In recent years the International Civil Aviation
Organization (ICAO) has recommended Family Assistance as one of the most important
supports that all services providers such as airlines, airports, and handlers should
include in their Emergency Response Plan (ERP). Family Assistance involves giving
timely information to families and providing them with compassionate response
assistance, which, translated into practice, means implementing procedures which
can guarantee appropriate treatment for people involved in an accident,
including the preparation and execution of a family assistance plan through the
organization of rooms and EOC procedures of reconciliation and reunion. Family
Assistance is a complex process and the various goals of all the agencies involved
in the rescue chain should be integrated into a matrix system in order to maximize
the effects and efforts of all the staff involved.
Mass casualty disasters can only be
dealt with by appropriate preparation, particularly by airports, whose role during
an emergency is provide assistance for a long while before airlines can take it
in charge. If done well, their reputation is safe and Family Assistance is carried
out according to the ICAO’s intentions.
What will participants learn?
During the course participants will
learn how to prepare a family assistance plan, how to integrate it with the ERP,
which processes to implement, appropriate behavior, and how to ask people to collaborate
with the airport/airline to provide the requested information; it will also
provide ideas on cultural anthropology and disabilities.
Who should attend?
Airport employees responsible for communication with passangers and families during emergency situations and airline representatives.