NTSB -- NTSB CHAIRMAN HERSMAN DISCUSSED THE NEED FOR FAMILY ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS DURING REMARKS AT INTERNATIONAL AIR SAFETY SEMINAR, ANNOUNCED SAFETY BOARD'S 2011 INTERNATIONAL FAMILY ASSISTANCE CONFERENCE

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NTSB PRESS RELEASE

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National Transportation Safety Board

Washington, DC 20594

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 3, 2010

SB- SB-10-43

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NTSB CHAIRMAN HERSMAN DISCUSSED THE NEED FOR FAMILY

ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS DURING REMARKS AT INTERNATIONAL AIR

SAFETY SEMINAR, ANNOUNCED SAFETY BOARD'S 2011

INTERNATIONAL FAMILY ASSISTANCE CONFERENCE

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Washington, DC - National Transportation Safety Board

Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman today stressed the need to

create a more formal process worldwide to assist survivors

and family members of aviation accidents. Also, at the 63rd

annual International Air Safety Seminar in Milan, Italy, she

announced the upcoming international family assistance

conference to be hosted by the NTSB, in Washington, D.C., on

March 28 and 29, 2011.

"I have been on-scene at approximately 20 major

transportation accidents, and I can tell you first-hand that

having the family assistance team on site is a great asset,"

Hersman said. "And, based on conversations with colleagues

from other transportation safety organizations around the

world, there is a growing need for family assistance

programs."

In her remarks, Hersman highlighted the passage, by

Congress, of the Aviation Disaster Family Assistance Act in

1996 which requires airlines in the United States to have

disaster contingency plans in place so assistance can be

deployed immediately after a tragedy occurs. The Act also

assigned the Safety Board the responsibility to oversee the

government's family assistance efforts. To meet this need,

the NTSB created a Transportation Disaster Assistance (TDA)

division and hired professionals from the mental health and

forensic pathology fields. TDA is responsible for

overseeing the four critical aspects of family assistance:

notification to families, dissemination of information about

the accident and investigation, victim recovery and

identification, and locating and returning personal effects.

"For more than 13 years, TDA has been directing family

assistance in the United State and our outstanding

professionals are prepared to handle almost any circumstance

that arises," Hersman said. "This has taken time and a

willingness to constantly learn and refine our approach.

Ultimately, we judge our success by real, on the ground

results."

Chairman Hersman's complete remarks are available at:

http://ntsb.gov/Speeches/hersman/daph101102.html.

NTSB Media Contact: Terry N. Williams

(202) 314-6100

williat@xxxxxxxx

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