Mass fatality incidents: a guide for human forensic identification

Most government agencies concerned with public safety have disaster plans, either their own or linked to other agencies’ plans. In the event of mass fatalities, the local medical examiner or coroner should already have in a place a plan to identify the victims properly. The purpose of this guide, developed by the U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice, is to help the medical examiner or coroner prepare that portion of a disaster plan concerned with victim identification. The procedures presented can help medical examiners and coroners fulfill their legal duties, even when the number of victims exceeds their agency’s daily operating capacity.