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The New Mexico Modular Emergency Medical System (NM MEMS) Framework
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FATALITY MANAGEMENT (FM)
Summary: Fatalities occurring during any incident, including those requiring implementation of NM MEMS, will be addressed through the application of existing state, tribal, and local mortuary plans.
Description: A plan that addresses management of mass fatalities will be included in the State of New Mexico All- Hazard Emergency Operations Plan in Annex 5, “Public Health, Medical, and Mortuary.” This Plan should address all identifiable issues concerning sensitivity and respect for cultural and religious issues relating to management and burial of the dead. Protocols for Native Americans, especially those who have died outside of their tribal lands, already exist between tribes, hospitals, funeral homes, and the Office of the Medical Investigator (OMI). As such, local jurisdictions should incorporate state mass fatality plan policies and protocols into their emergency operations planning.
Planning Assumptions:
a. Most New Mexico hospitals are not prepared to store bodies, and some do not currently have any mortuary facilities and are not equipped with supplies, such as body bags.
b. Under the use of the Incident Command System (ICS) in New Mexico, it is assumed that “All Response Is Local.”
c. Should OMI resources become overwhelmed in an incident involving mass fatalities, OMI would request additional support (i.e. FEMA Disaster Mortality [DMORT] teams and NMDOH NMserves volunteer registry) through the Incident Unified Command.
