Since 2005, IDHS has had assets to support mass fatality incidents when the resources of the local coroner or morgue are overwhelmed. These are similar to the federal disaster portable mortuary units offered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Working with stakeholders and state partners, IDHS has tailored its approach over the years to developing specialized, deployable mass fatality incident teams collectively known as the Indiana Mortuary Response Team, or IN-MORT.
Coroners, through their county's emergency management agency, can request that the State Emergency Operations Center deploy one or more of the IN-MORT support teams when a mass fatality emergency in their area arises, such as an airplane crash, train derailment or large explosion. In these situations, the coroner's responsibility to determine cause and manner of death may already be understood, but the duty to determine the identify of human remains may pose a significant challenge without additional support from a variety of professionals.
IN-MORT Teams
Volunteers from across Indiana have offered their availability to form teams that can deploy as needed for mass fatality incidents. These include (not an exhaustive list):
Many of the volunteers work for IDHS or other state agencies, but more are needed to ensure coverage statewide. If you have skills that may be helpful for one of the teams, please complete the volunteer interest application below. Please note that you do not necessarily need a medical or forensic background to assist; other skills and backgrounds are needed.