GO 2-2.0 Line of Duty Death or Serious Injury .pdf

OVIEDO POLICE DEPARTMENT GENERAL ORDER EFFECTIVE DATE: 07-12-2021 APPROVAL: NUMBER: Dale Coleman Chief of Police GO 2-2.0 SUBJECT: Line of Duty Death or Serious Injury REFERENCE: AMENDS: None RESCINDS: None I. II. III. IV. V. VI. VII. VIII. PURPOSE POLICY DEFINITIONS NOTIFICATION OF THE IMMEDIATE FA...

OVIEDO POLICE DEPARTMENT GENERAL ORDER EFFECTIVE DATE: 07-12-2021 APPROVAL: NUMBER: Dale Coleman Chief of Police GO 2-2.0 SUBJECT: Line of Duty Death or Serious Injury REFERENCE: AMENDS: None RESCINDS: None I. II. III. IV. V. VI. VII. VIII. PURPOSE POLICY DEFINITIONS NOTIFICATION OF THE IMMEDIATE FAMILY NOTIFICATION TO THE NEWS MEDIA ASSISTING FAMILY MEMBERS AT THE HOSPITAL SUPPORT TO THE FAMILY FUNERAL DETAILS I. PURPOSE The purpose of this order is to provide members of the Oviedo Police Department with procedures to be followed in the event a department member has suffered a serious, life-threatening injury or has died in the line of duty. Nothing in this general order shall restrict the Chief of Police from extending department services to the family of any member who has died of non-duty causes. II. POLICY It is the policy of the Oviedo Police Department to utilize all appropriate and available resources to provide critical support to the immediate family of a department member who has died or has sustained a severe/debilitating injury/illness during the time of severe trauma or loss. Oviedo Police Department GO 2-2.0 Line of Duty Death or Serious Injury III. IV. Page 2 of 6 DEFINITIONS A. Line of Duty Death: Death resulting from felonious or accidental circumstances while a member is on duty or acting within the scope of their employment. B. Ranking Supervisor: The on-scene supervisor where a member has been seriously injured or killed. C. Notification Officer: The member chosen to notify the family. D. Immediate Family: The order of notification should be (if feasible) – The member’s spouse, children, parents, and siblings. E. Family Support Coordinator: A department member, preferably a friend of the family, who is designated by the Chief to coordinate department assistance with the injured or deceased member’s immediate family. NOTIFICATION OF THE IMMEDIATE FAMILY A. If a department member has sustained a life-threatening injury or has died, the member’s family will be notified as soon as possible. To ensure notification is provided in a respective and timely manner, members are directed to ensure immediate family member contact information is updated and remains current. B. Timeliness of family notification is essential. It is imperative that the immediate family is notified before learning about it from outside sources such as the media. C. It is incumbent upon the ranking supervisor to ensure that notification is made to the Chief of Police and the Public Information Officer as soon as possible. Timeliness of this notification may take precedence over chain of command protocol. The Chief of Police or designee will direct that family notification be made. D. A Notification Officer will be selected to notify the family, which should be a supervisor when possible. The Notification Officer should be accompanied on the notification with one other member (preferably a Chaplain of the department or a member who is a friend of the family). GO 2-2.0 Line of Duty Death or Serious Injury Oviedo Police Department GO 2-2.0 Line of Duty Death or Serious Injury E. Page 3 of 6 Method and Expectations of Notification: 1. Admittance to the residence should be requested prior to making the notification. 2. Notification should be made slowly in clear, definitive words. If the member has died, that information should be clearly stated. 3. Any number of reactions from family members including hysteria, anger, fainting, physical violence, or shock should be expected. F. In the event a member is seriously injured or has died, every effort should be made to provide transportation for the family to the hospital should they so desire. G. Members are authorized to transport family members to the hospital. Should family members insist on driving themselves to the hospital, a member should accompany them in their vehicle. H. An offer to notify other family members will be made. If the family desires to make their own notifications, members shall not interfere. I. If the family requests the police department to make notifications of other family members, the Notification Officer shall obtain the names and addresses of relatives to contact. J. Family members who live in other jurisdictions, within a reasonable distance, will be notified in person. K. For notifications outside of the immediate Seminole County area, notifications should be made by the local law enforcement agency in that area. 1. The Notification Officer will relay the information by telephone. 2. SCSO Communications will be requested to contact the appropriate law enforcement agency and request a personal death notification; the Notification Officer shall request a notification confirmation. The telephone number of the Notification Officer will be provided. 3. The Notification Officer may personally elect to contact the law enforcement agency by telephone rather than utilizing SCSO Communications. 4. The Notification Officer shall maintain a written log of who was notified and when notification was made. GO 2-2.0 Line of Duty Death or Serious Injury Oviedo Police Department GO 2-2.0 Line of Duty Death or Serious Injury V. VI. Page 4 of 6 NOTIFICATION TO THE NEWS MEDIA A. The Chief of Police (or highest-ranking sworn member in his absence) will authorize any and all information to the news media. B. Once notified, the Public Information Officer shall respond to the scene and prepare a briefing for media representatives. C. The name of any seriously injured or deceased member WILL NOT be released to the news media until after the immediate family members have been notified. No information about family members will be released to the media. ASSISTING FAMILY MEMBERS AT THE HOSPITAL A. The ranking supervisor shall request an on-duty supervisor respond to the hospital where the injured or deceased member is to be transported. The supervisor upon arrival at the hospital shall: 1. Establish liaison with hospital personnel. 2. Plan arrangements with hospital personnel for appropriate waiting facilities. Two separate areas shall be reserved for: a. Immediate family members, the Chief of Police, the Notification Officer, and others requested by the family; and b. Other department members, media representatives, and other persons. B. Family members will be allowed time with the injured or deceased member. With the exception of hospital staff or for reasons of investigative necessity, the supervisor at the hospital should do everything within their power to ensure the family is given as much privacy as possible. C. The appointed officer should ensure that medical personnel relay pertinent medical information to the officer’s family in a timely manner and should handle all paperwork necessary for admissions and have the family read/sign only those forms that cannot be completed by the department. GO 2-2.0 Line of Duty Death or Serious Injury Oviedo Police Department GO 2-2.0 Line of Duty Death or Serious Injury D. Department members present at the hospital shall: 1. 2. 3. VII. Make every effort to maintain self-discipline; Be aware that rudeness or arrogance towards the public, including media representatives, is considered unacceptable behavior; and Not make promises to the family regarding the member, such as posthumous promotion, retiring the member’s identification number, perpetrator will get the death penalty, etc. SUPPORT TO THE FAMILY A. As soon as possible after the member’s injury or death, the Chief of Police may assign a Family Support Coordinator. B. The Family Support Coordinator will work directly under the Chief and be responsible for the following: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. VIII. Page 5 of 6 Serve as a liaison with hospital personnel; Facilitate contact between the family and the police department; Assist the family with funeral arrangements, if applicable; If the family so desires, coordinate the funeral in regards to Oviedo Police Department participation; Assist in filing workers compensation claims or other related reports; Assist in the completion of benefit related paperwork and follow-up as needed; and Accommodate all feasible requests for assistance from the family. FUNERAL DETAILS The division Deputy Chief (or a designee chosen by the Chief of Police) shall coordinate police department participation in funeral arrangements. As designated by the Chief of Police, this may include the following activities: A. Bier Watch – The Bier Watch consists of one uniformed officer standing guard at the funeral home twenty-four (24) hours a day. The officer assigned will remain in the parking lot or inside the lobby area of the funeral home. Personnel assigned to this duty will be relieved on a schedule established by the division Deputy Chief. B. Pallbearers – If requested by the family, six to eight members will be requested to be pallbearers; those chosen for this duty will report to the division Deputy Chief. GO 2-2.0 Line of Duty Death or Serious Injury Oviedo Police Department GO 2-2.0 Line of Duty Death or Serious Injury /s/ DHC ____________________________________ DALE COLEMAN Page 6 of 6 04-01-2021 __________________ DATE CHIEF OF POLICE GO 2-2.0 Line of Duty Death or Serious Injury