Cryonics has limited appeal but cryonics organizations have assumed global responsibility to cryopreserve their members timely and competently. A hybrid model in which local members and volunteers work together with medical staff members and contractors to deliver the best possible cryonics care is the best answer to this situation. Taking Alcor as an example, what does this model entail in terms of infrastructure and staffing?

The most important response mandate of a cryonics organization is to ensure competent local response capabilities through full-time employment of medical professionals and cryonics experts at the facility. Unlike remote response capabilities, Alcor’s response to local cases should not be dependent on erratic, case-by-case, contracting with local medical professionals. While such professionals can supplement Alcor’s own capabilities, Alcor should never find itself in a situation where it cannot deploy an effective standby due to a shortage of available staff members. This mandate requires that Alcor’s staffing policy cannot be allowed to outcrowd its local response capabilities. In practice, this means having at least three staff members available for local case work with at least two of them being proficient (and preferably certified) in conducting medical procedures that are elemental to cryonics stabilization (placing IV lines, placing an endotracheal tube etc.).

A strong mandate to primarily deliver state-of-the-art care in the Scottsdale area may look rather meager in light of its global responsibilities, but considering the fact most Alcor members do not die suddenly, and are eligible for an attractive Alcor relocation-reimbursement, out-of-state cases may increasingly be seen as reflecting choices made by Alcor members, as opposed to inevitable events happening to them. The significantly higher costs, and potential logistical and legal complications, of out-of-state cases are a strong argument to further increase Alcor’s relocation reimbursement amount.

The next layer is to coordinate a network of professional cryonics response providers (such as Suspended Animation and ICE) and local groups to respond effectively to out-of-state cases. Such companies can provide a valuable element to deliver rapid response provided that access to such services does not lead to allowing the atrophy of local groups and response capabilities. Professional standby companies usually deploy out of a single state (or two at most), which means that relying on local capabilities created by members remains an essential component for responding timely to time-sensitive cases. To ensure consistent and competent non-local response coverage, the coordination and monitoring of non-local response capabilities should be an important job responsibility of a full-time Alcor staff member.

To augment the services of cryonics standby organizations and the resources available to local members, regions with substantial numbers of Alcor members should be encouraged and supported in creating robust physical cryonics responsibilities. In such areas, maintenance of a full set of standby kits, a response vehicle, and even on-site field cryoprotection capabilities should be pursued. These non-Scottsdale cryonics “hubs” should be allowed some degree of autonomy, provided their efforts conform with Alcor’s protocols and standards. Further enhancement of these cryonics hubs can be reaped if such efforts are supported by other cryonics-supporting activities such as research and public outreach. Examples of areas where such hubs would be feasible and desirable include New York City, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. The mandate for these areas should be to close the gap between Scottsdale-based cases and local cases.

International cases are a formidable challenge for Alcor and the cryonics hub idea will need to be extended to countries (or even a set of neighboring countries). Collaboration between members of different cryonics organizations is often a necessity in international cases. Transport times to the US necessitate the use of procedures such as field cryoprotection and shipping on dry ice

Originally published as a column in Cryonics magazine, September – October, 2018