Caring for Your Agency
Caring for department members is different than caring for family members. While the feelings of grief and loss are usually the same (sadness, anger, and doubt), the death itself and the situation surrounding the death differentiates how the two sides are cared for. How and when the support is given ensures a good outcome for the healing process.
In order for the Chief and other officers in a department to ease the overwhelming feelings that come with a death and focus on the care of personnel, it is important that they know several things.
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Individual members will react to the death in different ways. Some members will need to take time off or even leave the department. Others will become more focused on their work as a public servant.
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Those that were directly involved with the incident and the individual who has been killed will most likely experience more extreme emotions. It is necessary to remove those individuals from the scene of the incident as soon as possible.
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The Chief cannot do it by his/herself. They must enlist the help of many others to get through this time.
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First Responders tend to experience "survivor guilt" and post-traumatic stress disorder after the event. This is one of the areas separating the care of the family from the care of the department. While a family might experience PTSD, the type of PTSD will be different. The individual might relive the incident and watching their co-worker die over and over again, while family member suffer from the death itself.
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Pre-Planning is necessary!
Pre-Planning
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The death of a public servant can send any stable agency into a chaotic tailspin, especially if the death occurred while on duty. It can be even more chaotic when the department is unprepared. It’s difficult for most people to think or talk about death and dying, but it’s so important for a department to do more than just think about it. Departments must prepare for it.
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Preparing and pre-planning for a death doesn’t just include writing the guidelines. Preparation must include setting up a support system for department members. Having therapists, counselors, clergy, businesses, and specialized teams available should a death occur will help build a strong foundation for a support team. This also ensures everyone in the department is cared for.
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Pre-planning also includes having proper paperwork, forms, and benefits information on hand. Trying to collect the important paperwork at the last minute will not only add significant stress to the department and the family. An unprepared department can create unnecessary friction with the family and distrust among department members.
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The CIP Form is vital. These packets include pertinent personal information about each department member that can be quickly accessed in the event of an emergency. A more in-depth review will be covered in the section "How to Set Up Personal Information Packets."
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The importance of pre-planning cannot be overstated. It is just as crucial that a department be prepared to handle the needs of their staff.
Building a Support Structure
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When a tragedy occurs, there can never be too many helping hands if you know where to place them. If a department hasn’t made pre-arrangements with individuals or agencies, they will quickly become inundated by people offering to help. This is overwhelming for a department and its leaders. In the confusion of the aftermath, leaders often become confused on where resources should be allocated. They have the people there to help, they just don’t know where to send them. Feelings of being overwhelmed take over and then the needed help is either not utilized or turned down. Those that are offering their assistance can feel like they are being ignored when they know where they can help. Outside organizations can often see a clearer picture of the needs and corresponding allocation. They aren’t clouded by the emotions and stress.
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You know you need to have the people there to help support your efforts at the time of loss. You know there are needs that are going to need to be met. So how do you make sure that the right people are there to help and the needs of your department are going to be met? You prearrange for the services of those individuals or agencies.
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Let’s start with your department's internal structure. Should a first responder die, these positions need to be activated by the Chief or designee:
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Chaplain or Clergy Coordinator
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Hospital Relations Coordinator
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Benefits Coordinator
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Family Coordinator
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Department Coordinator
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Funeral Coordinator
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Procession Coordinator
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Cemetery Coordinator
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Legal Team
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Investigation Team
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Appoint willing personnel for each of these positions before an event takes place. It's even better to appoint at least two individuals for each coordinator position if your department is large enough. This assures that everyone will be available to fulfill these roles in the event of a death. Educate the individuals selected on their duties.
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The two most important positions will be the Chaplain(s) and the Department Coordinator. These two positions will be working directly with the surviving members. The best people for these roles work well with people, have excellent communication skills, and work efficiently under stress.
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The Department Coordinator provides department members with up-to-date information on funeral/memorial plans and new information from the incident investigation. It is critical to keep department members informed of new developments. This individual also coordinates mutual aid efforts if necessary, and finding fresh personnel for on-scene responders who need to be relieved of duty. Under no circumstances should a person who has been directly affected by the loss of the first responder be ordered to stay either on the scene or at the department. The Department Coordinator also should work closely with the Chaplain to ensure that proper psychological and spiritual care is offered. The Coordinator activates the CISM team, and any therapists, counselors, or clergy.
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The Chaplain is one of the department’s most vital resources and it is strongly encouraged that a department has a Chaplain on staff or as a volunteer. These individuals are specially trained in the area of the emergency field and the issues that affect them. The Chaplain is a spiritual advisor and counselor. Their work with the first responders is priceless. Trusting bonds are built with this individual and deep relationships develop over time. If a Chaplain is already active in a department before a death occurs, the relationship with the personnel will already be there. In the event of a death, firefighters are more likely to express their feelings and emotions and start the grieving process if they know the Chaplain. If you have a larger department it’s wise to have a team of Chaplains available at all times, even if your department never experiences a loss. If you are looking to add a chaplain to your department and are unsure of where to turn, please visit the Texas Corps of Fire Chaplains or the International Conference of Police Chaplains.
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Other Clergy should be available if the need arises. It is likely that your department is filled with individuals that come from varying religious backgrounds. A Rabbi will have a more difficult time offering spiritual assistance to a first responder who is Catholic. Contact the different church denominations in your area and ask to speak with the leader or minister of the church. Ask the leader if they could provide a clergy member from their church to be available to assist the first responders in the event of a death or serious injury. If they are able to provide someone, obtain the necessary contact information.
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Counselors and Therapists also need to have pre-arrangements made for their services. Find therapists specializing in trauma, PTSD, and family care. You can find psychologists in your area by calling the American Psychological Association’s referral hotline: 1-800-964-2000. The operator will use your zip code to locate and connect you with the referral system in your area. When you locate a psychologist, ask about fees and ask if they do pro-bono work during emergency situations. Also ask if someone in their practice would be available to contact 24/7.
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CISM (Critical Incident Stress Management) is a team comprised of individuals (first responders, chaplains, counselors) trained to work with emergency workers affected by traumatic situations. They are on call 24/7. Their primary duties are to hold a debriefing session where members talk about the traumatic incident. It is a good idea to wait at least two to three days after the event before scheduling the debriefing sessions. Don’t schedule the session after a visitation, funeral, or memorial service. Never schedule a session the same day as an incident. Care should be give to the members of the department by the chaplains, clergy members, and therapists during the first twenty-four hours. Make it mandatory for all members that were on the scene where the death took place to attend the debrief. Also schedule debriefing sessions for three months, six months, and one year after the incident.
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Food Service Businesses need to be contacted and asked that their services be made available during an incident. Pizza, sandwich shops, or fast food restaurants can have food sent to the scene, the departments, or to the family. This is especially important at scenes where victim recovery will take a while. Sometimes body recovery can take days. Members have been known to stay on the scene until the body has been removed. Making food and water easily accessible to department members and assisting agencies will help quell hunger and boost morale.
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Department stores like Walmart or Target should be contacted as well. If an incident requires department members to stay on scene for long periods of time, these stores can provide blankets, toothpaste, toothbrushes, snacks, and even clothing.
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Agencies like the Red Cross can assist on scene doing rehab for the first responders. They can set up staging areas for the emergency services personnel to rest and they have access to a vast amount of resources. During hot weather, the Red Cross can borrow an air-conditioned bus to place on the scene.
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Having contacts in all of these areas creates a strong support system for your department. If a death occurs, you won’t need to waste valuable time searching for the right people to help in the right places. Instead, your Department Coordinator activates your contact list as soon as possible.
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Make sure that the list is updated yearly. Business management changes, clergy members move churches, or phone numbers can change.
The Importance of Confidential Information Packets and How to Put Them Together
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CIPs or Confidential Information Packets give you all the pertinent information for each department member. When an individual is severely injured or dies, you can take their CIP and know who to contact, what their wishes are, and what important information needs to be followed through. CIPs also help in the identification of the individual, if needed. CIPs contain family information, notification information or preferences, insurance information, any pre-planned funeral information such as a living will, and personal wishes regarding a memorial service or funeral in the event the individual should die. A sample CIP is available for you to review and/or download.
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Ensure each member completes a CIP and signs it as well as having it notarized. Encourage members to have their next of kin thoroughly review the CIP before signing it.
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Ensure each member completes a Survivors Information Form and includes it in the CIP. This form has specific information about how the first responder would like their funeral to be conducted. It also contains contact information for physicians, attorneys, and pastors and other advisors.
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If a first responder dies, the CIP needs to be copied and given to the Funeral Coordinator and the Family Coordinator. The original will be given to the next of kin. The Coordinators need to respect the confidentiality of this form and not share it with any other person. A sample of this form is also available through our PDF Forms area.
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Include a current photo of the individual in the CIP. If permission is granted by the next of kin, the picture can be used on prayer cards, memorial bulletins, and on the department website.
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Include a copy of the yearly physical results, blood work results, and EKG in the CIP. Many firefighters die on duty from heart attacks or other illnesses. Knowing of any medical problems can help determine whether that problem played a role in the death of the firefighter. If the first responder was brought to the hospital, the physicians have an automatic health history to review. The physical results can also help the medical examiner determine if there were any changes in the system at the time of death. For example, if the individual tested negative for Hep C at his last physical, and then at the time of death tested positive for the disease, this could be a factor that the medical examiner takes into consideration when determining a cause of death.
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Have your first responders regularly screened for Hepatitis, HIV, tuberculosis, heart and lung problems, and musculoskeletal injuries.
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Include the member's dental records. Not all individuals have this available. Encourage your members to have them made. Dental records can give positive identification for a first responder considerably disfigured from their injuries. In mass casualty incidents, positive identification can be made quicker if dental records are readily available.
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Seal and place the CIP in a secured area. It is not to be opened unless in the event of an LODD or severe injury where this information is required to assist of the department, individual, and family.
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Update the CIP yearly: the form needs to be reviewed, a new picture needs to be placed in the file if necessary, and a new copy of medical records.
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Create a policy that prohibits a first responder from performing duties until the CIP has been completed. New recruits will not be placed into stations for duty until their CIP has been completed.
Don't wait until the last minute to build your support system, get paperwork completed, and put CIPs in place. Have this information ready and available. Being prepared will equip you to help your department.