Douglas Nohava, Certified Funeral Service Practitioner of Minnehaha Funeral Home, will serve as a member of a national disaster preparedness workgroup, helping the U.S. government and emergency services prepare for a potential mass-fatality disaster.

Nohava, CFSP at Minnehaha Funeral Homes in Dell Rapids, Baltic, Colton and Garretson, was selected to the National Funeral Directors Association Disaster Preparedness Group for 2012- 2013.

Members of the NFDA Disaster Preparedness Work Group are charged with developing a disaster preparedness and response action plan that will guide and assist the association in mobilizing funeral service volunteers, suppliers, and other crucial resources in the event of a catastrophic incident. This task force may be called upon to provide expert input on federal actions, proposals, and policies dealing with mass-fatality management, disaster preparedness, and related issues affecting funeral service.

Nohava, and NFDA committee members have a significant impact on the association, its members, and the funeral service profession at –large, said Officer Christine Pepper, NFDA Chief Executive Officer.
“Doug was appointed to serve on the Disaster Preparedness Work Group because of his demonstrated commitment to advancing the goals of NFDA,” she said. “The committee’s work in the coming year will help NFDA fulfill its mission of supporting funeral directors as they provide families with meaningful end-of-life services at the highest levels of excellence and integrity.”

Nohava has been a funeral director with Minnehaha Funeral Home since 2005, and is a licensed funeral director and embalmer in South Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa. He is also a certified firefighter and Emergency Medical Technician with the Garretson Fire Department and Garretson Community Ambulance. He is a past Fire Chief of Garretson, and has been a South Dakota Certified Fire Instructor since 2007. In 2012, he became a member of the Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team.

Nohava said his broad background in both the public and private sector led his selection. “I’ve always been an advocate for state and national funeral directors associations so I’m happy to help when I can,” he said.