[Preparedness for terrorist attack in the United States--the role of forensic pathologists and medical examiners].

Long distance airplanes hijacked by terrorists suddenly struck the World Trade Center in New York City on September 11, 2001. The city responded with efficient emergency service and there were a number of learning points for future planning. Early activation of the Disaster Mortuary Operation Response Team (DMORT) provided efficient family assistance by setting up a comprehensive Information Database Center and assisted the Medical Examiner in identifying the deceased. DMORT is a federally funded emergency service, made up of volunteer medical examiners and mortuary personnel, which responds to assist the local medical examiners in just such overwhelming emergency situations. We had been warned that Los Angeles was targeted as a probable site for similar attacks by terrorist groups. In response, Los Angeles has setup a far more advanced response system, the Coroner's Special Operation Response Team (SORT). SORT consists of over ten specialized units, one of which is the Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) Unit, staffed by qualified personnel, which provide continuing training, using standard procedures, drills and maintenance of many specialized protective equipment. Current urgent preparedness training includes the plans for maintaining government business continuity, safe keeping of electronic records, handling of multiple, widely spread fatalities through wrap, tag and hold program at multiple sites, using body bag, tag and hold procedure. Staff recruitment and training, development of equipment with the newly designed mobile facility for long range storage and field operation is an ongoing process in order to be able to respond effectively to any disaster. We still need expansion of training and equipment for handling cases of exposure to chemicals, biologic agents, radiation and nuclear energy. Plans in process are to have integration with DMORT and establish advance geographic information system, accomplished through the internet, and provide field reporting, commands and resource coordination in real time.