AWR-232: Mass Fatality Planning & Response for Rural Communities

AWR 232 is an 8-hour, DHS/FEMA-certified, tuition-free, awareness-level course. The goal of this course is to teach participants the basics of mass fatality response while providing opportunities to exchange rural perceptions and brainstorm solutions to simulated emergencies. Responding to a mass fatality incident, which includes the recovery, identifications, and reunification of the deceased, is one of the most difficult aspects of disaster response. In times of crisis, small, rural, and tribal communities are often ill-equipped with facilities to manage large numbers of casualties. When the time comes, communities must be prepared to use available resources to properly manage the remains that will result. Regardless of the agencies or organizations that respond, whether they be governmental agencies or private or non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the responsibility to coordinate and manage these outside resources rests with local authorities.