattan, a team set up morgue outside
217:, such as hair or a toothbrush. The information gathered, called antemortem, or "before death" information, is entered into a computer program called VIP (Victim Identification Profile), which is capable of assimilating 800 different item categories, including
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The committee's work came to the attention of the federal government following the complaints of families whose family members had been lost in airline incidents. The families felt that the remains hadn't received adequate treatment. The
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Identification of remains is a two-part process that utilizes a sophisticated computer program for matching physical characteristics. The families of the deceased provide as much information about them as possible: dental records,
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The
Department of Health and Human Services maintains three Disaster Portable Morgue Units (DPMU) which are staged at HHS Logistics Centers. There is one each in
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or descriptions of tattoos, clothing and jewelry; blood type information and objects that may contain the deceased's
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to assist in the identification of deceased individuals and storage of the bodies pending the bodies being claimed.
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246:. This is the center of all operations concerning the location and reuniting of families scattered by
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254:. Out of nearly 13,000 people reported missing after the impacts of hurricanes Katrina, Rita,
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145:. When a DMORT is activated, the personnel on the team are treated and paid as temporary
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and mortuary services. DMORTs are activated in response to large scale disasters in the
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402:. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. September 25, 2015. Archived from
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Lopez
William, William; Celona, Larry; Golding, Bruce (24 March 2020).
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DMORTs are organized under the
Department of Health and Human Services
427:"Makeshift morgue for coronavirus victims set up outside NYC hospital"
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In 2006, DMORT operated the Find Family
National Call Center in
160:. Each DPMU is a cache of equipment and supplies for a complete
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396:"Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Teams (DMORTs)"
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Disaster
Mortuary Operational Response Teams (DMORTs)
287:. National Disaster Medical System. Archived from
372:. Department of Homeland Security. Archived from
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370:History of the Department of Homeland Security
316:. DMORT.org. February 28, 2004. Archived from
184:passed the Family Assistance Act in 1996. The
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342:. DMORT.org. April 23, 2005. Archived from
18:Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team
472:Disaster preparedness in the United States
59:REGION IV (AL, KY, TN, NC, SC, GA, MS, FL)
196:Secretary for Preparedness and Response.
85:. The DMORTs are composed of civilian
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174:National Funeral Directors Association
24:is a team of experts in the fields of
133:specialists, computer professionals,
366:"Who Became Part of the Department?"
186:National Transportation Safety Board
71:REGION VIII (MT, ND, SD, WY, UT, CO)
477:Federal Emergency Management Agency
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56:REGION III (PA, MD, DC, DE, VA, WV)
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62:REGION V (MN, WI, IL, IN, MI, OH)
50:REGION I (ME, NH, VT, MA, CT, RI)
83:National Disaster Medical System
193:Department of Homeland Security
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457:DMORT Mass Fatality Assistance
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191:Following the creation of the
65:REGION VI (NM, TX, OK, AR, LA)
26:disaster victim identification
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221:, photographs and x-rays. As
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68:REGION VII (NE, IA, KS, MO)
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74:REGION IX (AZ, NV, CA, HI)
53:REGION II (NY, NJ, PR, VI)
200:Identification of remains
156:; Fort Worth, Texas; and
77:REGION X (WA, AK, OR, ID)
121:. They are supported by
103:forensic anthropologists
400:Public Health Emergency
143:investigative personnel
244:Baton Rouge, Louisiana
182:United States Congress
111:forensic odontologists
346:on September 25, 2006
320:on September 25, 2006
376:on September 5, 2006
340:"The NTSB and DMORT"
314:"DMORT History Page"
291:on September 6, 2006
158:San Jose, California
154:Frederick, Maryland
137:support staff, and
172:In the 1980s, the
248:Hurricane Katrina
237:Bellevue Hospital
115:dental assistants
91:medical examiners
87:funeral directors
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431:. Retrieved
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408:. Retrieved
404:the original
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380:September 7,
378:. Retrieved
374:the original
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350:September 7,
348:. Retrieved
344:the original
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324:September 7,
322:. Retrieved
318:the original
295:September 6,
293:. Retrieved
289:the original
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127:transcribers
99:pathologists
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45:DMORT Teams:
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36:Organization
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211:photographs
149:employees.
107:fingerprint
466:Categories
266:References
230:Incidents
433:25 March
223:forensic
219:graphics
139:security
95:coroners
410:9 April
285:"DMORT"
168:History
147:federal
258:, and
207:x-rays
162:morgue
117:, and
260:Wilma
22:DMORT
435:2020
412:2011
382:2006
352:2006
326:2006
297:2006
256:Stan
250:and
141:and
215:DNA
20:or
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