Submitted
by Tony Zanger and Tom O'Mara.
Monday,
April 27, 1998, NADA/F Board Members attended an Aviation Disaster
Family Member Meeting at the national headquarters of the American Red
Cross (ARC) in Falls Church, VA. We discussed the ways the ARC can
improve the treatment of the survivor and victim families at aviation
crash sites, and during the days, weeks, months, and years that
follow. The information will be utilized in the continuing planning
for the provision of mental health support in future disasters. The
ARC is the designated organization responsible for providing these
services per The Family Assistance Act of 1996. The ARC is to provide
the following:
1.
Mental and health counseling services in coordination with the air
carrier.
2. A private environment for families to grieve.
3. Meet families traveling to the accident site and provide
communication to family members.
4. Information on rules and regulations involved.
5. To coordinate memorial services.
About
25 people attended the meeting including: family members, ARC health
care professionals, representatives from the NTSB, and others. Jane
Morgan, RN, with ARC was an excellent Chair for the discussion. A
family from the Korean Air crash at Guam also attended. Their
experience was a fresh reminder that the airlines need to improve the
system for notifying and helping families.
(NADA/F
board members had a planning meeting before attending the ARC meeting
to discuss our priorities and our board members were unanimous with
all of our recommendations).
The
discussion began with the chronology of what happens first after an
aviation disaster. NADA/F members stressed that the notification
process must be improved. Tom O'Mara and Linda Ryan presented our
position that the ARC should utilize NADA/F members to help at crash
sites and afterward. NADA/F asked for training and full participation
for those of us who, in the opinion of mental health professionals,
could stand the emotional pounding that would accompany helping
others. Armond Mascelli, Senior Director of Disaster Services at ARC
said that it is under consideration. NADA/F stressed that families
must receive timely, accurate, complete and honest information, which
none of us experienced in the past.
Jane
Morgan asked for recommendations on the type of role the ARC should
play. NADA/F suggested that the ARC could provide the following:
·
Personal notification.
· If needed accompany family members of domestic/international travel
or help the family with the journey to the crash site.
· Be the "fire wall" to protect the families from the
airline when the families are so vulnerable.
· Disclose what assistance is available to families.
· Provide immediate information and communication to all family
members, including extended and non-traditional families.
· Caution workers and volunteers to maintain privacy.
· Require workers and volunteers to sign a Confidentiality Agreement
while working with families.
· Insure that volunteer health care workers are not related to the
airline litigation attorneys.
· Individuals who are interacting with families must be screened. An
identification checklist should be developed to screen these
individuals.
· Inform families of the records needed for identification, etc.
· Provide support for families who are at the airports when a crash
occurs.
· The local ARC should be contacted in the city of the air crash to
provide backbone support.
· ARC chapters in other cities could assist families in different
parts of the US.
· Work with government agencies when international notification is
necessary.
· ARC should take a "This is what I can do for you"
approach to families.
· An unintrusive clerical presence should be available.
· An unintrusive mental health presence should be available.
· The title "mental health counselor" should be downplayed.
Families are not mentally ill. They are experiencing intense shock and
grief.
The
on and off-site briefing procedure at the Family Support Center was
also discussed. NADA/F representatives stressed that information to
families should be a daily activity and should include those who do
not travel to the city where the accident occurred. The following was
recommended:
·
The ARC could be included in family briefings.
· Media briefings should be conducted after and separate from the
family briefings.
· Limit health care professionals to 1 per every 3-4 families.
· Fewer less intrusive helpers.
· Continuity of support during the identification process (family
should work with only one person).
· Unintrusive clerical/religious support should be available.
· The need to have information of support available from family
members and survivors of current and past air disasters who are
available in the area of the disaster (no substitutions).
· Provide an outreach for family members to meet people who have
experienced a similar situation. Let these people meet each other!
· Local churches near the accident site could provide meals for the
families, and an opportunity for families to meet one another in a
"safe" environment.
· Immediate availability of child care services.
Regarding
visits to crash sites, the following was recommended:
·
Visits to the crash site should be carefully planned. Preparation of
families for those visits should include briefings and debriefings
with complete honesty.
· Family members should be provided separate transportation to the
crash site.
· A private environment should be created for all who visit the site.
NADA/F
Board Members expressed strong opposition to the conducting of secret
burials of unidentified remains. Recommendations were:
·
Family members should be notified of any burial and should be invited
and allowed to attend a burial service. No secret burials should
ever be allowed to occur again!
· Family members should be involved in the planning of public
memorial services.
· Family members should be consulted about how they want a name to
read on a bronze or similar plaque.
· Family members should share in the decision-making of any permanent
memorial monument.
· A monument should list the name of the air disaster, including
the airline name and date of occurrence, and names of the
deceased.
· NADA/F agreed that it is important to hold an observance for the
first anniversary.
Regarding
personal affects NADA/F recommended that every effort should be made
to return all personal affects to family members. It was
further recommended that those items be retained as long as possible
and that family members know where they are being stored for possible
future identification and release.
NADA/F
unanimously stressed that there should be prompt, honest disclosure of
information. Also, there should be no financial liens from the
airlines against any family members for funeral expenses!
NADA/F
recommended that the ARC support its call for a fine for any attorney
who attempts to contact family members before the 45 day waiting
period. Also, ensure that clergy and counselors are not recommending
attorneys to the family members.
Everyone
was invited to tour the ARC Disaster Operations Center. An impressive
detailed explanation of the response that is enacted when a disaster
occurs, airline or otherwise, was shared including communications,
volunteer and other support services.
In
closing remarks, NADA/F Board Members shared their concerns, hopes and
desires for a positive working relationship with the ARC. The board
strongly urged the ARC to utilize the help that families of victims of
past air disasters have to offer others. Linda Ryan said, "We're
here to help, use us." All agreed and expressed a willingness to
be trained and professionally evaluated before being asked to
volunteer. NADA/F thanked Jane Morgan, and everyone from the ARC, for
the opportunity to meet and work together on disaster planning for
aviation victims. The ARC expressed hope that this meeting will help
everyone to be better prepared to assist families in the future.
