How to plan surge storage for a mass-fatality event

Why surge storage needs a plan

A mass-fatality event can fill a county facility in hours. Refrigerated trailers can help, but they must be found, delivered, powered, secured and staffed, and many agencies look for the same trailers at the same time. Fixed storage that is agreed in advance removes the search from the worst day.

Step 1: Know your numbers

• Your normal storage capacity, in positions.
• Your normal daily and weekly caseload.
• The surge that your county plans for: wildfire, flood, a crash on a major highway, a public-health event.
• The capacity of funeral homes and hospitals in your county, and how quickly it fills.

Step 2: Choose storage partners

Look for partners outside the most likely impact area, but close enough for practical transfers. A partner in the same flood plain or the same fire zone can be out of service when you need it. For many Sacramento Valley counties, a partner 30 to 60 minutes away is a good balance.

Step 3: Put it in a contract

• The number of reserved positions, and the number available on request.
• Who your agency calls, and the backup contact.
• What the partner records at receipt: case number, tags, seals, documents, delivering agency and time.
• Who can authorize a release, and how the partner records it.
• A statement that the partner provides custodial storage only, and that your agency keeps legal and investigative authority.
• Pricing by the day, by the week or for reserved capacity.

Step 4: Protect the chain of custody

Each decedent needs one identification record that follows them from the scene to release. Agree on the tag format with your partner before the event. The partner must record each access to the storage area, and it must not open or remove agency seals without your authorization.

Step 5: Test the plan

Once a year, call your partners at the numbers in the plan. Confirm the contact names, the reserved positions and the receipt steps. Update the plan after each drill and after each real event.