Collaborative Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) training for Australian military and civilian police: an overview of Exercise Zeus

<p>Civilian and military police forensic practitioners are periodically tasked with responding to mass fatality incidents and disasters. A key component of these responses is comprehensive pre-deployment preparation by first responders. Although collaboration is often necessary in the field, training is often organization- or sector-specific. In response to recent recognition of the potential benefits of collaboration between military police and civilian police, this commentary documents a collaborative training exercise undertaken at a taphonomic facility by Australian civilian and military police forensic practitioners, along with other forensic specialists. It discusses the rationale for collaborative training and some of the potential benefits of such exercises. The article concludes with some suggestions for consideration to further strengthen future training opportunities.</p>