Continued from Part 2.
It seems like local funeral homes have still not been contacted either by their industry nor by local officials in the pandemic “planning” process.
If anyone has some Pandemic Awareness, cards, handouts, ect printed up, consider dropping off or mailing some information, if you don’t wish to “cold call” anyone.
(Wonder how this went? NFDA 2006 convention; Oct. 15, Pandemic: Are You Prepared? Carol Green, Law Offices of Carol Green, Bethesda, Md. John Fitch, NFDA Senior VP, Advocacy Division, Edward M. Ranier, Esq., NFDA OSHA Counsel, Lord & Whip, Baltimore, Md.Track: E (.1 APFSP CEU), )
Just found this: Cremation Association of North America Pandemic White Paper pdf from a “PI” USNORTHCOM event March 2006, Virginia.
Number to those estimated “to perish” during another PI (pandemic influenza) event in the US “between 5% and 7% of the infected population” (est 25% infected) (numbers provided by JTF-CS) (and also manage the 2.4 million deaths annually in the US)
Looks like this eight-page White Paper would be worth printing out. Even if you need to talk to politicians or school systems, or pandemic planners; the Assumptions and Issues are going to be all of our problems, as communities.
‘’‘ “Many of our JTF-CS committee members believe the single most important message that must be relayed to our senior leaders at the local state and federal levels is the need to develop a mass fatality/mortuary affair Emergency Support Function (ESF). …
Additionally, mass fatality/mortuary operations must move to the forefront of disaster planning rather than continue as a topic no one wants to address for all levels of government.” ‘’‘
(thanks for the tip) (‘Scuse my disjointed snips here) New Mexico “Guidelines for Developing Local Pandemic Influenza Response Plan, Introduction – you may choose to use or adapt language from the State Pandemic Plan”
…”New Mexico will most likely have between one to six months from the identification of a novel influenza virus somewhere in the world to the time that outbreaks begin to occur in New Mexico”…(Not!)
…”In addition to risks of exposure, essential personnel and the general population will also be psychosocially affected by the illness and possibly death of family members and friends.”…
…”Disposition of Dead Bodies, Sections 24–12–1 to 24–12A-3, NMSA 1978 • Burial of Indigents, Sections 24–13 −1, et seq., NMSA 1978 • Annex 6, ESF 6 Public Health, Medical & Mortuary”…
…”In accordance with the US Department of Homeland Security, National Response Goal and Homeland Security Presidential Directive 8, preparedness activities must be dedicated to the creation of capability in four mission areas: prevention, protection, response, and recovery “…
…”overwhelming the system’s mortuary resources, including morgue capacity, medical investigative and forensic personnel, and services available for disposition of bodies.”…
…”5. The initial Pandemic Influenza event will likely last 8 – 17 weeks and will likely be followed by a series of Pandemic Influenza waves each also lasting weeks to months, continuing for up to two years after the initial outbreak “…
…Managing Mass Fatalities including expanded morgue capacity in conjunction with NMDOH and OMI”…
NMDOH Emergency Operations Plan Appendix 2
…” NMDOH, in collaboration with Office of the Medical Investigator (OMI), will develop amedical and mortuary surge planning document…” …”NMDOH, through training, coordination, and technical assistance, will facilitate development of medical and mortuary surge plans using NM MEMS concepts within the health care infrastructure with specific emphasis on local integration and coordination.”…”As resources permit, NMDOH will provide materials, supplies, and fiscal support to assist local entities within the healthcare infrastructure to build healthcare, medicaland mortuary surge capacity and sustainability” (Devil is in the details, and lack of resource$ )
p20 …”Vital Records and Health Statistics Bureau…2.Develop and implement plans for providing timely death certification during a pandemic when it is likely that there will be staff shortages and an increase in the number of deaths.Utilize E-Vitals Program for web-based resource.
3.Provide death certificates
p22 …”Office of the Medical Investigator…2. Collaborate with hospitals and funeral directors to identify resources available to deal withan increase in the number of deaths.
3. Provide autopsy and diagnostic services on potential cases of influenza, as necessary.
4. Coordinate with hospitals and funeral directors to assure safe handling of bodies to include request of refrigerated trucks if needed to hold bodies until they can be interred”…
(Hm.don’t think 3 and 4 are “go”, unless attack rates, deaths, and collateral deaths are very, very, very, low)
p23 …”The Executive Committee will develop, review, exercise, improve and coordinate the Pandemic Influenza Emergency Response, Appendix 2, in collaboration with stakeholders outside of NMDOH, in the private and public sector, including infectious disease practitioners and physicians, hospital and health care systems, local health care providers, local Emergency Managers, health emergency planners, law enforcement, and tribal communities”
…”MEMS was developed for a non-communicable biological agent (e.g., anthrax) affecting a civilian population. (The New Mexico adaptation accommodates response to a communicable agent.) MEMS assumes that existing resources and health care delivery systems will be overwhelmed. MEMS is modular and scalable, and mobilizes key resources to respond to an event depending upon patients numbers, acuity type(s), and medical services needed. It is consistent with general principles of incident command and works to utilize and coordinate medical resources in the local medical community. MEMS is a medical response planning concept or framework which describes how resources might be reconfigured in order to address the unorthodox patient flow and health and medical needs associated with catastrophic events; such events negate the effectiveness of traditional health and medical delivery systems . It is NOT a plan or a program. There are six MEMS modules each with distinct functions and purposes”…
“9. Mass Fatality Plan – this is a plan that provides for managing mass fatalities and should include expanded morgue capacity. This functionality was not part of the prototype MEMS model”
“10. Preparation of Pre-incident Public Information and Risk Communication – these are the protocols and materials needed to keep the public informed and educated, including the critical importance of self-care. This functionality was not part of the prototype MEMS model”
“21. Work with the Office of the Medical Investigator (OMI) and the NM Funeral Directors Association to develop plans for increased morgue capacity and forensic services at the state and local level”
(still see too many “future tense verbs”- I may not be looking in the right places…want prepared details, not problems-to-solve list)
Before I go raising any flags with local “officials” (VERY small town here, caller ID and all), does anyone know what the protocal would be for dealing with a family member dieing within our SIP? We plan to bury our own on our homestead.
I don’t know what the “protocal would be for dealing with a family member dieing within our SIP” is, or if there is a protocal. My intention if I or a family member contracts H5N1 is to have a matress on the garage floor with 100 feet of rope tied to it. If one of us croaks the surviving family member can drag the matress and body out in the field to rot. I know that doesn’t sound like a very nice way to treat a family member, but I have to think of saving as many family members as possible (if any).
One thing I have done, at the request of the little lady here, is pre-dig some graves with the tractor, and fill the holes back in. If I were to die, she would have to figure out how to get my remains from the house, but the hard part would be digging thru the extremely hard soil here. So I used the bucket on the tractor to dig a couple of holes. On 2.5 acres and the place the graves are dug, is at least 250 feet away from any well, or septic system. I refilled the holes with the loose soil, so a normal shovel could easily dig down. We are very practical in our thinking, and try to cover as many bases as we can on our preps, and this is just one more. Still have to pick up a bag of lime the next time we go to Las Vegas.
Our hole is dug also. Jumping Jack Flash- I hope that field is out of sight of the house.
This is a tough one for me. If I leave a body outside, the vultures will eat it within 24 hours. Awful! They will then have human bf I guess. I can not dig here. The hole will fill up with water. I thought if it was a child, a metal trash can would be good for protection from being eaten by animals, but the thought of putting a child in the garbage can haunts me even though it would be new and a good container. I can’t think of any solution for this.
This is a very tough issue to even think about, much less, deal with at a time when the remaining survivors are grieving and/or ill themselves.
My mother doesn’t know this yet; but I aquired a body bag “kit”; thru my doctor. ( He’s also the county coroner) …He tried to give me TWO of these; and I refused. Because if the survivor also succombs to the BF; there would be NO one to put THAT body into anything,…bag OR grave.
We both have our cremations and plots paid for; at a large cememtery in a larger city; but during a pandemic; a regular funeral & burial probably wouldn’t be possible. So it is the plan, to zip the deceased into the body bag; TAKE DNA samples, pictures, leaving a glass jar inside with ID info; and burying the body out behind our apartments. This place has several well-kept acres, saved for future developements---that would serve as temporary resting places for the tenants. It’s the only thing to do in our case.
LEG – at 22:50 Some states currently would let you get a burial permit with no funeral director, if a doctor had been “in attendance” and had “pronounced” death, and you had a death certificate. (I hope emergency laws will allow others to legally do all those steps.) If any authorites or law enforcement can take the time to care, they’ll be a little concerned with sorting hidden homicides from natural causes, I suppose.
I have had a plot for years, but, I’m pretty sure the town/cemetery dept is currently totally unprepared to see my body gets under there during a surge. Ground frozen would be trouble, too, if fuel is gone for heavy equipment, and, last I asked, the staff who dig the graves was not aware/ready for a pandemic year. If they’d like to cross-train, staff, they’d better get started. (And how about asking cemetery neighbors if they’d like to learn how to hand-dig? ha)
Local officials charged in “planning” for pandemic have been very remiss to not notify local funeral homes, faith community leaders, businesses, and, the public. The solutions for fatalities under pressure during a catastrophe will not be as good as the ones we could come up with now, and adjust to ahead of time. Forget “panic”; think Outrage
prepmaniac- what about a pile of rocks or bricks or paving stones. You will need a lot.
Hm, those cement blocks are an idea. Some places with high water tables basically do that.
I wish places would stock up/get volunteers to make basic caskets, but, officials’d rather just hope no pandemic even happens, or, at least not have to have these conversations with the public about it…
We don’t have natural rocks around here. I have decided that mabe I could dig shallow holes,just to remove dirt, dig a shallow grave (to avoid water)and pile dirt in a mound like fashion. The problem is to keep animals from digging up. I guess I need to include chain saw or ax in my preps to cut tree limbs to cover graves. I wonder though, if I can handle either one of those. Better idea just occured to me. I should get some bags of easy mix cement to pour over graves. Then, it wouldn’t matter if the graves are not very deep. The animals would not be able to dig through the cement. Even a thin layer. Yes. Preps you might forget…. bags of cement to cover shallow graves.
Utah (wish the current MA gov had stayed there.) Ahem
Utah, still Nov 2005. (epidemiology is already significantly different from the planning assumptions - when will they “modify” their plan?)
p10 When the pandemic period has begun, …upon likelihood of its imminent arrival in Utah…”Local coroners and funeral directors will be advised to prepare for increases in the number of dead and provided with any infection control guidelines specific to the pandemic virus.”…
(Ouch! that’s all, folks!) Who will tell the Utah funeral directors?
Utah Funeral Directors Association
Hm. http://health.utah.gov/training/ November 01 2006 Infection Control Update Home Health Aides and Home Attendants, November 09 2006 Mass Evacuation to Rural Communities, November 28 2006 Planning and Execution of Disaster Response, December 14 2006 Managing Contemporary Mass Fatalities Incidents “
Texas -really, still October 24, 2005? (p18; Rrr!)
p 35, “Phases 1 and 2″… Health Service Regions and Local Health Departments will …data collection … to maintain a statewide inventory of… j. mortuary and funeral services”…
“Pandemic Alert Period, Phases 3, 4, and 5″… ???
(Appendix A; don’t see any mortuary group in the PIPG)
Appendix F Phase 5: …public “begin to acquire a 3-month supply of non-perishable food…”
Hospital Bioterrorism fatality plans will not work for a pandemic influenza year.
(At least the Texas Funeral Directors Association website says, in their resource links page, “Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) Do you want to know what the state’s draft plan for Pandemic Flu is? Click here.”
Make notes, Texans; DSHS pdf FAQ #10.
Our county health dept (central Texas) was supposed to have a big conference this weekend, including a section on DMORT (Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team) planning, but it was cancelled last week w/o explanation. I haven’t heard of any new plans to reschedule. Too bad, they really needed to work on that.
ok..hm. DMORT, Region VI http://www.dmort6.org/custom_work.htm (“FEMA Region VI states include Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.” ) Aha - I found the conference you mentioned -the DMORT part would have been given by Terry Edwards, who seems to be the same on as in that Region VI link.
What about burning (cremation), if you live in a fairly isolated area anyways?
Houston, Annex H, Health & Medical Services, Appendix 3, Morgue Services, the HCME is responsible… Appendix 6 State and Federal Medical and Mortuary Assistance…
That’s just the city’s Emergency plan; nothing that was for months of mass fatality surges.
Texas Pandemic Summit BREAKOUT SESSION – Healthcare March 27, 2006 …”Take lessons learned from Katrina, especially with mass fatality plans”… (But, those devilishly unspoken details? What were the lessons learned, then?)
…”Question 2: Who are the key persons and agencies that you will have to partner with in order to conduct pandemic influenza continuity planning ?”…(does list) “Medical examiners, Clergy,…Mental health , …Funeral homes and morgues … Ice rinks – for temporary storage of bodies “ (Ouch!)… (hahaha: “Maybe utilize media such as Oprah to get information to the general public”)…”Question 3b. What are next steps”… “Take back to leaders who think ‘this is crazy’ and don’t understand it’s not ‘if’, it’s ‘when’ “ …” Planning for cultural and religious issues - distribution of remains; rural vs. urban”…
EOD – at 18:57, authorities might wonder if you were hiding a homicide? Also, if you don’t get legal paperwork/death certificate, the legal problems may go on for years, I imagine. Also, I hear cremation is not so simple to accomplish.
A poster who said they were in the sanitation field said, if infectious stuff was not incinerated properly it could spread disease. (Spanish flu and the army burning manure before the outbreak comes to mind too.)
(from ifishoulddie.co.uk “EU laws governing emissions from crematoriums during the last ten years have led to most being updated and computerised. Since carbon particles are outlawed, crematorium now emit only invisible gases. Contained within these are dangerous pollutants, including dioxins. Crematoriums are thought to be responsible for approximately 9% of airborne mercury emissions, caused by the combustion of dental amalgam, 12% of atmospheric dioxins, pollutants linked with cancer and other illnesses, and emissions of the chloride and formaldehyde used in the embalming process. “ ) (pay for embalming and cremation - huh.)
link “Marvin Tameanko, retired architect and specialist in ancient architectural coins comments: “To cremate a body, bones and all (but not the teeth) you need lots of sustained heat. The Romans used a pyre, called a ‘rogus’, which was built with log cribworks, like a hollow log cabin, erected in stages, getting smaller at the top where the body was placed. The rogus was filled with straw and kindling and set alight. It acted as a chimney and funneled the heat to the top, incinerating the corpse. Herodian, the Roman historian describes the rogus in detail. After the cremation, the ashes were placed in a stone building, called a ustrinum”…
I think people need to get their local officials talking about how communities can plan together now, to efficiently and respectfully handle their dead, so they don’t get piled up to wait for Halliburton to get paid to do it, nor do people have to do pyres and plague pits in their backyards.
A burning human body is not something you want to look at or smell. It might seem like a good idea, but the reality is something that could give normal people flash backs that are triggered just by the oder of a hamburger. Please don’t try this. It won’t work any way.
“people need to get their local officials talking about how communities can plan together now, to efficiently and respectfully handle their dead”
if they say they “think that won’t be necessary” hand ‘em the current cfr chart off the Wiki, and, some of the good stuff in the What is TLC thread, and the How many children will die in a 1918-like scenario thread…
(if this thread is getting too long maybe a mod can start a new one?) What’s before Texas in the alphabet? That is what state we’ll be looking at next, after I get some other things done first…
Closed for length and continued here
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