For Immediate Release
September 20, 2001Contact: John Hammond, Director of Public Relations, 210/733-2147, jhammond@accd.edu
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SAC Mortuary Science Faculty to Assist with Terrorist
Victims
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| All four of the San Antonio College Mortuary Science faculty have volunteered
to assist the families of the September 11 terrorist victims, according
to Coordinator Frank Solis. “We had one hour to decide, after being asked to volunteer,” said Solis. “I am very impressed that all of our faculty, two of whom are married with children under three, have agreed to do this.” He explained that funeral director volunteers are only being asked to help for a two-week period, because of the stress and the difficulties of being separated from their families. The faculty will therefore go in teams of two at a time to allow the department to continue functioning. He said the total effort is expected to take as long as three months, so they could be called on at any time during that period. Solis described their two-part job as: 1. meeting with and helping families complete a seven-page survey form to help workers identify victims, then 2. after the bodies have been photographed and identified, preparing the bodies for burial, using full-sized caskets which will then be transported to the funeral homes of the families’ choice. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is overseeing the entire effort. They will be working as part of the Disaster Mortuary Organized Response (D-MORT) team, for which mortuary science faculty have been certified after receiving both state and federal training. The team includes medical examiners, coroners, anthropologists, dental assistants, x-ray technicians, funeral directors, security personnel, and administrative assistants, among others. Solis added that the Loewen International Group, an organization that owns several local funeral homes, has volunteered to pay all faculty expenses during their service. |
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1300 San Pedro Ave. • San Antonio, Texas • 78212-4299 • (210) 733-2147 |