Kenyon International Information and Updates

KENYON INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

Kenyon used Interpol's Disaster Victim Identification Protocol. Please click on Interpol's Disaster Victim Identification Protocol to better understand this process.

For over 100 years, Kenyon has provided unparalleled comprehensive services to
businesses, governments, and individuals planning for and responding to crises involving the injury or loss of human life.

Kenyon’s mission is to help people and organizations survive and transition through the normal processes of shock, grief, and loss from natural disasters, accidents and deliberate attacks. While Kenyon is not in the prevention business and cannot undo an event, since 1906 we have assisted people and organizations through the phases of planning, response, recovery and mitigation for several hundred major events around
the world.

For those companies and governments with moderate risk, to worldwide organizations whose exposure is considerable and ever present, Kenyon is ready to help you prepare for, respond to and recover from the unique demands and requirements of injury and loss of human life.

Today, Kenyon is a privately-held, but widely-known, international business with over a century of history. Kenyon began in 1906, when the London and South Western Railway boat train jumped its tracks and crashed in Salisbury, England. Brothers Herbert
and Harold Kenyon of JH Kenyon Limited deployed from London to work with the Coroner and Chief Constable to prepare and repatriate the deceased, nearly all of whom were American. After embalming the deceased, Herbert escorted five aboard the Cunard Steamer RMS Carmania from Liverpool to New York.

Kenyon’s first civilian disaster response occurred on November 7, 1929 when an Imperial Airways Junkers monoplane crashed in England. From that point on, “Kenyons” were called upon to respond to many aviation disasters including the booming airship business throughout Europe. Initial support was limited to providing traditional funeral services, funerals and repatriation.

Kenyon gradually acquired the reputation for managing all mortuary operations including identification and return of personal belongings, and was often called upon at short notice to deploy to non-aviation incidents to provide the same services. To meet this growing demand, Kenyon created “Kenyon Emergency Services” in 1975, with a major incidents team headed by Sir Harold Kenyon’s grandson, Christopher Kenyon.

In 1996, Kenyon Emergency Services was acquired by an American public company, Service Corporation International and renamed “Kenyon International Emergency Services.” Headquarters were relocated to Houston, TX, home of Service Corporation International.

Since then, new offices and services were added to meet the growing demand from aviation, private business and governments. Available services expanded to include direct support to families: counseling, telephone inquiry centers and crisis communications.

In 2007, Kenyon International Emergency Services was privately acquired, returning to its roots of focusing on its core business of caring for people, businesses and governments impacted by crisis. Today it remains the only firm of its type offering comprehensive resources and experience for every type of aviation disaster, natural disaster, war or terror.

Feb. 19,2010 Update
Recovery work has continued at the Hotel Montana and surrounding building. Specialized
teams from Canada, United States, and Mexico continue to deconstruct the buildings and
recover loved ones and their property. Since the Sunday, 12 February Update, an additional
12 loved ones have been recovered, for a total of 58. With regard to those 58, the following
has occurred:
While the numbers of loved ones recovered has decreased over this period the pace of work
has not. Quite often in building deconstruction there are periods of decreased recovery.
Crews are maintaining careful vigilance and focus. Please note also that portions of the
Hotel Montana collapsed onto surrounding buildings. These loved ones have been
recovered and are reflected in the above chart.
Families and friends should continue to stay in contact with their governments. Please
understand that even though a government has taken custody of deceased there is still a
formal identification and repatriation process that must be completed. This often takes
several days to complete.
While some Haitian families have contacted us, we urge those who may have loved ones
missing to contact us, so we can identify and release their loved ones also.
Transfers to National Governments
French Government Custody 5
Canadian Government Custody 5
United States Government Custody 15
Identified and Released
Colombian 1
Haitian 5
Dutch 1
Identified and Not Released
Haitian 6
Unidentified (W/ Kenyon) 20

While Kenyon does not normally release specific names, we want to ensure, along with all
other parties that are involved in this process that the fullest possible accounting is made.
Therefore, if you believe your loved one was or could have been in the Hotel Montana, and
you are not a citizen of the USA, Canada or France, and are not listed below please contact
us or your National Government because we have no information or records to use to
identify your loved one.
Mr. Gregory McAlpin
Mr. Rosemond James
Mr. Siegfried J. Francisco
Again, we have not listed Canadian, Colombian, French or American Nationals because their
governments have or had teams on site and have also been invited to review the loved ones
in Kenyon’s custody.
If you believe your loved one was in the Montana and not a national citizen of those
countries please contact us via hotelmontana@kenyoninterantional.com.
Personal Belongings-
A large number of suitcases and other luggage have and are being collected and stored.
Kenyon is noting any names on these and providing those names to National Governments
that have requested it. Many governments have begun retrieving these precious belongings.
Kenyon is on site because our (non-government) client would like to ensure their deceased
staff and families are recovered and indentified, some of whom were at the Hotel Montana.
Typically this is a government function. No single government has taken responsibility for
the overall process, only for those they believe to be their citizens.
For more information please refer www.kenyoninternational.com/info1.htm/
For those individuals and all who have lost loved ones in Haiti, Kenyon expresses our
deepest sympathies. We are very sorry.

Feb. 7th Update
Kenyon can’t even begin to imagine the pain, anger or confusion experienced by the families
and friends of those who are missing and believed to be entombed in the rubble of the Hotel
Montana. For those individuals and all who have lost loved ones in Haiti, Kenyon expresses
our deepest sympathies.

Background –

The Hotel Montana site consists of multiple buildings, including the main hotel building.
The majority of recoveries have occurred from the main building. Primary recovery efforts
are focused on that building. Recoveries have been made from some of the surrounding
buildings but at present (7 February 2010,) no further recovery work has been undertaken
for those surrounding buildings.

From 12 January to 25 January, various search and rescue teams worked at the Hotel
Montana site. In addition to the Search and Recue Teams, Disaster Victim Identification
teams from France and Chile were also on site. They identified and subsequently repatriated
some of their national citizens. The exact number is unknown at this time, but is believed to
be less than 10. The deceased they believed Haitian, were returned to their families or other
disposition made. The exact number is unknown, but also believed to be less than 5.
There were also 7 human remains that were not claimed by the French or Chilean teams.
They were also believed to be non-Haitians. On 25 January, Kenyon took custody of these
remains and moved them to a refrigerated holding area.

Since 25 January, Kenyon has maintained a team on the Hotel Montana site. From the 25th
of January, an additional 25 human remains have been recovered. Of these remains, 1 was
identified as Colombian national and repatriated to Colombia; 2 were identified as Canadian
Nationals and are in the process of being repatriated to Canada; 2 were believed to be
French Nationals, and the French Gendarmerie took custody of these deceased on site; 6
were believed to be American, and the US Army took custody of these deceased on site; and
1 was a Haitian National whose family took custody on site. All other deceased have been
transferred to a refrigerated holding area.

Identification Process -

When a deceased is recovered, the remains are searched for any documents that help
establish that person’s identity. This is called a tentative identification. It is just the
beginning of the process. The remains then undergo an identification examination. During
the examination, records such as dental x-rays, fingerprints, and physical characteristics are
noted. These identifications records are then compared to ante-mortem records collected
from the families. When two records match, a positive identification is established.

While this seems bureaucratic and time consuming, especially when a deceased is found with
a wallet or “recognized” by family, there are simply too many cases of misidentification
based on those criteria, even in cases involving as few as one deceased. Additionally, in
order for families to probate estates, complete necessary legal and insurance requirements
detailed death certificates and identification documents are required. That is why these
standards for positive identification were established by INTERPOL and are followed as
best practice.

Probably one of the hardest realities is that not all people believed to be lost in the Hotel
Montana may be recovered from the Hotel Montana. That is not for a lack of effort. The
US Government has reported that they will completely deconstruct the Hotel Montana. The
reality is that some who were believed to be in the Montana may have been elsewhere or
potentially rescued and expired at local hospitals or aid stations.

For the fullest possible accounting, and to assure all families that all deceased recovered are
returned to the correct families, following the INTERPOL standards is the best way to
achieve this.

Current Process –

Families and friends should be in contact with their governments, most often a State
Department or Department of Foreign Affairs. They should provide the offices with dental
records, fingerprints and have completed a detailed questionnaire about the missing persons.
In some case the governments may also ask the families including parents, spouses, children
and siblings to provide a cheek swab for DNA testing.

As previously mentioned when a deceased is recovered and a tentative identification is
established the US and French take custody of those remains from the site. Many remains
are recovered without tentative identification. All other deceased are transported to a
refrigerated holding area.

Kenyon is currently conducting identification exams of these remains, and is working with
National Governments to transfer those records to them or more hopefully have them
provide forensic experts who have access to the antemortem records, so identifications can
more quickly be made.

Kenyon is on site only because our client (non-government) would like to ensure the
deceased staff and families are recovered and indentified, some of whom were at the Hotel
Montana. Typically this is a government function; but, no single government has taken
action for the overall process, only for those they believed to be their citizens.

How families can help –

Work with your national governments, and if you wish provide us with copies of the records that we can use to help identify the deceased.

Personal Belongings-

Suitcases and other luggage are being collected and stored on site. Kenyon is noting any
names on these and providing those names to National Governments that have asked.

For more information please refer www.kenyoninternational.co

m/info1.htm

If you have ante mortem information or are a family member you may reach us at
hotelmontana@kenyoninternational.com. However, your first and best source of
information, is your National Government.