Multiple Fatality Incident Management

A multiple fatality incident (MFI) develops when the number of fatalities in

the incident exceeds the number the medical examiner or coroner’s facilities

were designed to handle. The process of collection of dental information

on victims in a mass disaster is identical to the processes that are used in

the identification of a single fatality. The major difference in this process is

the potential magnitude of the event and the unique set of circumstances that

can surround the event. These may include the location, climate, and coverage

area of the event, for example, a plane crash in mountainous terrain, a

tsunami in a tropical area, the collapse of multistory structures in a major

city, or a hurricane in a coastal area. Each of these incidents has unique issues

that must be addressed with regard to recovery, processing, and storage of

remains. Each potential MFI will have its unique problems to overcome, but

accurately collecting and comparing the data is the common process in all of

these situations.