FOI 427935
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST REFERENCE NO: 427935
I write in connection with your request for information which was received on 21st August 2025. Please find below the response to your request:
I would like to request the following information relating to Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) provision within your force.
Where possible, please provide total counts disaggregated by gender where this information is recorded. I generally expect yes/no responses, but any additional context would be gratefully appreciated.
- Staffing and Deployment
* The number of officers/staff currently trained in DVI within your force (please indicate gender if recorded).
* The number of DVI-trained officers/staff deployed in the last five years, and the categories of incidents they were deployed to (please group as: terrorism, transport incidents, industrial accidents, and natural disasters) - total numbers only, to preserve anonymity.
* Which department or unit within the force is responsible for DVI planning and deployment.
* The typical length of service an officer/staff member remains active on the DVI roster once trained (e.g., average number of years, or whether there is a set term).
* Whether your force applies any suitability checks or criteria prior to deployment of DVI-trained officers (e.g., health, psychological readiness, or operational availability).
Reply
Your request for information has been considered in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (“the Act”), and I am not obliged to provide the information requested.
S.12(1) of the Act states that a public authority is not obliged to comply with a request for information if the authority estimates that the cost of complying with the request would exceed the “appropriate limit”. For police forces in England and Wales, the "appropriate limit" is £450 or 18 hours of work as set by the Freedom of Information (Fees and Appropriate Limit) Regulations 2004.
The information you have requested for question 2 regarding incidents is not available in a readily retrievable format, incidents would need to be reviewed individually to establish if someone DVI trained was allocated. In order to ascertain whether the information you have requested is held would take in excess of 18 hours as each record would have to be checked individually.
In accordance with s.17(5) of the Act, this acts as a Refusal Notice.
However, In accordance with Section 16 of the Act I have a duty to provide advice and assistance in relation to your request and can provide the information requested for questions 3, 4 and 5 as this was retrieved during our initial research. This should not be taken as a precedent that additional information would be supplied outside of the time/fees legislation for any subsequent requests
Q1 would be subject to exemption
* Which department or unit within the force is responsible for DVI planning and deployment. Operations Planning, Force Operations Department.
* The typical length of service an officer/staff member remains active on the DVI roster once trained (e.g., average number of years, or whether there is a set term). NIH on typical length. Once attended the initial course each officer must attend a refresh course every two years to remain in date with this skill.
* Whether your force applies any suitability checks or criteria prior to deployment of DVI-trained officers (e.g., health, psychological readiness, or operational availability). Yes, officers are screened. Regular checks and preservation take place prior, during and after any incident.