# Southwesf

Karie Lardon Sr. Manager
- Emergency Response Southwest Airlines Co. P.O. Box 36611 Dallas, Texas 75235-1611

December 23,2014 VIA ELECTRONIC FILING U.S. Department ofTransportation 1200 NewJerseyAvenue, SE Washington, DC20590 Re: Docket No. OST-96-1960; Submission of Updated Southwest Airlines FamilyAssistance Plan ToWhom It MayConcern: Pursuant to the requirements outlined in 49 USC

## S 41113, Southwest Airlines Co. ("Southwest") has updated its FamilyAssistance Plan and is filing it in the above referenced docket today. This plan supersedes all other Southwest Airlines Family Assistance Plans and AirTran Airways FamilyAssistance Plansfiled inthis docket and we askthatthey bedisregarded and replacedwith thisversion. The purpose of this update is to inform you that effective December 28, 2014, Southwest Airlines and AirTran Airways are fully integrated and are no longer using the AirTran brand. Thus, all references to AirTran Airways will be removed from the Southwest Airlines FamilyAssistance Plan. The attached updated Southwest Airlines FamilyAssistance Plan reflectsthis change. Please note that the emergency contact number (operational 24/7) for Southwest emergencies has changed to (Southwest Airlines Network Operations Control, formerly, Operations Coordination Center). Should you have any questions regarding the Southwest FamilyAssistance Plan, please contact medirectly
Connecting people to what's important intheir lives.

# Southwest".

at Sincerely, /Karie Lardon / Karie Lardon Attachment: Southwest Airlines FamilyAssistance Plan (December 2014) Copy

### to: National Transportation Safety Board
- c/o MikeCrook

Connecting peopletowhat's Important intheir lives.Southwest Airlines Co. FamilyAssistance Plan 

### SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO. FAMILY ASSISTANCE PLAN December 2014



### PREFACE The Southwest Airlines Family Assistance Plan is submitted in accordance with the Aviation Disaster Family Assistance Act of 1996 (49 U.S.C. 1136 and 41113), and reflects the Amendments to the Aviation Disaster Family Assistance Act dated April 5, 2000, to Title IV, section 402 of AIR-21, and the Vision 100-Century of Aviation Reauthorization Act. This plan is a subset of the Southwest Airlines Co. (Southwest Airlines, or Southwest) Corporate Emergency Response Plan and Station Emergency Program. This plan will be utilized to respond to a Southwest Airlines accident effective December 28, 2014. Southwest has developed carefully coordinated procedures to provide assistance to, and address the needs of crash survivors and families of passengers involved in such an accident. Southwest iscommitted to ensuring that both surviving passengers and their family members receive the appropriate level of information and services to meet their immediate needs; treating survivors and families with compassion and dignity; respecting the cultural and religious backgrounds; and, ensuring that revenue and nonrevenue survivors and families receive the same level of service. 

### ASSURANCES Southwest's plan to assist those affected by an aviation disaster is part of a larger organized effort, which includes the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and many other government agencies to provide the highest level of support possible to survivors and family members. Following a significant event which evokes the Family Assistance Act, Southwest Airlines commits tothefollowing assurances: 1. Southwest will provide notification to the NTSB communications center and provide requested information. 2. Southwest will work with the media to publicize a reliable, toll-free telephone number, and will provide staff to receive calls from, and provide assistance to the families of the passengers. These calls will be routed to our Southwest Airlines Customer Support & Services Center Team (formerly known as the Southwest Airlines Reservations CenterTeam) forthe purpose ofgathering contact information. Customer Support & Services Center Employees designated to handle these calls have received procedural and situational training to respond to accident related calls. Appropriate scripts/messages have been created toexpedite this process. 3. Southwest Airlines has developed a process to provide timely notification to the family of a passenger as soon as Southwest has verified that the passenger was aboard the aircraft (whether or not the names of all the passengers have been c:\users \e2 712 7\appdata\local\microsoft\windows\tem porary internet files\low\contenl.ie5\ff2r4zgd\southwest%20air1ines%20family%2Oassistance%20plan%20december%2020 14[1 ).docx Last updated 12/24/14

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verified). Notification will be made bySouthwest Airlines Employeeswho are suitably trained to handle the sensitive nature ofthis notification. Upon request ofthe family ofa passenger, Southwest will inform thefamily of whether the passenger's name appeared on a preliminary passenger manifest (referred toasthe reservations list)fortheflight involved inthe accident, whether the name ofthat person has been verified as boarded ornot. 4. Southwest Airlines will provide to the NTSB Office of Transportation Disaster Assistance designated for the accident under 49 U.S.C. Section 1136(a)(1) and to the organization designated for the accident under 49 U.S.C. Section 1136(a)(2), immediately upon request, a name list (which is based on the best available information atthetime ofthe request) ofthe passengers aboard the aircraft (whether or not such names have been verified), andwill periodically update the list. Updated lists (known as the manifest list) will be provided in a timely manner with numbered orannotated copies to bedistinguished from previous versions. 5. Southwest will provide updated information and secure facilities at airports where families may gather. Family members may receive personal notification that their loved onewas onthe planewhile in asecure facility. 6. Southwest will provide logistical support to family members who desire to travel to the accident city. Southwest will establish asuitable facility FAC (FamilyAssistance Center) nearthe accident site to meet family member informational needs. The site should accommodate the JFSOC function. 7. Southwest will make provisions for a Joint Family Support Operations Center (JFSOC), to include space, communication and logistical support. 8. At an appropriate time, and at the direction of the Deputy Director, FA, NTSB, Southwest will inform families of the need to contact their family dentist to request dental records and x-rays of their loved one. Records will be sent to the JFSOC hotel, attention Deputy Director, FA, NTSB. Southwest will coordinate with the Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team (DMORT) to ensure families are aware ofthe purpose ofthese records and are receiving appropriate assistance. 9. Southwest will make appropriate provisions for the DMORT and medical examiner, and Southwest will coordinate with these organizations to ensure appropriate handling of all remains. 10.Southwest will provide the Department of State (DOS) information on foreign passengers. 11.Southwest will coordinate with the American Red Cross (ARC) which includes offering their assistance after providing notification and ongoing communication to meetfamily member needs.

c:\users\e 27127\appdata\loca I\microsoft\windows\temporary internet files\low\conle n1.ie5\ff2 r4zgd\southwes t%2Oainjnes %20fam i1y%20assistance%2 Oplan%20decem ber%202 014(1J.docx Last updated 12/24/14

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12.Southwest will deliver status updates regarding family notification to the media and public in a timely manner. However, Southwest will not release the names of the passengers tothe media orpublic. 13.Southwest will ensure traveling family members receive assistance while in airports and will inform Flight Crew and Airport Personnel of their travel. A Southwest Airlines contact personwill be available tofamilies atalltimes. 14.Southwest will provide a point of contact to provide assistance to a family at the accident. This responsibility will lie with our trained Southwest Airlines Care Team Members. Once families cease interacting with their Care Team Member, they will be provided asingle point ofcontact atSouthwest forall ongoing needs. 15.Care Team Members may also provide assistance tofamilies who elect to nottravel tothe accident site. 16.Southwest will establish abadging system to identifyfamily members. 17.Southwest will liaisewith theAmerican Red Cross (ARC) ateach supporting medical treatment facility totrackvictim status and provide assistance tofamilies. 18.Southwest Airlines has contracted with an experienced third party for the handling and processing of personal effects (under the consultation of Southwest). If requested by the family of a passenger, Southwest Airlines will return any possession of the passenger, within the control of Southwest, to the family (regardless of its condition) unless the possession is needed for the accident investigation or any criminal investigation. Southwest Airlines will retain any unclaimed possession ofa passenger, within the control ofSouthwest, for at least 18 months from the date ofthe accident. 19.A Southwest JFSOC representative, with appropriate authority, will be designated to support family assistance efforts in conjunction with the Deputy Director of FA, NTSB. This includes participating in dailycoordination meetings. 20. Southwest will consult with the family of each passenger about construction of any monument tothe passengers, including any inscription on the monument. 21.Southwest will provide reasonable reimbursement totheARC for services rendered. 22.Southwest will coordinate with the Department of Justice (DOJ), or FBI OVA, for communicating family rights under the victims of crime legislation, if the crash is declared acrime. 23.The treatment offamilies ofnonrevenue passengers (and anyothervictim ofthe accident) will bethe same asthe treatment ofthe families of revenue passengers.

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24.Southwest designated Leader(s) will participate in dailycoordination meetings and provide updated information as required. 25.Southwest Airlines will workwith any organization designated under49 U.S.C. Section 1136(a)(2) (including but not limited to DOJ, DOS, and NTSB) on an ongoing basis toensure thatfamilies of passengers receive an appropriate level of service and assistance following an accident. 26.Southwest Airlines will commit sufficient resources to carry out our Family Assistance Plan. 27.Southwest Airlines will provide adequate training to the employees and agents of Southwest to meetthe needs ofsurvivors and family members following an accident. 28.ln the event that Southwest Airlines volunteers assistance to United States citizens within the United States with respectto an aircraft accident outside the United States involving major loss of life, Southwest will consult with the National Transportation Safety Board and the Department ofState onthe provision ofthe assistance. 29.ln the event that Southwest Airlines is involved in an accident that results in significant damage to a manmade structure or other property on the ground that is not government-owned, Southwest will promptly provide notice, in writing (to the extent practicable), directly to the owner of the structure or other property about liability for any property damage and meansfor obtaining compensation. The written notice shall advise an owner to: (a) contact the insurer of the property as the authoritative source for information about coverage and compensation; (b) to not rely on unofficial information offered by air carrier representatives about compensation bythe aircarrierfor accident site property damage; and (c)to obtain photographic or other detailed evidence of property damage as soon as possible after the accident, consistent with restrictions on access tothe accident site. 30.In the event that an accident involving Southwest Airlines requires an NTSB public hearing or comparable proceeding at a location greater that 80 miles from the accident site, Southwest will ensure that proceedings will be available simultaneously byelectronic means at alocation open tothe public at boththe origin city and destination city of the Southwest flight, if that city is located in the United States.

c:\users\e271 27\appdata\local\m icrosoft\windows\tem porary internet files\low\conlent.ie5\ff2r4zgd\southwest%20airlines%20family%20assistance%20plan%20december'%2020 14[1 ).docx Last updated 12/24/14

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