01/14/2010

Special NFDA Bulletin

NFDA Statement: January 2010 Earthquake in Haiti

Received 1/18/2010

Update on Haiti Assistance Efforts

NFDA officials have been in daily communication with the federal government, including the State Department, which is overseeing the U.S. response, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Homeland Security, and others; though this communication, association officials have learned a number of important things about the mortuary response in Haiti: The Haitian government has taken control of the mortuary response in Haiti and has not asked for or authorized assistance from any government or private organization. NFDA expressed outrage and concern to federal officials about media reports of how the Haitian government is handling the large number of casualties. The federal government and mass-fatality response community share NFDA's concern and displeasure and are working to communicate this to Haitian officials. In particular, the federal government is concerned with the identification and repatriation of the bodies of U.S. citizens who died in the earthquake. DMORT assessment teams are on the ground in Haiti and are only able to appraise the situation and provide reports to the federal government; DMORT has not been authorized to assist in the Haitian government's mass-casualty response. The federal government's mass-casualty resources have been activated and are on stand-by, ready to deploy as soon as the Haitian government asks for and authorizes assistance. Additionally, more than 130 funeral service professionals have placed their names on NFDA's volunteer list. Federal officials are well-aware of NFDA's efforts and know the volunteers stand ready for deployment. NFDA received word late this afternoon that its member in Haiti lost all three of his funeral home locations in and around Port-au-Prince. In addition nine members of his staff, including his nephew and long-time secretary, have died. We have no news on other family members or his home. NFDA is assessing how the association can provide assistance to this member. Communication with Haiti is limited at best, and almost non-existent in the areas hardest hit. NFDA continues to reach out to member and non-member funeral homes in Haiti to determine what sort of support and assistance the association can provide. NFDA will be reaching out to member-funeral homes in nearby countries, such as the Dominican Republic and Jamaica, in an attempt to learn more about how the association can be of assistance. Funeral directors should not contact Haitian funeral directors about shipping bodies once communication is restored. Haitian funeral directors likely do not have the resources to ship bodies of citizens to the United States, nor do they have the ability to accept bodies at this time. The only assistance the Haitian government has authorized the U.S. government to provide is humanitarian relief. The foreign governments and charitable organizations providing search and rescue teams, medical services or humanitarian aid have been given permission by the Haitian government to provide assistance. NFDA is stands ready to provide mortuary assistance the moment it is asked to do so by the federal government. Please visit www.nfda.org/haiti for the latest news and information on Haiti; this Web page will be updated daily, or as new information becomes available. Funeral service professionals interested in volunteering in Haiti may call the association at 800-228-6332. NFDA staff is collecting contact information in order to keep interested parties abreast of ways they might be able to assist the federal government and funeral service professionals in Haiti, should their service prove necessary. NFDA will collect the following information from prospective volunteers: whether they have a valid passport, how long they are willing to serve, an email address or cell phone number to assist in rapid communication, and foreign language and other special skills.

Contact us: National Funeral Directors Association 13625 Bishop's Drive Brookfield, WI 53005, USA Toll-free: 800-228-6332 Phone: +1 262-789-1880 Fax: 262-789-6977 nfda@nfda.org To ensure you receive the NFDA Bulletin, please add bulletin@nfda.org to your address book. PERMISSION TO REPRINT. NFDA encourages publications to reprint the material included in this or any issue of the NFDA Bulletin (unless otherwise indicated) in their publications with source attributed to NFDA. For more information on any item included in this issue of the NFDA Bulletin, please send an email to bulletin@nfda.org or call (262) 789-1880.

 

Recieved 1/13/2010

The members of the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) join with the world community in expressing their heartfelt sympathies to those affected by the earthquake that devastated the island nation of Haiti on January 12.

Numerous members of NFDA have expressed interest in traveling to Haiti to assist with DMORT operations and to help local funeral directors preserve the dignity of those who died. At this time, NFDA staff is working with the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Health and Human Services and the Haitian Consulate to determine the type of assistance needed from the funeral service community and when it might be safe to travel to Haiti. Unfortunately, all communication with Port-au-Prince, the Haitian capital and hardest hit by the earthquake, has been cut off. In addition, NFDA has been unable to reach an NFDA-member firm located near the capital.

Therefore, NFDA members interested in volunteering in Haiti should call the association at 800-228-6332 (262-789-1880). NFDA staff is collecting members' contact information in order to keep interested parties abreast of ways they might be able to assist the federal government and funeral service professionals in Haiti, should their service prove necessary. If you contact NFDA, please indicate if you hold a valid passport and how long you are willing to serve, as well as an email address or cell phone number to assist in rapid communication. Members should not travel to the affected areas on their own as conditions are severe; participating in a coordinated effort will make for an effective response to the needs of the Haitian people.

In addition, funeral directors should not contact Haitian funeral directors about shipping bodies once communication is restored. Haitian funeral directors in the affected areas have their own struggles now, and cannot accept bodies at this time.