Most mass disasters occur suddenly and cause great panic, fear and confusion.
In our own experience, the Mayor's Emergency Management Team and various law enforcement officials not only provided the most current available information but also had a sense of what information was being sought by the victims' families and provided our team with expeditious security clearances and introductions to other volunteer members and victims' relatives. The nature of a particular mass disaster will dictate the nature of the expertise required. The following thoughts and guidelines have been assembled as a result of our committee's actual experience assisting the families of TWA Flight 800 victims. Much of our hands-on experience with this tragic event would apply to and benefit members of any mass disaster Response Team. The ability of the various Response Team members to quickly assemble, assess the nature of the particular disaster and to objectively project the immediate legal and related needs of the core group of victims the Response Team seeks to assist will determine the effectiveness of the Response Team's efforts.