June 24, 2013 Dockets- Dockets OST 96-1960 U.S. Department ofTransportation 

### REPUBllC AlRLlNES A REPUBLJC AlHWAYS COMPANY

400 Seventh Street S.W. Room PL 401 Washington, DC 20590

RE: Plan to Address the Needs of Families of Passengers Involved in AircraftAccidents- Submission for RepublicAirlines, Inc

To whom it may concern: This purpose ofthis letter is to inform you that effective June 28, 2013 all charterflights underthe operational control of Republic Airlines, Inc. will be covered, as outlined, in the attached plan. The procedures comply with the requirements ofthe Aviation Disaster Family Assistance Act of 1996, as well as the requirements specified in Vision 100. Should you have questions, please feel free to contact me at. EDolinar@rjet.com Sincerely:Q,

### ~

' ('1

## ~---~----

''"'{

## ///, "'··,

..



# f /

....,_/\.,)

· Ellen Dolinar Senior Manager, Corporate Safety

Enc.

8909 Purdue Road, Indianapolis, Indiana 46268June 24, 2013 

# REPUBLlC AlRLlNES A REPUBLlC l-\1RWAYS COMPANY



## Plan forAddressing the Needs Of Victims, Family Members and Loved Ones Involved In an Aviation Disaster Submitted June 24, 2013

Submitted to: The National Transportation Safety Board and The U.S. Department ofTransportation

1 of7June 24, 2013 

### REPUBllC AlRLlNES A REP1JBL1C AIRWAYS COMPANY



# Republic Airlines Contact Information

24-Hour Emergency Number

Contact Personnel: Leon Hayes Director ofSafety

Ellen Dolinar Senior Manager, Corporate Safety

2 of7

### FulfillmentofAirline Victim SupportTasks- Republic Airlines Empathia on Tasks Republic behalfof Republic (1) Notify the NTSB communications center at (202) 314-6290 immediately upon ../ knowledge ofan Incident. Provide: a) Place of Incident (or general vicinity of Incident), numberofpassengers and crew ../ based on preliminary departure information and numberof injured and fatalities (if ../ known). b) Flight number, origination, connection points and final destination (if known), and ../ *Empathia whetherthe flight was domestic or international. Specialists, trained mental health c) Name and telephone number ofthe person/persons in charge ofthe air carrier's professionals, humanitarian response, passenger manifest reconciliation, and family notification ../ conductfamily notification via process*. Disaster Call Ctr and d) Name, telephone number and location ofthe facility designated as the Family in-person atAirport ../ on behalfof Republic Assistance Center (FAC) and JFSOC. (2) Provide theNTSB, upon request, the most current reconciled copy ofthe passenger manifest, numbering /annotating each with date and time so that current version is ../ distinguishable from previous copies. (3) Provide the public a reliable publicized toll-free numberwith sufficienttelephone ../ ../ capacity. Release to Media Maintained by Empathia (4) When disseminating the toll-free number, ask the media to request thatthe toll-free number be used only by those who have reason to believe a family memberorfriend ../ was a passengeron the accidentflight. (5) Emphasize in the media notice that, upon initial contactwith the aircarrier, family members will receive basic accidentflight and point ofcontact information as thefirst ../ steps ofair carrier humanitarian support.

June 24, 2013 3 of7Empathia on Tasks Republic behalfof Republic (6) Askthe media to reemphasize the name ofthe carrier's involved, the accidentflight number, airport oforigination, connection, and final destination. ./ (7) Provide the mediawith continuous updates on the progress ofthe notification process, such as providing the numberofvictims' families notified as ofa certain time and the ./ ./ remaining to be notified. This process will continue until all victims' families have been Data provided to notified. Republic by Empathia Disaster Response Call Ctr (8) Modify normal "on hold" messages during an accident response to eliminate music, sales information, and similar non-accident related messages. ./ (9) Provide timely notification to family members, including informing the family ifthe ./ passenger's name appears on a preliminary manifest. Updated information will be Notification provided as soon as available. Performed by Specialists (10) Provide notification to family members priorto releasing passenger names to the ./ public. Notification Performed by Call Ctr Specialists (11) Inform family members at the time of notification orsoon thereafter ofthe American ./ Red Cross family care and crisis assistance available atthe FAC and afterfamilies Performed by return home. Call Ctr Specialists (12) Secure facilities at departure, arrival, and connecting airports where family members may be initially gatheredto protectthem from media and solicitors, as well as to ./ receive continuous updates on the reconciliation ofthe passenger manifest and other Staffed by Airport information on the Incident. Be prepared to provide assistance to special needs ./ Family Waiting Area populations perthe American DisabilityAct (ADA). Inform families thattheir loved Specialists ones were on board the plan that crashed. (13) Secure afacility to be used as the FAC. ./

June 24, 2013 4 of7

### Empathia on Tasks Republic behalfof Republic
(14) Make provisions for a JFSOC to include space, communication and logistical support ./ forthe assisting local and Federal staff. ./ Logistical assistance 

### (15) Provide logistical supportto family members who desire to travel to the Incident site ./ (orto a hospital location), which includes, but is not limitedto; transportation, lodging, ./ Coordinated by security, communications, and incidentals. Specialists (16) Assistfamily members as they travel to and from the Incident site by informing flight crews and airport personnel thatfamily members are on particularflights. Assist families as they departthe accident city and provide a contact person who will ./ continue to be the air carrier's interfacefollowing their return to their residence. 

### (17) Provide a contact person to meetfamily members as they arrive and accompany ./ them at the Incident site. This person will be responsible for assisting the family while FAC Specialists; at the site and should continue to be the airline interface with the family until the Call Ctrto remain family returns to their residence. operational for a period afterwards as directed by Republic 

### (18) Maintain daily contactwith family members who do nottravel to the Incident site by ./ providing a contact person from the air carrier until the on-site investigation has ./ Call Ctr Specialists; concluded. then transition to Airline 

### (19) Designate and deploy an individual who will be the airline's representative to the Director ofTDA. This individual will travel to various locations, such as accident site, morgue, JFSOC, and FamilyAssistance Centerwith the Director ofTDA. The ./ designated individual should have the authority or ready Access to those who have sufficient authority to make decisions on behalf ofthe airline. (20) Establish an exclusive badge system to identify family members; coordinate with the ./ ./ NTSB as necessary on specifications. (Supplier: Global BMS) Operational assistance

June 24, 2013 5 of?Empathia on Tasks Republic behalfof Republic ./ ./ (21) Participate in daily coordination meetingsto review daily activities, resolve problem areas and synchronize future family support operations and activities.
(22) Make provisions for private areas within the hotel for DMORT and medical examiner personnel to collect ante mortem information from families at the site. ./ Also provide quiet space and communications for DMORT and medical examiner ./ Logistical personnel to telephonically collect ante mortem information from families who are assistance not at the FAC. (23) Be aware that crisis counseling and DMORTfacilities are also used as venues to inform families when positive identification has been made. ./ ./ (24) Provide DOS representative necessary information on foreign passengers to ./ facilitate interaction with appropriate foreign government embassies. ./ Call Ctr collects citizenship info (25) Establish ajoint liaison with ARC at each supporting medical treatmentfacility to trackthe status of injured victims and to provide assistance to theirfamilies. ./ ./ FAC Specialists (26) Develop procedures for handling of personal effects released by the NTSB orthe FBI ifthe aviation disaster is declared a criminal act. Retain for at least 18 months. ./ (27) Consultwith family members about any airline-sponsored monument, including any inscriptions. ./ (28) As required by the Aviation Disaster FamilyAssistance Act of 1996, provide reasonable reimbursementto the ARC forthe services provided to thefamily, airline, and Supporting personnel. ./ (29) Provide the same support and treatment offamilies of non-revenue passengers or any othervictim ofthe accident (for instance, ground fatalities) as is provided for ./ revenue passengers.

June 24, 2013 6 of7

### Empathia on Tasks Republic behalfof Republic ./

(30) In the eventthatthe NTSB conducts a public hearing orcomparable proceeding at a location more than 80 miles from the accident site, ensure that a simultaneous transmission ofthe proceeding is made available to family members at a location ./ open to the public at both the origin city and destination city ofthe accidentflight.
(31) In the event ofan accident involving major loss of life that occurs outside the United States, and the aircarriervolunteers assistanceto US citizens within the United States, the air carrierwill consultwith the Board and the Department ofState on the ./ provision ofthe assistance (as perAIR21 legislation) (32) In the eventthatthe investigation determinesthatthe accident is the result ofa criminal act, coordinatewith the FBI OVA in arranging meetings with family members to explain their rights as victims ofa Federal crime. ./ ./

June 24, 2013 7 of7**~~- ~~~~-,-~~------,·-·----------~---**