Ohio
Funeral
Directors
Association
Who is the OFDA
Mortuary Response
Team (MRT)?
A Team of Ohio licensed
funeral directors and embalmers
Trained and Experienced in management and
operation of a mass fatality incidents
Respond at the Coroner’s or EMA’s request and
do what they ask
Support Mobile Morgue set-up and operations
Maintain morgue equipment
Who is the OFDA-MRT Policy Board?
An OFDA committee charged with providing a
proper mortuary response for the citizens of
Ohio.
Sets policy, with the approval of the OFDA
Executive Committee, for the OFDA-MRT
Considered Ohio’s BEST RESOURCE for
knowledge on Mass Fatality Incidents.
1 Chair, 8 Members, 3 Co-Chiefs
Overview of the Team
OFDA-MRT Officers
Policy Board Chair - Tim Schmidt
Deputy Chair – Brent Hartley
Administrative Officer – Anthony J. Quahliero,
Jr.
Other Board Members – Todd Grisier, Bob
Van Horn, Jim Dempsey, Joe Main, Ed Babcock
Co-Chiefs:
– Scott Davis, Michael Gedert, Becky Bayliff
* All but 1 have DMORT deployment experience*
OFDA-MRT Contacts
During Business Hours OFDA:
800-589-OFDA
(6332)
Off Hours: Any policy Board member
(Chair or local Policy Board member)
Current List Always at:
www.ofdamrt.org
OFDA-MRT Contact List
OFDA Mortuary Response Foundation
OFDA-MRF
– 501c3 organization
– Annual Golf Outing Fundraiser
– Tax Deductible Donations
– Funds used for training, meetings
& equipment
Response Experience
OFDA members
have participated in:
• 1994 USAIR crash Pittsburgh • 2001 9/11 World Trade Center
• 1995 Air Crash – Mansfield, Ohio • 2001 Flight 93 – PA
• 1996 Quincy, IL commuter airline accident • 2001 Flight 587 – Queens, NY
• 1997 Monroe, MI commuter airline accident • 2002 Marsh Crematory
• 1997 Korean airline accident – 747 in Guam • 2003 Flight 5481 – Charlotte, NC
• 1998 Texas floods (Del Rio, Texas) • 2004 FEMA Logistics and DPMU pre-
• 1998 Oklahoma City Tornadoes stage
• 1999 Amtrak Train Incident, Bourbonnais, IL • 2004 Flight 3966, Kirksville, MO
• 1999 Hurricane Floyd (Tarboro, North • 2005 Hurricanes Katrina/Rita
Carolina) • 2006 Flight 5191 – Lexington, KY
• 1999 Egypt Air, Rhode Island • 2007 Sharonville, Ohio Dual Plane Crash
• 2000 Alaska Air Crash, (Oxnard, California) • 2008 Hurricane Ike, TX and LA
• 2000 Executive Air Charter Crash (Wilkes- • 2009 Flight 3407, Buffalo, NY
Barre, PA)
OFDA State Responses YELLOW = OFDA members on DPMU Team
Working With Other Agencies
Presentations
– General Information and operations
civic groups, professional groups, first
responders, city management
– Mass Fatality Incident Response Course
(FEMA Course #E403)
for EMA and Mortuary Response personnel
OFDA has trained trainers
OFDA-MRT Training
Training
– Full Scale Mock Exercises
Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base 1995
Westerville, OH Tornado Drill – 2000
Rickenbacker Airport/National Guard Base 2005
SW Ohio RMRS Cincinnati Reds Stadium Drill 2006
– Annual classroom/drill
– Participated in many MFI tabletop drills
– Multiple FAC/IR Drills w/State and Local Agencies
– Assist other agencies w/MFI training
OFDA-MRT
Involves More Than Just
Responding to Disasters
TRAINING From recovery…
to family assistance…
Morgue Support…
Documentation…
…to data entry and identification.
And of course…support for the
responders!
ALWAYS Stressing Teamwork
OFDA-MRT DPMU
Equipment Purchased in 2004
Current Value approximately $300,000
Working to update to digital equipment
Intended to support morgue ops for 3-5
days
NOT intended to be a stand alone morgue
for a large scale MFI
Bradley Gilbert, EMA Director
OFDA-MRT DPMU
Support Coroner’s Office Operation
Expand Coroner’s Office Facilities
Support a temporary morgue site
during a limited size incident
Support incident in a neighboring
state
OFDA-MRT Equipment
Using Drills to Practice Morgue Set-up
ID Cards
Inventory Time…
…Repacking
Now and into the future
Morgue is available
We are working with other states/agencies
– SOP’s
– Equipment Typing (AEL/SEL)
– ConOp’s
Working with OEMA to upgrade:
– Warehousing
– Support
– Training
– Funding
Pan Flu Public Engagement
Recently in NWO had Public Engagement
Meetings regarding Pan Flu and Mass
Fatalities
Posed question:
1.) Who do you think is responsible to care
for the dead when the system is
overwhelmed?
Pan Flu Public Response
1.) Who do you think is responsible to care for the
dead when the system is overwhelmed?
Responses
(percent) (count)
County EMA 41.18% 21
Funeral director 11.76% 6
Coroner 7.84% 4
Local health
department 19.61% 10
Other 19.61% 10
Totals 100% 51
Pan Flu Planning
Do you have a plan for the dead?
Do your funeral directors know
about it?
Is your Coroner involved?
More information at
www.ofdamrt.org/panflu
Questions?