Funeral Directing Chapter 14: Shipping Human Remains

All documents (certified copiers, burial and/or a transit permit, non-contagious disease sweater, and embalmers non-contraband affidavit) required by the individual countries must have a "___, ___, or ___ seal." These terms refer to the use of a device to impress the insignia of a notary seal or issue agency on a document. This requirement cannot be fulfilled by the use of a rubber stamp.

Dry, raised, or impressed seal

All airlines require the body to be ___.

Embalmed

The development of ___ and ___ also influenced domestic shipping in this country.

Embalming and the Civil War

When shipping human remains to a foreign country, it is necessary that the shipping funeral director call the ___ (or consulate of jurisdiction of the foreign country) to verify the current regulations and any fees for services rendered.

Embassy

The process of domestic shipping today usually begins with a phone call from a ___ who informs the funeral director that a death has occured away from home

Family member

In World War I, fallen soldiers were prepared in a nearby morgue affiliated with a new branch of service known as ___.

Graves Registration Service

When was the impact Dr. Thomas Holmes had on funeral service discovered?

In 1861 when the Civil War broke out and he became a commissioned officer in the Union Army

Many countries require an "___ and/or ___." This requires an actual visit by a representative of the consulate or embassy to view the body, casket/contents, and outer container.

Inspection and/or sealing of casket

It wasn't until 2004 that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) developed the "___" policy. This war was in place to provide a barrier to terrorists seeking to use air cargo to impose harm on innocent people.

Known shipper

After the ___, transporting human remains via airlines became much more efficient and expeditious.

Korean War

All countries require "___" of the documents stating the regulations. This legalization refers to the examination by representatives of the embassy or consulate of the specifically mentioned documents. The documents will have the seal of the governmental agency impressed on the attesting to their authenticity. These documents must accompany the shipment.

Legalization or authentication

The pinnacle point in domestic shipping began with what?

Lincoln declaring that all Union officers killed in action were to be prepared and sent back to their hometown for burial

When did the masses become aware of the importance of domestic shipping?

Lincoln's assassination

Should you send flowers with a shipment overseas?

No. This constitutes a quarantine situation and may result in returning the remains to the country of origin at the shipper's expense.

Where are President Lincoln and Willie buried?

Oakridge Cemetery

The average funeral director will have between ___ and ___ of their case calls each year that has been domestically shipped to them for final disposition.

One and five

After being embalmed, the soldier was dressed and placed in a ___, delivered to the nearest ___, and sent back to his place of origin.

Pine rectangular box, train station

Transporting human remains via commercial airlines can best be divided into two periods of time, i.e. ___ and ___.

Pre 9-11 and post 9-11

The third and final element that influenced domestic shipping was ___.

President Lincoln

During the ___ era and the War of 1812, soldiers killed in battle were usually buried in the closet local cemetery near the battlefield.

Revolutionary War

The apostille is obtained by the agency of each individual state that issues notary or a governmental agency seals. This may be a ___ or a ___.

Secretary of state or a country registrar

Failure to comply fully with the regulations of the country of destination may result in refusal to permit the entry of the human remains shipment at its subsequent return to the US. This would happen at the ___ expense.

Shipping funeral director's

The combo is ___ in size than a casket and is constructed of a wooden bottom unit and a cardboard top that usually has padding on the interior. It creates a ridged container that all airlines except as a standard shipping unit for human remains.

Smaller

How many soldiers was Holmes responsible for preparing for shipping home?

Some 4,000

The person delivering the body would send a ___ to the soldier's hometown informing the family that his remains were going to be arriving at the train station at a specific time.

Telegram

The ___ or ___ will need to issue a letter stating that the death is not due to a contagious disease if the death certificate is pending a cause of death.

The coroner or medical examiner

Apostille

The verification of a notary seal or governmental agencies you enter the accompanying signature

Even with the railroad, when people died away from home, they were usually buried a that location because ___.

There was no means of retarding the natural decomposition of the human body.

Two years into Lincoln's presidency, he experienced the tragic and unexpected death of his ___ son.

Third

Decisions by the family will need to be made quickly common sense in many countries of the body will be buried after ___ days without the family's consent

Three days

With the advent of the ___ in the early 1800s, people began to venture outside their local community and explore the United States

Transcontinental railroad

Some countries require documents to be ___.

Translated into their native language

The funeral professional is required to produce ___ forms of identification, a ___ ID and their ___ or ___.

Two, a picture ID and their state license or registration card

After a given period of time, the family may be able to disinter the body and return it to the United States. However, in many countries this cannot occur for a minimum of ___ years and may be as long as ___ years.

Two, fifteen

What did Willie Lincoln die from?

Typhoid fever

The standard practice to protect the remains of an unembalmed body while ensuring that fluid leaking will not occur, is to place the body in a ___ case

Ziegler

Many countries still require the use of an ___ outer shipping box that may also require a zinc lining.

All-wooden

Neither the ___ nor the ___ will provide funds to return a US citizen home.

American Embassy, department of state

How much would the common soldier pay to ensure they would be embalmed and sent home if they died?

As much as $100

Additionally, if there is a situation where are the remains or to be shipped to a neighboring country and then transported to the country of final disposition, ___ countries regulations must be complied with.

Both

Who could be held responsible and liable for clean-up costs for a body that leaks outside the shipping container and creates a biohazard incident?

Both the sending funeral home and the receiving funeral home

Dr. ___ Brown, an embalmer surgeon, was summoned to the White House, where he prepared and embalmed young William's remains.

Charles

Human remains that are not casketed can be shipped in a shipping unit called a "___."

Combo

The US Embassy will issue a "___" that is excepted by insurance companies and other businesses, such as banks, that require a death certificate

Consular Report of a Death Overseas

The representative may require examination of the remains and/or clothing with verification of identity. The containers are sealed by ___ or ___ tied around the casket and held in place by a ___ impressed with the seal of the embassy or consulate.

Cords or ribbons, sealing wax

Many foreign countries either do not issue ___ or will not issue one that has a cause of death on it.

Death certificates

Graves Registration Service developed a way of tracking soldiers via ___, thus reducing greatly the amount of bodies that were unknown.

Dog tags

___ in the funeral industry can be defined as the returning of human remains to a place of origin for final ceremonies and disposition.

Domestic shipping

Who is the father of embalming?

Dr. Thomas Holmes

If the person's religious convictions do not permit embalming, most airlines will permit an unembalmed body that is packed in ___ or with ___.

Dry ice or with ice packs

The WWII era was the first time that the three forms (i.e. ___, ___, ___) of shipping were used to return remains to their place of origin.

Air, rail, sea

When a funeral home ships human remains, the following are some of the documentation that are required:

-Photo ID issued by a government agency and your state funeral directors license -death certificate for the deceased -burial/transit paperwork -permit letter of non-contagious disease -embalmer's affidavit -passport of the deceased (if obtainable) for international shipping -letter on funeral home letterhead stating: "only human remains are inside the casket," the flight itinerary, and the consignee's name, address, and telephone number

Shipping procedures for casketed remains:

-The body should be lowered to the bottom of the casket -The face and hands should be covered to prevent cosmetics from accidentally rubbing on the interior of the casket -A box should be placed at the foot of the casket between the bottom of the deceased feet and the end of the casket. This will prevent the body from shifting within the casket during transportation. -If using a metal casket, because it may be locked; however, the cap that covers the key mechanism should be placed in the information envelope on top of the shipping box. Due to the compression process that a plane experiences during flight, if this is not done, the top can collapse, this damaging the casket. This will not happen on wooden caskets because the watching mechanism does not produce an airtight seal. if using a metal casket, the casket may be locked; however, the That covers the key mechanism should be placed in the information envelope on top of the shipping box. Due to the compression process that a plane experiences during flight, if this is not done, the top can collapse, thus damaging the casket. This will not happen on wooden caskets because the watching mechanism does not produce an airtight seal. -All airlines require a casket to be placed in a wooden bottom and cardboard talk shipping unit. The shipping container will prevent the casket from being damaged in flight. The shipping container can only be used once and then must be discarded. all airlines require a casket to be placed in a wooden bottom and cardboard top shipping unit. The shipping container will prevent the casket from being damaged in flight. The shipping container can only be used once and then must be discarded. -All flight information needs to be placed on the shipping envelope, which is attached at the head of the shipping container. In addition to the shipping information, the deceased name as well as the funeral home of final destination should be clearly marked. Most funeral homes of pre-printed envelopes for the specific purpose. of flight information needs to be placed on the shipping envelope, which is attached at the head of the shipping container. In addition to the shipping information, the deceased name as well as the funeral home of final destination should be clearly marked. Most funeral homes have pre-printed envelopes for this specific purpose. -The body transit permit should also be enclosed in the envelope. In most states, the body transit permit and the burial permit or one in the same. A body should never be shipped without the appropriate authorizing documentation.

When shipping a body and a combo unit, the following protocols should be followed:

-plastic undergarment (pants) should be used -at minimum, the body should have a hospital gown on -The body should be wrapped in a sheet so that the receiving funeral director will be able to remove the body more easily -Do not wrap the body in plastic. Moisture could accumulate and possibly cause mold. -when shipping clothing, the clothing should be sent in a plastic garment bag -The body should be anchored to the bottom of the combo by the interior nylon straps provided -All flight information needs to be placed on the shipping envelope, which is attached at the head of the shipping container. It addition to the shipping information, the deceased name in the funeral home of final destination should be clearly marked. -this is a one time use container and must be discarded after use. Airlines will not allow multiple uses of combo or shipping containers. Human remains will be rejected by airlines if a funeral director attempts to reuse all these units

The entire process may take ___ working days, many telephone calls, and additional trips to secure all the items required.

10-14

Always allow at least ___ additional hours from the time the flight actually arrives in the US to schedule services.

24

Some airlines have a weight limit of how many pounds?

300

Unidentified human remains were the greatest reason why ___% of all soldiers were not able to be returned back to their families during the Civil War era

42%

Slain soldiers from the Gulf War were on American soil ___ hours after being killed in action.

48

Today in most states, a ___ or ___ are the only ones who are allowed to deliver or receive human remains from and airport.

A licensed funeral director or licensed trainee

Relatives were usually notified of the death via a ___ or ___.

A telegram or when people accompanying the deceased returned back home