A BURNIE-BASED forensics officer played an integral role in repatriating victims of Malaysia Airlines flight 17.
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Senior Constable Kat Chivers couldn't accept quickly enough when she was asked to fly to the Netherlands to identify victims of the disaster.
One day after receiving a phone call from her Disaster Victim Identification Commander, Senior Constable Chivers and Launceston-based colleague Senior Constable Rodney Walker flew out to Hilversum.
The DVI process was initially slated to take place in the Ukraine, but the plan was aborted due to simmering tensions in the region.
In Hilversum, the two Tasmanian senior constables were required to complete phase four of the DVI process - matching physical remains with information provided by the families of victims.
Around 50 Tasmania Police officers are trained in DVI, a complex five-stage process of identifying and processing disaster victims.
Stage four requires officers to correlate information provided on a "pink sheet", which documents physical information from the crime scene such as DNA, fingerprints and dental records, and a "yellow sheet", which documents information obtained about the victim's jewellery, tattoos, implants and physical appearance from the next-of-kin.
When Senior Constable Chivers had made a match, she'd send her report to the identification board, and phase five would commence.
"There were 298 passengers on board and our role was to identify anyone we could," she said.
"When we arrived about 65 victims had been identified, and 184 had been identified by the time we left three weeks later."
She said it was "an honour" to play some role in helping to bring victims home.
"It was rewarding to go over there and do what we could to get loved ones back to their families," she said.
The two Tasmanian officers worked with DVI specialists from Belgium, New Zealand, Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
Senior Constable Chivers said working 10 hours a day, six days a week to repatriate victims, despite the physical and mental toll it took, was a "huge honour."
Journey into policing
Senior Constable Chivers hasn't taken a backwards step since graduating from the police academy in 2000.
Initially a probationary constable posted in traffic, she was first taken by forensics in 2002, and completed an initial course later that year.
She worked stints in traffic and as a forensic services officer until she permanently transferred in 2008.
"Watching the forensic officers work when I was in traffic was what sparked my interest," she said.
"I was excited by what they did, the processes they undertook and how the department worked together.
"I initially wanted to have an opportunity to work there to see if it was something I wanted to do, and I just loved it straight away."
Shortly after completing her DVI course in 2008, Senior Constable Chivers was sent to conduct phase one of the DVI process in the aftermath of the 2009 Victorian bushfires.
It's a big rise for the Yolla-born officer, who spent more than 10 years in hospitality.
"I became interested in policing in high school and did work experience in Year 10, but worried I wasn't mature enough to do the job when I was old enough to apply," she said.
Sergeant Constable Chivers said she was "honoured and humbled" by her career achievements.