Helping Families through Emergencies | Aviation International News

Helping Families through Emergencies

Fireside Partners’ Gina Shealy advises on the difficult task of family notification

Gina Shealy — Gina Shealy, emergency operations manager at Fireside Partners speaking at the Air Charter Safety Foundation’s 2026 Safety Summit. © ACSF

By Kerry Lynch • Editor, AIN monthly magazine

July 1, 2026

Notifying a family of the worst possible news is a difficult and delicate task, one that takes the right person and one that should be done immediately, advised Gina Shealy, emergency operations manager at Fireside Partners.

“You don’t want to be an expert at that,” she told attendees at the Air Charter Safety Foundation’s 2026 Safety Summit. Interacting with the family is difficult, Shealy said, noting that this is true even after she has done dozens of different notifications.

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The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background.

The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background.

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