Latest changes – disaster victim identification

Under the 'Home Office' heading, the team responsible for coordinating the mass fatality response has been updated from the Fire Resilience and Major Events Team (FRaME) to the emergency response team (ERT). 

Wording added under reconciliation files to reflect guidance on recording gender on reconciliation reports. 

Wording changed under VHAA section to ensure clarification 

Link to 'Striking the balance between operational and health and safety duties in the Police Service' has been updated from 2009 version to the most recent (2018) version. 

Entire section has been subject to review through the APP maintenance process. This includes wording changes, reordering, additional information added, and existing information deleted. Changes include:

• SIM responsibilities added: assume overall responsibility for the management of the DVI process, liaising with the Welfare Tactical Commander with regard to managing and assessing risk, health, safety, welfare and wellbeing issues
• Coroner changed to HM Coroner 
• New section on Procurator Fiscal
• Casualty Bureau has been re drafted and significant detail added 
• CBSAP 2024 reference added 
• Family Liaison coordinator, advisor and officer section subject to considerable amendments and updates
• Links updated where necessary 
• New section on fire and rescue services including urban search and rescue (USAR) added 
• New section on HART added 
• New section on NILOs added
• Restructuring throughout entire section 

Diagram added the the bottom of the page as well as a link to the CBRN contaminated fatalities briefing guide. 

• Title of the page has changed from 'Additional arrangements for contaminated fatalities' to 'Dealing with contaminated fatalities' 
• CBRN incident section has been redrafted

• The last bullet point has been changed from:

  'the needs of the bereaved families are taken into account in the disaster victim identification (DVI) process, without jeopardising the safety of the family or other responders involved in the process'

  To:

  'the needs of the bereaved families are taken into account in the disaster victim identification (DVI) process'

• New section added: Crisis management department
• National Police Coordination Centre has merged with UK DVI and sits under the heading 'UK disaster victim identification' 
• 'Police regions' section has been redrafted

Contents has been restructured and updated throughout. 

• Recognition of life extinct section has been reworded to 'Termination of life and verification of death'
• Family liaison - reworded and content added
• Family liaison objectives section added
• Antemortem sample collection section added and more info included
• New sections added:
  • Support for families
  • Getting hep and further support
  • National homicide service
  • National emergencies trust
• Documentation in the mortuary - reworded and content added
• 'Identification evidence' title changed to 'Internationally agreed methods of identification evidence'
• 'Removing human remains and taking samples' title changed to 'Investigative human samples'
• Reconciliation investigation unit - reworded and content added
• New section added under 'Reconciliation files'
• Identification board or commission - reworded and content added

Multiple links updated thoughout

• Title of the page has changed from 'Social needs and media considerations' to 'The requirement of faith communities' 
• Faith communities section has been redrafted 
• Independent advisory groups section has been added
• 'The media' section has been changed to 'communications and social media strategy' and has been redrafted

Changes throughout DVI roles and responsibilities as part of general maintenance. 

Information on Casualty Bureau manager added.

Under the heading: 'Declaring a mass fatality incident' the information has changed slightly and now includes:

National planning for a mass fatality response is coordinated centrally by the Fire Resilience and Major Events (FRaME)

New sections added: 

Home Office

Professional development

Title of the page has change from 'Health, safety and welfare' to 'Health, safety, wellbeing and welfare'

Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) changed to Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO)

Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) changed to Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO)

Amended victim holding audit area acronym from HAA to VHAA.

New section added on road traffic collisions.

Senior identification manager (SIM) initial actions updated with College logo.

Removed the link to Jones, J. KBE (2017) from Judicial inquiries and moved it to the Overview page for disaster victim identification .

Broken link fixed.

Added 'Casualty bureau incident room' section.

Error in title addressed - Contaminated fatalities.

Update SIM suggested initial actions document.

Removal of the word 'Annual' in relation to refresher training.

Reference to Coroners and Justice Act 2009 from Coroners Act 1988.

Revision and reformat of Disaster victim identification, including new section on Welfare.

Content changes.