During the past several years, the management of mass fatality incidents has undergone dramatic changes. These modifications are based on the evolving roles of forensic anthropologists, odontologists, pathologists and other scientists in obtaining positive victim identification. There has also been an increased focus on appropriate evidence collection and crime scene preservation, resulting from events such as the September 11, 2001 tragedy and the awareness of possible future terrorist activities.
There is an increasing possibility that multiple mass fatality incidents may require the use of local morgue / mortuary resources to augment the two federally available Disaster Portable Morgue Units. There may be situations where federal support is disqualified or local personnel and resources need to be utilized until federal assistance arrives. PennCare’s mobile morgues and push packs represent our efforts to provide local mass fatality incident responders resources they need in the event of a disaster.