12 January 2007

New DVI contract awarded to the University

STRICTLY EMBARGOED UNTIL 00:01 ON FRIDAY 12th JANUARY

The Unit of Anatomy and Forensic Anthropology within the University of Dundee’s College of Life Sciences has tendered successfully to be awarded a substantial contract to train police officers from all over the UK to form part of the new UK Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) response capability. These officers will be deployed to help identify victims of mass fatalities anywhere in the world. UK DVI is a joint initiative between the Home Office and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the UK government.

Officers will learn practical techniques in human identification and employ these skills when the UK DVI team is deployed to mass fatalities either within the UK or overseas following the death of British nationals. Recent incidents including the Bali bombings, the Asian Tsunami, the Sharm-el-Sheikh bombing and the Bahrain boat disaster are all examples of situations where these officers might use the skills they will acquire in Dundee.

The contract is the first of its kind in the UK and was awarded to a team led by Professor Sue Black, head of Anatomy and Forensic Anthropology at the University of Dundee. Professor Black and her team have extensive experience in DVI following deployments to incidents all over the world, including Kosovo, Iraq, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, Egypt and Thailand.

Each police force in the UK will identify officers who will be trained in a wide range of highly skilled tasks. Once selected, they will have three months to complete a rigorous theoretical awareness course which will be conducted fully within the virtual learning environment at Dundee. Successful completion of this phase allows progression to the practical stages of training that will occur in two parts. The first is a body recovery course run by Centrex (Centre for Policing Excellence) that will instruct officers on how to document and retrieve human remains at a disaster site.

In the second practical stage, cohorts of up to 45 officers at a time will attend a demanding week-long residential course in Dundee where they will not only be trained in a variety of disciplines appropriate to working in a temporary mortuary but also in awareness of issues pertaining to forensic pathology, forensic anthropology, forensic odontology, forensic radiography, mortuary management and tissue sampling. Expert teachers in each of these fields will be provided through the Centre for International Forensic Assistance (CIFA), which is the designated provider of non-police forensic, medical, scientific and technical personnel for the UK DVI team.

The training will lead to recognised academic awards of either Post-graduate Certificates or Diplomas in Disaster Victim Identification, with such qualifications - the first of their kind in the UK - being awarded jointly by both the University of Dundee and Centrex.

Professor Sue Black, head of Anatomy and Forensic Anthropology at the University of Dundee says, "This is a marvellous opportunity to play a significant part in training our national DVI team to work in situations that demand the highest levels of professionalism, stamina and commitment."

Graham Walker, UK DVI Commander, says "We know it is a case of when, not if, UK Police will be called on to recover and identify the victims of a mass fatality incident. The series of tragic events since the millennium, together with scientific advances means it is time to take training to an unprecedented level. This venture will prepare officers and staff for the demanding tasks they face, allowing them to do the very best for families and friends."

Assistant Chief Constable, Graham Sunderland, ACPO lead on DVI says "After so much work to establish the UK DVI Team nationally and internationally I am pleased that the University of Dundee has been awarded the contract and I really look forward to the future, to establishing the UK DVI Team on the world stage so that UK victims get the service they deserve".

Graham Walker and Prof Black will be available for interview on Thursday 11th January at 3pm. To book time with them, please call Anna Day on 01382 384768.

For media enquiries contact:

Anna Day
Press Office
University of Dundee
Nethergate Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384768
E-MAIL: a.c.day@dundee.ac.uk