Operation Phuket officially ends

Operation Phuket  - the New Zealand response to the Boxing Day 2004 tsunami - came to an end on 28 February this year, fourteen-and-a-half months after it all began.

The NZ Police contribution to the recovery effort began on 30 December 2004 when a group consisting of three Headquarters staff, nine DVI and five Emergency Response Team (ERT) members departed New Zealand. They overnighted in Darwin, arrived in Phuket on New Years Eve and commenced the New Zealand effort in Thailand.

Senior Sergeant Geoff Logan, National Coordinator SAR/DVI, was the last member deployed to Thailand, concluding the NZ Police disaster victim identification (DVI) function.

Following two earlier rotations, his final five-week rotation to Bangkok finished on 2 March with an emphasis on handing DVI systems and processes over to the Thais. “The last deployment was significantly different to Phuket,” says Geoff.

“The Information Management Centre moved from Phuket to the Royal Thai Police Headquarters in Bangkok to enable the Thai Police to continue with the DVI process.”

As the repatriation team leader, Geoff’s main function included preparing files to go before the Identification Board to enable identified bodies to be returned to their families.

“The Repatriation team had to prepare ante-mortem and post-mortem files for return to the countries of origin for identified people, whilst I completed the training and mentoring of our Thai counterparts,” says Geoff.

“The people we trained took on the lessons learned, had a good work ethic and achieved good results.”

The corresponding team work is something that Geoff recalls as a lasting memory.

“The best thing was the team ethic within the rotations and among the international community – both at the Information Management Centre and the various mortuary sites we participated in.”

While Geoff was in Bangkok the 3000th positive identification was made. “With the DVI process nearing its end, the more difficult identifications remain.  Obviously, these will take longer and be harder to establish a positive ID.

“When I left, an average of 20 positive identifications were being made per week with 700 bodies still to identify out of approximately 4,500. My initial expectation was that probably half the bodies would be left out at sea, but in excess of 80 percent of those reported missing have been recovered. However more bodies have been found than reported missing.

“This could suggest that, in some cases, there was no one left to report missing family members and some victims may not have been known to be in Thailand.”

Geoff says being part of an international response to such a significant event has been immensely beneficial to individual police staff and to the entire organisation.

“It has enabled us to establish international networks and enhance our international reputation based on the professionalism displayed.

“As a country we will realise the benefit of having a greater DVI capacity and capability and I want to thank all police staff, districts and the Police Liaison Officers in Bangkok for their support while members were deployed as part of Operation Phuket.  The support from OoC was also exceptional.”

A ceremony in Bangkok on 28 February 2006 marked the official handover of full responsibility of the international effort to the Royal Thai Police.

Police first to get new medal

New Zealand Police officers were among the first ever recipients of the New Zealand Special Service Medal (Asian Tsunami) for their Operation Phuket efforts.

The medal was instituted in December 2005 to recognise New Zealanders involved in rescue, relief and rehabilitation efforts in areas devastated by the earthquake off the coast of Sumatra and the resulting tsunami of 26 December 2004.