2006-01: Nebraska Serious Injury & Line-of-Duty Death Response Team
Representatives
throughout Nebraska met at the Kearney (Nebraska)
Volunteer Fire Department on November 4-5, 2006 and formed a
statewide
response team to assist local departments.
Sensing a general knowledge void about what to do
when an emergency responder has experienced a serious,
life-threatening injury or is involved in a line-of-duty death (LODD),
first responders representing several fire and EMS agencies
formed the Nebraska Serious Injury & Line-of-Duty Death Response
Team. If a department, volunteer or career, faces this
difficult task or is confronted with planning a LODD funeral, a
statewide Response Team is now available to provide local
assistance and support.
A municipality, district, department or agency
has had to, or may have to face the challenging task of caring
for a member, or may need to prepare an official funeral service
for one or more of its members. Confronting a department may be
the thornier question of what types of honors are appropriate
for a member and non-member. The Response Team is organized to
provide guidance on these and related questions to any fire,
EMS, law enforcement, or local agency.
Upon a request for assistance, one or more
trained Response Team members nearest to the department’s
location will arrive onsite within a short time of being
contracted. The Team member(s) will report directly to the
department’s senior officer; and will engage the officer in a
determination of the department’s needs while remaining in the
background.
The Team works from written information providing
only recommendations to the local department. The guidelines
help the local department to distinguish the type of honors
which should be rendered for a LODD versus honoring a member who
died while active or inactive, but did not die form a
job-related injury. Guided by a step-by-step checklist, onsite
Team members help the impacted department plan an appropriate
ceremony.
In addition to the checklist, Team members can
identify resources for the department and the family. The
Response Team will guide the effected department in working with
the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, notifying State and
Federal agencies, securing family/spouse assistance, and, where
appropriate, directing the department in working with any
national and state professional societies and/or labor
management organizations.
Why should a local agency consider and request
this free assistance? There are valid reasons for using the
Team’s help:
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The Team lends its objectivity to the usually
‘emotionally-charged’ situation;
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The Team can guide the department in planning
services and arranging logistics using documented processes
and checklists.
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The Team can help the department commandeer
necessary local, State and Federal resources including those
requested by the grieving family.
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The Team can identify access and
notifications, assistance, and documentation to the
compulsory websites, agencies and professional societies.
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Finally, the Team can outline what may be an
appropriate funeral service with the goal of treating every
individual equally.
Soon, the Response Team will make available or
mail an informational brochure to each department about its
services. A website is planned for early 2007. If assistance
is needed in the meantime, contact Response Team Chairperson
Karla Houfek at 402-499-1773. |
