Support Annex - Family Assistance Center
- Wayne Martin
Support Annex – Family Assistance Center
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Coordinating Agency
Emergency Management
Cooperating Agencies
Department of Social Services
American Red Cross
Local Disaster Recovery Task Force
Situation
The Family Assistance Center (FAC) provides a centralized location where a seamless service delivery system built on multi‐agency coordination will result in the effective dissemination of information and assistance to all impacted families. A FAC is the management and organizational framework to handle the victims dealing with an incident of mass casualties. The FAC offers counseling and information on the current situation in a safe and secure location.
Scope
This plan pertains to an incident that results in mass casualties and/or missing individuals within a locality. It will be activated in the event of multiple actual or perceived deaths. The plan will be used in conjunction with the Commonwealth of Virginia Family Assistance Center plan to develop procedures to establish and manage a FAC and to transition to a state managed FAC, if one is authorized.
Activation of FAC
A FAC will be established under a variety of mass-casualty situations. FAC operations should be activated as early into the event as possible. Preliminary services can be offered that include providing accurate information, meeting basic health and spiritual needs, and ensuring a safe place to gather. Once the Incident Commander or the Operations Section Chief has determined the need for a FAC, consultation with other local support agencies will occur to determine:
Severity of the incident
Capabilities of the locality to include outside agreements and private business support
Mobilization of resources
Number of casualties
In addition to the event necessitating FAC services, normal day-to-day public resources may be affected by the incident, thus limiting the local authorities’ ability to adequately respond without outside support. When the incident grows outside of the locality’s capabilities/resources it is important to request outside assistance via mutual aid agreement or memorandums of understanding through the EOC. Additional resources may be requested via the VEOC and Statewide Mutual Aid.
When a mass casualty incident occurs on property owned or operated by the Commonwealth of Virginia, the state will establish and operate the FAC. Local resources may be incorporated into the state FAC under procedures established in the Commonwealth of Virginia Family Assistance Center Plan.
Assumptions
The ratio of family members seeking assistance from the FAC to victims is estimated to be 10 to 1. Based on this ratio, if five casualties occur due to a human caused or natural disaster, an estimated 50 family members and victims could seek FAC services or information.
The locality will notify the VEOC of the establishment of a FAC.
The command structure for the FAC will follow the NIMS/ICS structure.
FAC operations will require outside assistance and it is essential that all volunteers be credentialed to work the FAC.
FAC service requirements may differ depending on type of incident.
Family members who reside outside of the impacted area might travel to the incident site and may require accommodation; family members who choose not to travel to the site might need some of the same services offered to the family members at the scene.
The locality will immediately contact Virginia Criminal Incident Compensation Fund and Department Criminal Justice Services to deploy when there are victims as required 44-146.19E Code of Virginia and as noted in the local EOP.
In the event of a commercial aviation accident in your area, the National Transportation Safety Board will deploy support for on-scene coordination efforts but will require local assistance such as law enforcement for security and local medical examiner for victim identification to support their effort.
If the incident occurs in a small jurisdiction, the individuals identified to provide services may themselves become victims and may not adequately be able to provide the level of care required.
Concept of Operations
General
Over the duration of the incident, the FAC will be modified both operationally and structurally/physically. The demands on the FAC will change as the response effort moves through its different stages. At the beginning of the response, there will be a surge of requests, calls, and clients to the FAC. The ability to accommodate this surge will require an analysis of the incident and the anticipated needs of the affected public. Once these needs have been identified, the appropriate FAC organizational structure can be determined and adequate staffing, facilities, and other resources can be acquired, and operations implemented.
The FAC should be established to provide families with accurate and timely information, and the best way to do so is in the form of Family Briefings. These briefings can occur on a scheduled basis determined by the locality. Ensure that the families are receiving information periodically to prevent anger and frustration towards the response and recovery efforts.
Functions of the FAC
Collection of missing person reports and subsequent collection of ante mortem data, if necessary.
Coordination with hospitals, shelters, and incident operations to identify missing persons.
Facilitate information sharing between hospitals to expedite reunification of loved ones.
Manage requests for sensitive information in such a way that does not hinder the purpose of having a FAC.
Ensure availability of appropriate crisis counseling and spiritual support. Determine the needs of the families and victims and modify FAC operations to provide necessary services.
Provide assistance to individuals dealing with the loss of life and subsequent destruction to the community.
Ensure accurate information is being received in a timely and consistent manner and is only provided by qualified individuals who will control the information flow outside of the FAC.
Assist in meeting the mental, emotional, and physical needs of those individuals that have been affected by the incident.
Maintain security from media and other individuals not requiring the services of the FAC.
Site Selection
A FAC will function at its best when the chosen facility or site can be secured from the media and the general public. It is important to provide a safe and secure environment for the victims’ families, where they are provided accurate information while being offered services to cope with the incident.
Management Structure
The FAC should be operated under the Incident Command System with the appointment of a FAC Director to serve as primary authority and decision maker to FAC operations. In addition to a FAC director, consider the appointment of a Public Information Officer (PIO) to conduct media briefings and ensure rumor control for the incident. Other important positions to consider when developing a staffing plan are liaison officer and safety officer.
FAC Director
Oversee and manages of all FAC operations .
Ensure that all needs are being met inside the FAC to include those individuals providing the services.
Serve as the liaison to the EOC and the Incident Commander.
Report any significant issues to operations chief at the EOC.
Public Information Officer (PIO)
Coordinate with the FAC director to ensure that information is suitable to be shared with the media.
Serve as the spokesperson for the FAC and conduct media briefings away from the site.
Responsible for rumor control and any media inquiries.
Liaison Officer
Serve as point of contact in the FAC for agencies that are not present but are assisting in FAC operations.
Serves as point of contact for agencies interested in serving in the FAC.
Ensure all staff members have been vetted and credentialed by representing agency.
Safety Officer
Advise FAC director on operational health and safety.
Ensure ongoing assessment of the environment to continue to operate a safe and secure FAC
Services
Services needed for a FAC may vary depending on the type of incident and the needs of the community.
Primary Services
FAC Security
Provide a safe secure environment from media and curiosity seekers. The FAC should be separate from the scene but close enough to provide site visits after the recovery effort has ceased. Media briefings should be held at a separate location from the FAC to ensure that families leaving the FAC will not have to share elevators or parking lots with media or the general population. Provide credentialing for persons entering the FAC.
Reception Center
Welcome and greet FAC clients. Start initial registration of their contact information, other family or next of kin (NOK) information, and preliminary gathering of information of the missing or deceased loved one. During this time, an overview of services to be provided is given and an assessment of current behavioral health or first aid needs is taken. In addition, the reception center will serve as a security checkpoint for those individuals who may be trying to gain access to the FAC with intentions other than reuniting with loves ones.
Family Briefings
Should be conducted on a regular schedule even if no new information needs to be reported. These briefings become essential to developing a relationship with the families at the FAC. Ensure that accurate and timely information is disseminated
Crisis Counseling/Spiritual Care
Assist family members, FAC staff, and volunteers in understanding and managing the full range of grief reactions. Provide interdenominational pastoral counseling and spiritual care for people of all faiths, who request it, and to serve on death notification teams. Ensure that individuals providing counseling services are not part of the affected population, as they may not be able to provide the best quality care for the families.
Victim Advocates
Provided to families to assist them in understanding the processes and agencies they will likely encounter and receive assistance from, and to address the needs of each specific family. Advocates will help families with their knowledge of the criminal justice system and in the process of the Office of Chief Medical Examiner to include victim recovery, identification, and return of remains. These advocates will support families who may need to transport the descendant across state lines or to another country.
Death Notification
The formal notification to the next of kin that a positive victim identification has been made. The process of death notifications is highly sensitive and should be handled by individuals with experience in these areas.
Site Visits
May be requested by the group or individuals seeking information or closure. It is important to provide visits to those requesting such, but to do so in a coordinated manner. Ensure the families and victims not view the site during evidence recovery or search and rescue operations. Also, ensure seclusion from the media and outside sources during the site visit.
Secondary Services
Child Care
Adult Care (to be separate from the childcare area)
Assistance with death related paperwork (Funeral Services, dealing with life insurance, obtaining death certificates)
Financial assistance (if the deceased was the head of household family may have difficulty paying bills)
Assistance with basic needs (clothing, food, toiletries)
Roles and Responsibilities
It is essential that services are provided by subject matter experts that have additional training and/or experience in a mass casualty event. All staff should be vetted and credentialed by the local agency that they are representing. Consider pre-identifying local staff that are trained and knowledgeable to support FAC operations.
Department of Social Services
Appoint a FAC manager
Support training of FAC manager
Police Departments/Sheriff’s Office
Provide site security
Assist with victim identification and NOK notification
Safety and Security
The family members, victims, and worker’s safety and security will be a priority at the FAC. Credentialing will be conducted for all persons entering the FAC. The jurisdiction must ensure that those working in the FAC have the proper clearance to be present and working with a sensitive population.
Demobilization
Planning for demobilization should begin upon activation. Demobilization can be done by scaling back services, as they are no longer needed. For example, having a staff of ante mortem interviewers can be scaled back and demobilized once all interviews have been conducted and data collected. Consider having one person capable of collecting ante mortem data on staff for the duration of the recovery process; often families will remember information that they may have forgotten during the interview. When considering closing the FAC ensure families are given local resources that can be helpful in their community such as victim advocates and behavioral health professionals.
Factors to consider when determining the closure of the FAC:
Number of families or loved ones visiting the FAC each day
Number of victims that remain unidentified
Need for daily briefings (rapidly changing information)
Before deciding FAC operations will cease, the FAC director will ensure that all needs can and will be met outside of the FAC. Make sure that all persons coming to the FAC have been provided the appropriate resources to continue the process once FAC operations have ended.
Plan Maintenance and Exercising
This plan should be reviewed annually in its entirity for any needed updates, revisions, or additions. It is the responsibility for the Coordinator of Emergency Management, as the lead agency for this plan, to insure that this is completed. This plan should also be reviewed after every incident in which it is activated to reflect any needed updates, revisions or additions that were found within that response effort.
References
The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, Public Law 93‐288, as amended
Aviation Disaster Family Assistance Act of 1996, Public Law 104‐264, as amended
Foreign Air Carrier Family Support Act of 1997, Public Law 105–148, as amended
VDEM Family Assistance Center Plan
Resources
Virginia Victim Assistance Directory
Map of Victim Witness Programs in Virginia
https://www.dcjs.virginia.gov/sites/dcjs.virginia.gov/files/publications/victims/map-listing-victimwitness-programs-virginia.pdf
Family Assistance Center Toolkit, created by Texas Department of State Health Services
https://www.dshs.texas.gov/commprep/response/5ToolsAndInfo/FAC_Toolkit_V1-0_09-1-2016.pdf
Support Annex – Family Assistance Center
Attachment 1 – Suggested Equipment/Supplies
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Identification and Accountability
Badging system (Badge maker, reader; ID cards; camera)
Parking Passes
Communications
Cell phones and chargers
Land-line telephones
Local phone directories
TV/DVD combination systems
Phone lines, portable radios
NOAA radio
Productivity
Computers (Laptops and desktops)
Fax machine
Copier/printer
Office Supplies
Writing utensils (pens, pencils, paper, markers, etc.)
Clipboards
Bulletin boards
Logbooks
Steno pads
Partitions
Storage containers (boxes, plastic bins, etc.)
Furniture (chairs, couches, and desks)
Files and file holders
Staplers and tape
Comfort Items
Cots, Linens (pillows, blankets, etc.)
Kleenex
Snacks, beverages, and meal passes
Child-care items (toys, cribs, diapers)
Other Items
Batteries (AA, AAA, C, and D)
Flashlights
Waste receptacles (trash cans and trash bags)
Pertinent instructions and directives (programs)
Support Annex – Family Assistance Center
Attachment 2 – Suggested Layout
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