Page 37 - RADC Bulletin 2022

BAFO’s mission statement is “BAFO exists to encourage education and good practice in forensic odontology and recognise, review performance and mentor member practitioners in forensic odontology”.1
BAFO provides an excellent CPD resource for forensic odontology and the wider forensic science disciplines. Exchanging case histories, learning from one another, with lessons identified promotes quality assurance in the field. Every year they hold an annual autumn conference. I attended the virtual autumn conference in 2021 but had the privilege to attend in person an additional spring conference in May 2022.
Held at the Fire Service College in Moreton-in-Marsh; a previous RAF base from 1941-1959, it is now a highly equipped fire service training facility for all possible emergencies and disasters. It also has
the largest fire service library and vast collections of fire-related fine art in the world. To name drop the only copy left of “The Accounts of the Great Fire of London” and the world famous “Saved” by Charles Vigor.2 I would like to thank the Fire Service Heritage Society for giving us permission to print this art work for the bulletin.
Under the command of Wg Cdr Clarkson; Maj Padgett-Duncan, Maj Brown, Surg Lt RN John, LCpl Fox and I all attended from the DDIT. The focus of this conference was the understanding of fire and the consequences for analysis of post mortem evidence and forensic human identification.
We started with the science of fire and various scenarios, with a demonstration of several car fires. This was to show how little fuel is needed, how quickly combustion can take place, the different temperatures in each compartment and how the design of the car can dramatically alter it’s spread.
We also had presentations from the fire service and forensic anthropologists regarding extinguishing fires, recovery techniques and the variable state of incinerated remains respectively.
We also observed various forensic technology that was advertised to
assist in the detection of incinerated remains. Although the more experienced odontologists had their reservations on how effectively these would work this led to good open debate and looking to other future options/technologies.
The fire service college also allowed us to take a tour of their disaster simulations. Showcasing vast workable disaster scenarios from train collisions, buildings collapses and maritime incidents. We were also driven on the M96, the UKs shortest motor way of 370 m, used for filming mass car incidents but also fire/paramedic training.
Our training throughout the conference also included the roles of the fire investigator and the forensic anthropologist, outlining the role played in multiple cases from small
to large scale fire-related tragedies. There were notable systematic studies on heat- induced alterations of teeth and the impact that would have on our analysis as forensic odontologists.
We conveniently also managed to grab
a photo of the team in front of the Fire Services College logo. Those with keen eyes would have noticed an RADC veteran, Col Jim Hardy.
Colonel Hardy was the first member of the Armed Forces Medical Services to obtain
a recognised postgraduate qualification
in Forensic Odontology – The Diploma in Forensic Odontology in 1987. On posting to RAF Halton as OIC Postgraduate Institute
in 1996, he persuaded Air Vice Marshall
Ian McIntyre, at the time Chief Executive
to the Tri-Service Defence Dental Agency, that Forensic Dentistry should become a tri-service responsibility. Until that time,
the forensic dental capability had been the responsibility of the Department of Aviation Medicine supported by an RAF on-call Dental Officer stationed at RAF Halton.
A tri-service Dental Identification Team was established and trained in-house by Surg Lt Cdr Brian Chittick, Wg Cdr Elliot Rhodes, Col Jim Hardy and others. Members of the team were frequently on duty, in the mortuary at the John Radcliffe Hospital, during Op Telic and Op Herrick to help support the identification of repatriated military personnel.
Colonel Hardy was part of a small team deployed at the request of the SIB to Basra, Iraq in 2003, and he was the first UK dentist to be deployed, on New Year’s Eve 2004, to Phuket following the Asian Tsunami. He is an admired mentor and highly respected member of the RADC and dental forensic world.
Reflecting back on the weekend it was a really valuable insight into the whole theme of fire-related incidents and the analysis for forensic odontologists. I am very thankful for the support of Wg Cdr Clarkson for us all to attend. If you are interested in learning more about the team, please do contact any member of the team.
Reference: BAFO. bafo.org.uk. Updated April 2022. Accessed August 02, 2022. https:// www.bafo.org.uk
Saved. artuk.org. Updated August
2022. Accessed August 02, 2022. https:// d3d00swyhr67nd.cloudfront.net/w944h944/ collection/GLW/FSC/GLW_FSC_PCF15-001. jpg [Rights and Permissions approved by the Fire Service Collage August 03, 2022]
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