Lecture 2 - Disaster Victim Identification and Mass Disasters Flashcards

1
Q

6 death investigation questions

A
  1. Who
  2. What
  3. How
  4. When
  5. Where
  6. Why
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2
Q

What is cause of death?

A

Specific injury or disease that leads to death

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3
Q

What is manner of death?

A
  • determination of how the injury or disease caused the death
  • explanation of how the cause arose
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4
Q

Definition of disaster

A

Unexpected event causing the deaths or injuring many people

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5
Q

3 types of disasters

A
  • open
  • closed
  • combinations
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6
Q

What is an open disaster?

A
  • unknown individuals with no prior data
  • difficult to obtain data following disaster
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7
Q

What is a closed disaster?

A
  • fixed identifiable group e.g. aircraft crash
  • comparative ante mortem data can be obtained quickly
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8
Q

What is combination disaster?

A
  • combination of open and closed disaster (e.g. aircraft crash in residential area)
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9
Q

4 steps of disaster management

A
  1. collect and analyse information
  2. identify requirements (equipment and personnel)
  3. operational plan for victim management
  4. Information management (families, authorities, media)
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10
Q

Initial analysis of the disaster

A
  1. area extent of the scene and numbers dead
  2. state of the corpses
  3. evaluation (how long will victim identification take?)
  4. DVI responders (police/coroner/NZSFO/military)
  5. body recovery (composition and number of teams)
  6. transportation of corpses
  7. storage (refrigeration)
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11
Q

What are the 4 units for a crime scene?

A
  • central emergency rescue unit
  • central investigation unit
  • victim identification unit
  • disaster investigation unit
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12
Q

What does the central emergency rescue unit do?

A

Recover and treat survivors

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13
Q

What does the central investigation unit do?

A

Evidence collection and scene-of-crime

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14
Q

What does the victim identification unit do?

A

Body recovery and evidence collection

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15
Q

What does the disaster investigation unit do?

A
  • determining the cause(s) of disaster
  • TAIC: transport accident investigation commission
  • CAA: civil aviation authority NZ
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16
Q

What are the teams within the disaster victim identification unit?

A
  • management and communications
  • body recovery and evidence collection
  • AM team
  • PM team
  • reconciliation team
  • care and counselling team
  • identification board
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17
Q

5 DVI phases

A
  1. the scene
  2. post mortem
  3. ante mortem
  4. reconciliation
  5. debrief
17
Q

Why victim identification?

A
  • certainty
  • closure
  • criminality
  • cash
18
Q

Methods of identification must be

A
  • scientifically sound
  • reliable
  • applicable under field conditions
  • within reasonable period of time
19
Q

Methods of identification must NOT be

A
  • photographs
  • visual identification by a witness
20
Q

3 primary methods of identification

A
  • fingerprint analysis
  • forensic dental analysis
  • DNA analysis
21
Q

Secondary methods of identification

A
  • personal descriptions/medical findings
  • evidence/clothing
22
Q

5 postmortem data evidence

A
  • fingerprints
  • odontology
  • DNA profiling
  • physical indications
  • visual identification (not considered accurate)
23
Q

Postmortem data - two facts about fngerprints

A
  • highly reliable
  • limited value (most fingerprints not on record)
24
Q

Postmortem data - odontology

A
  • one of the most reliable forms of identification as highly durable
  • most people have dental records
25
Q

Postmortem data - DNA profiling

A
  • direct comparison e.g. (victim + hairbrush)
  • indirect comparisons can also be made using parents DNA
26
Q

Postmortem data - physical indications

A
  • tattoos, scars or surgical implants
27
Q

How long has DNA typing been used for human identification?

A

Since the mid 1980’s

28
Q

How is DNA universally recognised as?

A

The standard against which many other forensic individualization techniques are judged

29
Q

Why is DNA known as the standard?

A

Reliability

30
Q

4 main issues with DNA

A
  • acquiring antemortem data
  • slow, laboratory based process
  • effect of postmortem decomposition on DNA quality
  • cost
31
Q

How long have finger/toenail prints been used for human identification?

A

Since early 1900’s

32
Q

Prints require further research into

A
  • sources of error
  • quantification of uniqueness vs error rates
  • numerical discriminating value of the various ridge formations and clusters of ridge formations
33
Q

What is forensic odontology?

A

The application of the science of dentistry to the field of law

34
Q

Forensic odontology includes?

A
  • identification of unknown remains (well established)
  • bite mark comparison (most controversial)
  • interpretation of oral injury
  • dental malpractice
35
Q

What do pathologists do? (secondary evidence)

A
  • radiologic (“x-ray”) examination
  • external examination
  • autopsy
36
Q

What do pathologists do in autopsy?

A
  • cause, manner and mechanism of death
  • jewellery, piercings, tattoos
  • antemortem disease, injuries, surgery
  • prostheses (breast, pacemakers, orthopaedic)
  • perimortem injuries (burns, airways)
  • gender; age estimation
  • DNA sampling
37
Q

What do anthropologists do? (secondary evidence)

A
  • anatomy
  • taphonomy (decomposition)
  • diagnesis (chemical changes and fossilization of bone)
38
Q

What coloured paper is used for ante mortem?

A

Yellow

39
Q

What coloured paper is used for post mortem?

A

Pink