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Video played

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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.