Taylor Koepfler is a Senior DNA Analyst with the Wisconsin Department of Justice – Division of Forensic Science. She earned a master’s degree in Forensic and Investigative Science from West Virginia University, where her research and master’s thesis centered on the utilization of Rapid DNA technology.
Prior to her current role, Ms. Koepfler spent over five and a half years at the Marshall University Forensic Science Center (MUFSC). While at MUFSC, she further expanded her expertise in Rapid DNA technology through validating the ANDE® 6C Rapid DNA AnalysisTM System, creating standard operating procedures for Rapid DNA testing, and conducting testing on unidentified human remains (UHRs). During her tenure with MUFSC, Ms. Koepfler further advanced forensic processes for handling UHRs by enhancing sampling techniques and optimizing DNA extraction from complex bone samples.
Given recent mass disasters (e.g., attacks on the World Trade Center, Surfside condominium collapse, Maui wildfires), Ms. Koepfler has become particularly interested in the application of Rapid DNA technology for mass disaster victim identification efforts. Her goal is that the use of this forthcoming no-cost emergency response and preparedness toolkit and deploying Rapid DNA instrumentation will help to reunite families and loved ones with those missing or displaced during a mass disaster and provide closure as quickly as possible.
The National Institute of Justice (NIJ’s) Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (FTCOE), led by RTI International, is dedicated to elevating the status of forensic science through advancing technology, sharing knowledge, and addressing challenges encountered within the scientific and justice communities. Through engagement with early adopters, FTCOE develops no-cost, evidence-based resources that support technology adoption and knowledge transfer that aid forensic science service providers (FSSPs) in addressing and overcoming emerging challenges.
The following presents information about FTCOE’s partnership with MUFSC to develop a no-cost Rapid DNA Mass Disaster Emergency Response and Preparedness Toolkit to support the immediate deployment of Rapid DNA instrumentation for mass disaster events. This toolkit aims to furnish FSSPs with adaptable, essential resources for the preparation and deployment of Rapid DNA instrumentation to support disaster victim identification efforts.
Resources are Needed to Support Disaster Victim Identification Efforts
Ms. Koepfler’s passion for mass disaster victim identification stems from her belief in the collaborative, multidisciplinary approach essential for effective deployment. During her time at MUFSC, a partnership with ANDE® was established to validate the ANDE® 6C Rapid DNA Analysis™ System. This collaboration aimed to provide FSSPs across the nation with a reach-back service for mixture interpretation. Throughout the validation process and discussions on mass disaster response, MUFSC identified critical community needs for this technology, which inspired their commitment to bridging the gap by engaging end users and developing plans to enhance the use of Rapid DNA technology in the future.
The need for a robust response plan became even clearer when the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office partnered with MUFSC to create a mass disaster response plan. This collaborative effort highlighted the necessity of establishing a national resource, ultimately leading to FTCOE’s partnership with MUFSC to develop the forthcoming Rapid DNA Mass Disaster Emergency Response and Preparedness Toolkit. By supporting the immediate mobilization of Rapid DNA instrumentation, this toolkit will allow FSSPs to leverage their expertise for disaster victim identification, significantly reducing the impact on affected communities.
Ms. Koepfler is deeply committed to fostering a collaborative approach within the forensic and justice ecosystem, including law enforcement, medical examiners/coroners, crime scene investigators, and anthropologists. By promoting constructive collaboration among these professionals, a compassionate response that prioritizes rapid action, empathetic handling of family interviews, and the provision of adequate resources can be attained. Ultimately, these efforts aim to minimize the devastation experienced by communities affected by mass disasters and ensure that families receive the closure they need during their most challenging times.
Developing The Rapid DNA Mass Disaster Emergency Response and Preparedness Toolkit
This Rapid DNA Mass Disaster Emergency Response and Preparedness Toolkit is the product of four key development phases:
- Phase 1: Material was exchanged with FSSPs possessing prior experience in developing Rapid DNA mass disaster emergency response and preparedness plans. This material exchange aided in the identification of developed materials and protocols to establish a foundational framework for this toolkit. These materials were generalized to enhance the toolkit’s applicability across FSSPs, regardless of their varying policies, procedures, and protocols.
- Phase 2: A gap analysis was conducted with FSSPs experienced in deploying Rapid DNA instrumentation to mass disaster events for victim identification efforts. A questionnaire was designed to gather information on their experiences, protocols, and lessons learned spanning from prior to after their deployment. Follow-up virtual interviews provided further insights, including illuminating information regarding deployment workflows and UHR evidence and sample inventory and tracking. Findings from this development phase identified areas for improvement and informed the development of additional resources and enhancements for this toolkit.
- Phase 3: Mock scenarios were developed and administered to FSSPs who possessed experience in deploying Rapid DNA technology and developing protocols for mass disaster events. The mock scenario exercises developed by FTCOE and MUFSC simulated three distinct disaster scenarios including a building collapse, wildfire, and plane crash. These mock scenarios were designed to assess these FSSPs’ protocols against various challenges, such as entrapment, scattering, and commingling of UHRs. These mock scenario exercises aimed to assess the adaptability of the FSSPs’ protocols to different disaster types and to identify additional resources and considerations to develop a comprehensive toolkit suited for application in a variety of disaster scenarios.
- Phase 4: The FTCOE/MUFSC toolkit development team observed a large-scale mass disaster exercise conducted by a collaborating FSSP, which utilized a mock scenario developed in phase three, to evaluate this toolkit’s effectiveness and identify any additional needs and enhancements for this toolkit.
Throughout these key development phases, engagement with early adopters helped identify five key areas for improvement: Strategy, Infrastructure, Sustainable Documentation, Collaboration, and Training. These gaps were specifically addressed in the development of toolkit materials, enhanced with disaster-specific resources to enable versatile deployment.
Engagement with previously deploying FSSPs further highlighted the critical need for early discussions about preparedness for mass disaster deployment that prioritize identifying key external collaborators, such as law enforcement and medical examiners/coroners, to establish relationships and clarify roles, given the inherently collaborative nature of responses of this type. Once these partnerships are formed, a multidisciplinary team can be assembled to develop a comprehensive mass disaster response protocol. However, this process is resource-intensive, demanding significant labor, time, and financial investment, as FSSPs may need to divert resources from routine casework.
The forthcoming release of this toolkit aims to mitigate these challenges by offering foundational resources, allowing FSSPs to adopt or enhance an emergency response and preparedness plan that is compatible with their current infrastructure, thereby offering valuable insights and tools for FSSPs at any stage of their emergency response and preparedness process and eliminating the need for FSSPs to start from scratch. This ready-made framework will allow FSSPs to dedicate efforts toward training internal personnel to respond effectively to a mass disaster and perform Rapid DNA testing according to established protocols.
Looking Forward
Based on the findings from the gap analysis phase of this toolkit’s development, two primary areas would benefit from further support. First, there is a need to make large-scale disaster events more accessible and resource efficient for FSSPs. By doing so, FSSPs can better integrate their laboratory systems into response plans and provide internal and external collaborators with the necessary training for efficient deployment. Although addressing this need in full was not entirely achievable during the development of this toolkit, FTCOE and MUFSC developed mock exercises that can be used as tabletop demonstrations to assist FSSPs in organizing deployment efforts.
Second, improving sample collection and processing techniques is essential to enhance results. Engagement with experienced FSSPs revealed a hierarchical approach to sample selection, as certain biological materials degrade faster than others. Identifying the lifespan of each biological source during various disaster events is crucial for guiding sample collection during deployments. Additionally, refining processing techniques—such as using ethanol to clean bone samples, rather than degrading DNA further with bleach or grinding bone into peppercorn-sized particles—can significantly improve downstream results.
FTCOE and MUFSC envision this toolkit as a crucial resource for FSSPs, enabling them to swiftly mobilize Rapid DNA instrumentation in any mass disaster scenario. With the foundational infrastructure provided by this toolkit, FSSPs can establish an efficient response plan from the outset, avoiding the need to develop their approach in hindsight. Additionally, this toolkit is designed to support integration into any laboratory system and state emergency response infrastructure, ensuring its adaptability and effectiveness across any multidisciplinary team.
Conclusion
Ms. Koepfler has found the most rewarding aspect of this project to be collaborating with FSSPs with prior experience in supporting the immediate deployment of Rapid DNA instrumentation during mass disaster events. Through leveraging their experiences, insights and lessons learned, FTCOE and MUFSC developed resources that will assist FSSPs without an emergency response plan in mobilizing with greater preparedness. By offering this resource to the community at no cost, FTCOE and MUFSC hope to lower the adoption and implementation barrier by enabling FSSPs who may not have the resources to allocate to these efforts to utilize the framework provided by this toolkit.
The forthcoming Rapid DNA Mass Disaster Emergency Response and Preparedness Toolkit will be published on the FTCOE website via the following link: https://forensiccoe.org/2024-toolkit-rapid-dna-emergency/.
