Police trained in identifying disaster victims

Some of Gibraltar’s police officers have undergone a three-day training course in Disaster Victim Identification (DVI).

The trainees consisted of 18 Royal Gibraltar Police officers drawn from the Operations, Crime & Protective Services and Support Divisions, and six Gibraltar Defence Police officers.

The training was delivered by the United Kingdom National Disaster Victim Identification Unit, and covered all DVI roles ranging from Senior Investigating Officer, Scene Coordinator, Police Mortuary Ops Coordinator, Family Liaison and HM Coroner, to the Mass Fatalities Coordinating Group.

Officers were also instructed on victim recovery procedure (a meticulous procedure conducted in teams performing a variety of roles including photography, searching, handling and documenting) the collection and processing of victim personal data and DNA both Ante Mortem and Post Mortem from a variety of settings, the seizure and management of property and evidence, and procedures at the morgue.

On completion of the course, the visiting instructor hosted a one-day table-top exercise for senior and middle-managers from Gibraltar’s Emergency Services and Civil Contingency agencies in Disaster Victim Identification, as part of an ongoing process of developing improved inter-operability and management of major incidents.