When considering the impact of a line-of-duty death (LODD), many leaders think almost exclusively of the fallen member’s family and coworkers. Naturally, that is where the primary focus should be. However, leaders must recognize that the impact of a LODD extends far beyond the immediate family and coworkers of the fallen hero.

When asked in classes to list groups that would be affected by a LODD, the typical responses are:

  • Family and friends
  • Coworkers
  • Community
  • Other first responders

But, except in very rare instances, one crucial group is always left out: the families of surviving coworkers.

As a leader, it is critically important to recognize that the family members of your agency’s surviving personnel — spouses, partners, children, parents — will also be significantly impacted and will be watching everything you and your agency do, or do not do, for the fallen member and his or her family. As they watch, they will inevitably place themselves in that family’s position.

They will know, perhaps more acutely than anyone, that it could have been their loved one and that he or she could be next. They will imagine that their family could be the one standing at the casket during the visitation or sitting in the front row at the funeral.

What they see will shape:

  • Their trust in the agency
  • Their confidence in leadership
  • Their sense of safety and respect
  • And, ultimately, how they support their first responder as he/she continues to serve

In other words, for better or for worse, your actions and those of other leaders in the hours and days following a line-of-duty death will have a direct and immediate impact on morale across your agency — and that impact will endure. For some families and coworkers, the way you respond in those first days will shape their grief journey, affecting how supported they feel, how they make sense of the tragedy, and how they live with it for the rest of their lives.

We strongly recommend that you meet with your personnel and their spouses within hours of losing a member in the line of duty. You might not have much to share about the circumstances of the death beyond what has already been reported publicly, but directly sharing what you can will make a powerful statement about how you value your personnel and their families. A follow-up meeting sometime before the funeral visitation will further strengthen that statement.

In particular, your personnel and their family members will want to understand what happened and to know that everything possible is being done to support the family of your fallen member. They will want to know what is being done, what will be done, and how they might help. They will also want to know that everything appropriate is being done properly and powerfully to honor the fallen hero, and that the wishes of his/her family are being respected.

Providing information about benefits for the family can also be very reassuring — not just in knowing what is available for them, but also in knowing what would be available for their own family should they ever be in the same position. This might include benefits from your agency as well as from local, state, and federal governments (as applicable), and you should assure them, when accurate, that competent personnel are assisting in securing those benefits.

Naturally, they will also want to see that all appropriate resources are engaged to provide the support that is warranted in that situation – such as a formal peer support team, mental health counselors, and other support entities – while you are careful not to overwhelm anyone or duplicate services.

Those who love your personnel will be watching closely. What they see in your response will either reassure them that sacrifice will be honored and families will be cared for, or leave them wondering how alone they might be if their loved one were the one who did not come home.