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DVI Response to Victoria BushfiresDVI Response to Victoria Bushfires
State DVI Commander Detective Superintendent Doug O’Loughlin APM
Victoria Police Forensic Services Department
Crime Scene Division
Black Saturday7th February 2009
Black Saturday7th February 2009
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6Based on data from the Department of Sustainability and Environment 9am Feb 8th 2009
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Bendigo
Mudgegonga
Redesdale
Kinglake Marysville
Churchill
Melbourne
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Saturday 7th February
3 x 43ºC+ days in week prior (109.5ºF +)
360 people had died as result of heat wave prior to Black
Saturday
Conditions on the day
wind 130kph
humidity 6%
Average temperature 46.4ºC+ (115.52 º F)
20º above averagePrediction: Worst Fire Danger Day Ever in VictoriaPrediction: Worst Fire Danger Day Ever in Victoria Prediction: Worst Fire Danger Day Ever in VictoriaPrediction: Worst Fire Danger Day Ever in Victoria
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Initial beliefs:
200-300 deaths predicted
3000+ properties lost
7000 people displaced
several towns completely destroyed
Black Saturday was the deadliest and worst ever natural disaster in Australian history:
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Max. intensity controllable bushfire = 4000 kW p/metre
Black Saturday fire = 100,000 kW per metre
Unprecedented severity, extremity & intensity
Fire consumed the oxygen
Radiant heat overwhelmed victims before flames arrived
Fire Danger Index: 50 = Extreme
Black Saturday FDI = 180
Fatal Fire Flaws
(Herald Sun 21 April 09)
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Fatal Fire Flaws [continued]
Average BushfireAverage Bushfire Black Saturday FireBlack Saturday Fire
SpeedSpeed Long distance spotting: 1-2 km Long distance: 15 km
Heat ReleasedHeat Released 10,000 kW/m of fire
100,000 kW/m of fire
[ 500 Hiroshima atomic bombs ]
[Victoria electricity supply for 2 yrs]
Flame HeightFlame Height 10-20 metres 50 metres
(Herald Sun 21 April 09)
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Disaster Victim Identification
Australia follows a worldwide INTERPOL recognised process
The Process is broken up into 5 Phases:-
Phase 1 – Scene
Phase 2 – Mortuary
Phase 3 – Ante Mortem
Phase 4 – Reconciliation
Phase 5 – Debrief
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Saturday 7th
Forensic Service Crime Scene Officer alerted
Made call out of Crime Scene /DVI personnel
Sunday 8th (a.m.)
aware death toll rising
DVI Response
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35 main fire areas still burning
400,0002 ha fire (over 1 million2 acres) or 40002 km / 15442 miles
Some areas too dangerous for DVI Teams to enter
Sunday 8th February
17NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team, GSFC.
A view from the northern suburbs of Melbourne
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Initial ProblemsSearch area
sites to be searched - remotely located, hours away from Melbourne
multiple sites, spread over large area
still burning and dangerous
toll mounting each day in all areas
community and media pressure
Limited number of experienced DVI personnel
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Initial Problems [continued]
Communication networks severely effected or destroyed
DVI assistance requests from numerous Local Police Operation Centres.
Confusion
responsibility for areasduplication of requests for DVI assistance
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Agreed to concentrate on human remains in obvious places - revisit to complete search
Many premises were unsafe to search
collapsing walls, roofs, presence of asbestos
Outcome:
Normal DVI procedures were streamlined re the recovery of human remains
Conference with State Coroner
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1st Priority Tasks
Attend scenes where human remains had been located in open spaces and vehicles
Reason – Allow for rapid restoration of infrastructure
communications, clear roads of fallen trees, electricity, food ,water ,clothing, etc,
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Local Assistance
Seconded Regional Crime Scene Officers (RSCOs) to DVI duties
220+ RSCOs trained in Phase 1 DVI duties over past 3 years
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Australasian DVI Committee (ADVIC) Chair
Interstate
NSW & AFP DVI teams had arrived
Western Australia, Tasmania, Queensland and the Northern Territory preparing to deploy DVI Teams
International
New Zealand DVI Teams
Indonesian DVI Odontologists and Pathologists
Offers from other nations received
Interstate & International AssistanceWithin 24 Hours
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DVI Team
Team Leader (VICPOL DVI member)
Photographer
Searcher (s)
Detective Investigator (Coroner’s Brief)
Urban Search & Rescue member (Fire Services - for site safety issues)
18 x DVI Teams operational at peak
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DVI Team Deployment
Daily allocation of tasks at morning briefing
Welfare / Availability of Counselling
Site Safety Plan critical
Dangers collapsing walls, asbestos roofing - PPE a must
33Morning Briefing
Personal Protection Equipment
Asbestos Decontamination
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Peak of Operations18 DVI teams:
Marysville area x 5
Kinglake & surrounds x 13
Day 4: 89% of known victims were recovered
Day 6: 100% of known victims were recovered
293 personnel utilised during Phase 1
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The Next Tasks
Continued search of new sites
Revisit sites
Thorough 2nd search where human remains had been found
Some sites were searched 3-4 times
Now the availability of Pathologists, Odontologists and Anthropologists in the field with DVI teams
Use of cadaver dogs
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39Difficulty of Search
40Nine human remains found commingled
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Coroner Briefings Progress Meetings every two days
Consideration of Deaths non-residents (tourists etc) could not be discounted
Coroner issued “Restricted Access Order” on the 6 fire burn areas.
The Order required all destroyed and partly destroyed structures in fire burn areas to be searched for possible human remains
No sites to be cleared or interfered with
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Summary - DVI Phase 1
145 scenes attended
86 re-visits to destroyed structures
302 sets of remains recovered
302 DVI numbers issued
14 scenes were located in open
8 vehicles examined contained human remains
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3 sets of remains asbestos contaminated
31 sets of remains identified as commingled
8 sets of remains identified as non-human
DVI Phase 1 completed by 25th February 2009
Standby for Operation Royals
Summary - DVI Phase 1 (continued)
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Coroner’s Order – Operation Royals
Police & Military personnel searched some 5743 structures and 700 burned vehicles
3394 burnt or destroyed properties searched over 5 week period
(DVI Teams on standby)
DVI teams called to attend a further 106 scenes no human remains located
47Temporary custom-built mortuary facility
48Mortuary
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Phase 2 -MortuaryAdmission of deceased
Labelled with Barcode
Photographed
DNA sampled
Head to toe CT scan
Pathology examination
Odontology examination
Quality Review
(Fingerprints)
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Phase 3 - Ante Mortem (AM)
130 Detectives utilised
52 teams of 2 x Detectives accompanied by a Coroner’s Court Grievance Counsellor
4000+ data entries analysed Outcome: 164 AM kits completed
9 persons died in hospitals from fire injuries
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Phase 4 - Reconciliation
Ongoing processing of human remains, collected exhibits, evidence with Ante Mortem data and material
2 x 35 person shifts preparing ID briefs daily
Identification Boards
Evidence to Coroner on behalf of DVI Commander
Coroner accepted evidence of one or combination of:odontology, pathology, anthropology, DNA & circumstantial
some human remains will never be identified
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Statistical SummaryAs of 7/5/09 164 Missing Persons had been identified through ID briefs and presented to the Coroner
DVI Teams recovered 302 sets of human remains / partial remains
302 DVI numbers issued
145 scenes were attended and searched.
86 structures were re-searched
$400,000 + over budget expended in Phase 1
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Conclusions
Teams working in each of the 4 Phases of the DVI Process did an exceptional job
The Interpol DVI Process worked well
Coronial Inquest to be held at a later dateafter the current Royal Commission
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Life goes on
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Bald Spur Road - March 2009
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Bald Spur Road - April 2009
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Thank you.
Question time.