Disaster Victim Identification and ICT

Abstract

Disasters happen seemingly at random and without warning all around the world and may result in casualty lists that number in the thousands. For example, listing only the major events, 2005 saw the aftermath of the Asian tsunami, the London bombings, hurricane Ka- trina and the Pakistan earthquake. The correct identi fi cation of the victims of these events is important to society for a number of reasons - some of which are recognised within the law and others form part of the ethical code of society. Errors of identi fi cation or an in- ability to identify the deceased create a myriad of issues - not least of which is the distress caused to those family members and friends who are left behind, striving to achieve the stability of emotional closure which is inextricably bound to the grieving process. In the UK the police are a primary .responder to any disaster, either natural or man-made, and form the core of any team that is deployed either on home soil or on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Of fi ce when UK citizens die overseas. Therefore, it is of vital importance that both the theoretical and practical training is consistent, robust and fi t for purpose as be fi tting a national response capability. Dundee University is at the forefront of this train- ing and at its core is the utilisation of the facilities, resources and knowledge found within the Anatomy component of the Centre for Anatomy and Human Identi fi cation. This paper will address the postgraduate national training programme developed for the UK DVI (Disaster Victim Identi fi cation) response capability by the University of Dundee and highlight the central role played by anatomy and its unique resources.