Fatality Management core capability

Provide fatality management services, including search, recovery, victim identification (following Interpol Standards), and repatriation. As well as the sharing of accurate and timely information with other agencies and the community, and the provision of support to the bereaved.

Table 24: Agency roles mapped to the VPF, by critical tasks within the Fatality Management core capability

Critical Task 8.1: Oversee all coronial investigations of fatalities.

Agency	Activity	Additional alignment to critical tasks
Coroners Court of Victoria	To exercise as necessary the coroners statutory powers in relation to the investigation of the scene of a reportable death or fire	8.3

	To commence the coronial investigation process	3.1

VicPol	VicPol supports to other agencies in coronial investigations	3.2, 8.5

Critical Task 8.2: Establish and maintain operations to recover a significant number of fatalities over a geographically dispersed area.

Agency	Activity	Additional alignment to critical tasks
VICSES	Provide key support for search and rescue on land and water evacuations and incidents involving mass casualties	3.2, 5.2, 12.1, 12.3

VIFM	Co-ordinate the management of deceased persons (including multi-fatality incidents) for the Victorian State Coroner including liaison with funeral service providers S.66(1)(j)	3.2, 8.7

	Respond to requests from DFAT and AFP regarding fatality incidents overseas	3.1, 3.2

Critical Task 8.3: Provide investigative and operational support services for victim identification.

Agency	Activity	Additional alignment to critical tasks
Coroners Court of Victoria	To exercise as necessary the coroners statutory powers in relation to the investigation of the scene of a reportable death or fire	8.1

VicPol	VicPol supports to other agencies in provision of personnel	3.2, 12.4

VIFM	Undertake Disaster Victim Identification procedures including forensic pathology, anthropology, odontology, radiology and molecular biology (DNA)	4.4, 11.3

	VIFM can support the recovery activity of Disaster Victim Identification	3.2

Critical Task 8.4: Establish and maintain temporary mortuaries ensuring they have adequate storage for the predicted number of fatalities.

Agency	Activity	Additional alignment to critical tasks
Coroners Court of Victoria	To facilitate the transportation of deceased persons to a coronial mortuary	8.5, 14.5

VIFM	Manage the Victorian state mortuary facility and where required, establish temporary mortuary facilities	3.1

Critical Task 8.5: Provide staffing and equipment to adequately examine and document all fatalities to enable accurate identification and support coronial/police investigations.

Agency	Activity	Additional alignment to critical tasks
Coroners Court of Victoria	To facilitate the transportation of deceased persons to a coronial mortuary	8.4, 14.5

	The Coroners Court is the lead agency for the recovery activity of identifying deceased persons and determining the cause and circumstances of their death

ESV	Gas – Contributing expertise and technical specialists to support or lead the investigation of gas related incidents	11.1, 19.1

	Electricity – Contributing expertise and technical specialists to support or lead the investigation of electricity related incidents	11.1, 19.1

VicPol	VicPol supports to other agencies in coronial investigations	3.2, 8.1

VIFM	In accordance with the Act, VIFM’s role is to provide medical death investigation, including facilities and staff required to undertake medical death investigations including autopsies S.66(1)(a)(d)

	Assist emergency response agencies with the investigation of a range of death scenes including mass fatality emergencies	3.2

Critical Task 8.6: Manage family communication regarding coronial process and repatriation.

Agency	Activity	Additional alignment to critical tasks
VIFM	VIFM is a lead agency for communicating with the families of deceased persons S.66(1)(h)(l)	3.1

Critical Task 8.7: Communicate accurate and timely information to emergency services and communities about the safe handling of fatalities.

Agency	Activity	Additional alignment to critical tasks
VIFM	Co-ordinate the management of deceased persons (including multi-fatality incidents) for the Victorian State Coroner including liaison with funeral service providers S.66(1)(j)	3.2, 8.2