Administrative organization and function during the identification process for mass disasters--Canary Islands crash.

The administrative functions associated with large-scale medical and identification efforts in accident investigations are substantial and contribute directly to the overall conduct of the operation. We envisioned the administrative role as one primarily responsible for integration of all antemortem and postmortem information. This required each individual involved to be thoroughly familiar with the data. This required constructions of numerous lists, charts, and records. Secondly, its role involved data storage to document the identifications made. Finally, its role required summary status reporting both during and after the main investigation. Fortunately, we haven't had many accidents the size of the one occuring in the Canary Islands. However, this leaves us with little corporate knowledge on handling administrative matters. This article is designed to explain the who, what, why, and how administration was handled in this accident, and the lessons we learned.