LODD - Is your Dept. Ready?

[hp4l]

I know there are a few departments in the county that have dealt with a LODD. I was involved with one while in Medford and it is absolutely horrible. My question though, are there any departments with SOPs or SOGs on how to handle a LODD? Do you know what is involved with the funeral? Do you know how to get the Mercury Team or something similar in for the members? This seems like something that we aren't prepared for, maybe because we don't expect it. But, in my opinion, I think it would be nice to be prepared. The LODD itself is going to hurt and make things difficult. Why not have the steps laid out to help you?

[opsoverkill]

Here is what we have in the 43rd. From past experinces do what we do best and place the whole assignment into the ICS. Having in that management system makes a diffcult job easy to manage and ensure everything is covered.

MEDFORD FARMS VOL. FIRE CO.
STANDARD OPERATING GUIDELINES
FUNERAL SERVICES GUIDELINE # 304 SECTION- OPS/ADMIN
DATE- 10/10/2002 PAGE 1 OF 11


SUBJECT: Funeral Services guideline for a fire company member that has passed away.

SCOPE: This applies to all members of the Medford Farms Vol. Fire Co.

RESPONSIBILITY: The highest-ranking line officers of the MFVFC.

GUIDELINE:

When the unthinkable happens, the loss of a fire company member, either through natural causes, accident or in line of duty, it is up to the Company to do all they can to insure that the member receives a tribute befitting the sacrifices they have made. In this regard, no effort is too large, and no detail is too small. It is truly a time for “all things to be done decently and in order”. The purpose of this standard operating procedure is to provide a manual of basic information that the chief and other company officers can use to help the department they serve through a very trying time.

This standard operating procedure is not intended to be all-inclusive in content or dogmatic in approach. There are many local customs and procedures that can be used during the funeral process. It is designed to provide a significant amount of information covering for the Company to choose what best fits the particular situation and adapt as necessary.

The key focus of the fire company funeral is to show honor to the deceased member, and care for their family. If these two things are accomplished, the Company has done its job well.

SECTION I: GENERAL GUIDELINES

1.1 The conditions that will prevail when death strikes the fire company family will require the accomplishment of specific actions in order to meet the needs that will be encountered in the days that follow. These actions include:

a. Good organization and coordination.

b. Good communications.

c. Maintenance of flexibility.

d. Care not to overload any individuals.

e. Moral, emotional, and spiritual support for the deceased member’s family.

f. Meeting the requests and needs of the surviving family members.


1.2 The primary goal of the fire company will be to work with funeral directors and all others involved to insure that the wishes and desires of the family (or the deceased fire company member, if known) regarding the funeral ceremonies be carried out. The needs of the family will come before the wishes of the Company.

1.3 Fire Company personnel who are assigned duties related to the conduct of a fire department funeral will understand that their responsibility does not include the duties of a funeral director. Their duties do include working with the funeral director in order to accomplish shared goals in the best interest of the deceased member’s family.

SECTION II: PRE-INCIDENT PREPARATION

The Company should take steps to insure that certain actions related to the proper conduct of a fire department funeral are completed prior to the occurrence of a death in the Company.

2.1 Fire Department Chaplain – The Company will maintain an active chaplaincy program with local pastors in the area served by the fire department. The President will appoint the Fire Company Chaplain.

The Chaplain should be immediately contacted whenever the death of a fire department member is imminent or confirmed, regardless of the circumstances involved. The Chaplain’s services should be available to the surviving family throughout the funeral process.

2.2 Photographs - The Company should arrange for periodic photographs of all department personnel. Photographs should be maintained in department personnel files.

2.3 Local Support Agencies – The Company should periodically contact local agencies in order to maintain a resource list of:

a. Honor guards, color guards, military units.

b. Band, buglers, pipers.

2.4 Funeral Directors – Local directors should be contacted by the department and provided a copy of fire department procedures. This will allow them to understand local protocols beforehand.

2.5 Ceremonial Clothing/Equipment – The fire department will have on hand the following clothing/equipment for use during fire department funerals:

a. Presentation flag.

b. White gloves (sufficient number for Honor Guard and eight pallbearers).

c. Extra badges for each rank in the department

2.6 Key Personnel List – The department should maintain and annually update a list of personnel in the following key positions:

a. Family Liaison Officer

b. Funeral Operations Officer

c. Honor Guard

d. Pall Bearers


SECTION III: KEY PERSONNEL

3.1 Family Liaison Officer (FLO) – The chief (or other designated chief officer) serves as the FLO. The primary role of the FLO is to officially represent the Medford Farms Volunteer Fire Company in all appropriate matters. The responsibility of the FLO is as follows:



a. Represent the Company in all matters pertaining to the deceased member’s family.

b. Determine the amount of involvement the department will provide and relay this information to the Funeral Operations Officer. No assumptions should be made or acted upon without contact and consent of the immediate family.

c. Assist the family as much as possible during the funeral process.

d. Provide the family with information concerning what the department can offer in the way of assistance if the family wishes to have a fire department funeral. This information will include fire department funeral traditions and procedures as listed in Appendix A.

e. Assist the family in determining, or collect information pertaining to:

1. Type of interment.

2. Which funeral home will be used.

3. Which clergy will be used (whether or not the Fire Company Chaplain will be involved).

4. Which cemetery will be used.

5. Will the deceased be buried in uniform. If so obtain the uniform.

6. Determine the length of the funeral service, where it will be held and who will officiate at the service.

7. Length of the viewing and establish a tentative schedule.

8. What ceremonies will take place at the cemetery. (Provide a list of available services as listed in Appendix B.)

9. Advise the family on survivor benefits from the Company.

10. Determine if the family desires meals during the mourning and post-funeral period. If so, contact the Company Auxiliary President to coordinate these activities with friends of the family and Company members.

3.2 Funeral Operations Officer – The Funeral Operations Officer will coordinate with the Family Liaison Officer and the funeral director to insure that the wishes of the deceased member’s family are carried out. The Funeral Operations Officer will attend all meetings with the Family Liaison Officer in order to determine the following:

a. The schedule of events and the length of time the mourning and burial process will involve.

b. What involvement fire department personnel will have at the various
functions involved in the funeral process.

c. Whether fire department vehicles will be used in the funeral arrangements, and if so, how will they be used.

d. Coordinate with the Honor Guard officer to establish an Honor Guard schedule for the funeral home and/or church as appropriate.

e. Coordinate a formal walk through fire department members during the viewing period with the members and the funeral director. This includes seating arrangements.

f. Develop a schedule for uniformed fire department members the day of the funeral at the funeral site. This includes:

1. Arrival time for uniformed personnel and specific instructions as to where to gather.

2. Briefing and practice of formations that will be used when the casket is removed

3. Briefing on proper protocols for entering and leaving the funeral.

g. Coordinate vehicle staging with the Chief Engineer, including arrangements for fire department vehicles that will be used. Insure that mutual aid special fire police officers are available to assist to properly direct and stage incoming apparatus and vehicles and assist with other parking.

h. Obtain the uniform (if appropriate) that the deceased will wear during the viewing and deliver it to the funeral director.

i. Obtain clean white gloves for all department pallbearers.

j. Secure mutual aid special fire police officers to assist with traffic control and parking at the viewing if necessary.

The Funeral Operations Officer will coordinate with the Family Liaison Officer to determine the seating capacity of the church and what the family’s preferences are concerning seating of family, VIP’s uniformed fire company members and mutual aid companies, honor guard and pall bearers. Dedicated seating should be provided for family members, pallbearers, honor guard and uniformed personnel.

The Funeral Operations Officer will coordinate with the Honor Guard Officer to determine the layout of the viewing area, church and cemetery to plan for an orderly process.

The Funeral Operations Officer will coordinate with the Family Liaison Officer to determine if a post-funeral reception is desired by the family, if so, location and will coordinate with the Company Auxiliary.

In addition, the Company Auxiliary will be requested to provide childcare for family member’s children during the viewing, service and interment if desired by the deceased’s family. If desired, the Company will provide security for the deceased member’s home during the funeral activities.


The Funeral Operations Officer, in conjunction with the Family Liaison Officer, and Chief Engineer will prepare the obituary notice to be transmitted by the Burlington County Emergency Communications Center.

3.3 Responsibilities of the Chief Engineer

The Chief Engineer) with assistance from the Funeral Operations Officer) will coordinate the funeral procession from the funeral home to the church (if necessary) and from the church or other funeral site to the cemetery. Issues to be addressed are:

a. Determine if fire company apparatus will be used as flower cars or caisson, if so assign vehicles and secure properly uniformed operators.

b. Establish a system for staging and coordinating vehicles at locations where funeral activities will occur.

c. Coordinate with mutual aid companies in the acceptance, placement and staging of apparatus.

d. Ensure all apparatus is cleaned and install bunting on all appropriate apparatus. Secure properly uniformed operators for all fire company vehicles.

e. Coordinate with the Family Liaison Officer to determine any special considerations involved in the procession. These may include passing the member’s home, fire station or other significant locations.

f. Provide for special static displays of equipment and personnel at a location on the procession route, at the funeral home or church.

g. Coordinate and secure ladder trucks for crossed aerial ladders at the cemetery or other location (if desired by the family).

h. Establish the alignment of vehicles in the procession as suggested in Appendix C.

i. Provide maps showing the procession route and any other needed information for vehicle operators.

j. Secure cover companies if needed.

The Chief Engineer will coordinate with the Funeral Operations Officer in contacting local police departments and work with them and the funeral director in order to:

a. Establish routes for the procession.

b. Determine traffic control needs.

c. Arrange for procession escorts

The Chief Engineer and the Funeral Operations Officer will do a physical survey of the viewing, service and cemetery sites to determine the staging plan and obstructions along the procession route.

3.4 Honor Guard –Nine members of the Company will be appointed by the Chief as the “Honor Guard”. One member will be appointed as Honor Guard Coordination Officer. The responsibility of the Honor Guard Coordination Officer will be to ensure that honor guard members are notified of the need for their participation in a department funeral and that all details are in order. A list with members’ names and phone numbers must be maintained and provided to the Funeral Team.

Should an honor guard be requested, it is the responsibility of the Funeral Operations Officer to insure the request is complied with. The Funeral Operations Officer will coordinate with the Honor Guard Coordination Officer to schedule honor guard activities according to the family and funeral director’s wishes. The following basic rules will apply to honor guard activities:

a. Members of the Honor Guard will wear Class A dress uniform (dress blouse, trousers, white shirt, black tie, patent leather low-quarter shoes, bell cap, badges with mourning bands and white gloves. The honor guard will wear caps when standing duty at the casket

b. The honor guard will stand at attention at the head and foot of the casket.

c. A minimum of four honor guards will be assigned for each viewing hour.

d. The honor guard will be rotated at 15-minute intervals in a military fashion. Relief guards will march up together. Posted guards will come to attention and smartly make reliefs. The relieved guards will march off together.

e. Posted guards will assume the position of parade rest.

f. American and Company flags should be posted at the casket. The American flag will be posted to the left of the casket and the Company flag to the right.

3.5 Pall Bearers – Should the family choose to use fire department members as pall bearers, it is the Family Liaison Officer’s responsibility to determine which company members the family would like to have. The total number of pallbearers is usually eight (8), Pallbearers should wear their complete parade uniform with clean white gloves and mourning bands over their badges.

a. The Funeral Operations Officer and the funeral director will give instructions on the removal, handling and transporting of the casket. If fire apparatus will be used as a caisson, pallbearers will hold a practice session before the funeral if possible. (See Appendix E)

b. If non-members are used as pallbearers, fire department pallbearers must place the casket on the apparatus. (See Appendix E)

c. If the casket is draped with a flag that will be presented to the next-of-kin, at least three pallbearers or Honor Guard members should be instructed on the proper method of removing, folding, and presenting the flag. (See Appendix D.) Coordinating the flag folding and presentation is the responsibility of the Honor Guard Coordinating Officer. If a flag will be used on the casket while being transported on fire apparatus, strong elastic bands must be in place to hold the flag. Note: The blue field of the flag is to be placed at the head end of the casket.

d. If fire department apparatus is used as a caisson or flower vehicle, uniformed Company pallbearers will ride on them, if apparatus is not used, the department will provide other vehicles for the pallbearers during the procession.

e. The casket should be placed on the apparatus foot-end to front. Ten pre-designated members should be on the apparatus at “attention”, (eight in the hose bed and two on the back step) ready to receive the casket from the pallbearers. The members receiving the casket should not wear gloves to ensure a firm grip. Two officers should secure the casket. The reverse procedure should be followed to off load the casket. (See Appendix E)

SECTION IV: OTHER ACTIVITIES

4.0 Other Activities – Depending on the family’s wishes, special formations of uniformed Company members may be used at the funeral home, church or cemetery. These formations may include:

a. Walk through of all attending uniformed Company members at the funeral home or church.

b. Uniformed members formations on either side of the exit path of the casket from the funeral home to the caisson or hearse.

c. Uniformed members formations on either side of the casket path from the hearse or caisson upon entry to and exit from the church.


Uniformed members formations on either side of the casket path from the hearse or caisson to the interment.

Note: All uniformed members in formation will stand at attention and will render a hand salute any time the casket is in motion until the motion has ceased or the casket is out of sight. The Honor Guard Coordination Officer will issue the appropriate commands to the Company.

If the family wishes, the “last alarm” may be sounded through the Burlington County Emergency Communications Center. The Funeral Operations Officer will arrange this tribute with collaboration of the Family Liaison Officer.

APPENDIX A: AVAILABLE FUNERAL OPTIONS

1. Honor Guard
2. Uniformed Pall Bearers
3. Fire Department Chaplain
4. Uniformed Formations (funeral home, church, cemetery)
5. Post-services Reception
6. Uniformed Company Walk Through
7. Static Equipment Display
8. Formal Procession (with or without mutual aid apparatus)
9. Burial in Uniform
10. Badge, Flag and/or Fire Company Member’s Helmet Presentations
11. Last Call Message
12. Company Apparatus as Caisson and/or Flower Cars
13. Half Mast Flags/Station Draping
14. Crossed Aerial Ladders at Cemetery
15. Viewing Ceremony (See Appendix F)

APPENDIX B: GRAVESIDE SERVICES OPTIONS

1. Taps
2. Bag Piper
3. Firing Squad

APPENDIX C: VEHICLE ALIGNMENT FOR FUNERAL PROCESSION
This alignment may be modified to accommodate the deceased member’s family’s wishes or other circumstances. It is only a recommendation.
1. Lead Escort
2. Fire apparatus as flower car
3. Hearse or apparatus used as caisson
4. Family vehicles

Approved By:
Shawn T. Vena, Chief
Date: January 6, 2003
Review Interval: Annual
MEDFORD FARMS VOL. FIRE CO.
STANDARD OPERATING GUIDELINES
FUNERAL SERVICES GUIDELINE # 304 SECTION- OPS/ADMIN
DATE- 10/10/2002 PAGE 10 OF 11



5. Pall Bearers (if not riding on flower vehicle and/or caisson)
6. Honorary Pall Bearers
7. Honor Guard
8. Fire Department Chief Vehicle
9. Fire Department Apparatus
10. Township Officials
11. Fire apparatus from Mutual Aid Companies
12. Family friends and private vehicles
13. Rear Escort

Note: The Chief Engineer will issue a written vehicle alignment plan to all drivers in the procession.

APPENDIX D: DUTIES OF UNIFORMED PALL BEARERS

If the casket is being driven from the funeral home to the church or cemetery on fire department apparatus, the following actions must be taken:

1. Ten (10) pre-designated, uniformed Company members should be on the apparatus to receive the casket from the pallbearers. Eight (8) members should be in the hose bed and two (2) on the back step. The members should be at attention. The members should not wear gloves to ensure a firm grip. Two of the members should be line officers and will secure the casket. The reversed procedure should be followed to off-load the casket.

When the casket is loaded or off loaded, the apparatus detail will secure to other apparatus as designated or other vehicles.


2. If uniformed Company pallbearers, eight (8) will be used:

a. The pallbearers board the apparatus (caisson and flower truck).

b. At a short distance from the church or cemetery the apparatus will stop and the pallbearers dismount and march as follows:
1. The Honor Guard Officer is in front of the apparatus.
2. Four pallbearers on each side of the apparatus.
c. When the apparatus is stopped at the church or cemetery, the pallbearers will assemble at the rear of the apparatus to receive the casket.
1. The Honor Guard Officer commands “Attention” and the pallbearers come to attention.
2. The Honor Guard Officer commands “Present Arms” and a hand salute is rendered and the casket is then removed and transported to the church or cemetery.

APPENDIX E: FOLDING AND PRESENTING THE AMERICAN FLAG








Approved By:
Shawn T. Vena, Chief
Date: January 6, 2003
Review Interval: Annual

[papacheese]

Ops..thanks for posting that...very good material!

One aspect of an LODD that shouldn't be overlooked is proper and timely notification to DFS and DOL...they're going to find out anyway, and hearing it from a third party isn't a good thing. There are state requirements for proper notification that every chief officer should be aware of....here's the link:

www.state.nj.us/dca/dfs/refbook8.pdf

A copy should be put in every command vehicle....

While still in the process of composing, our as-yet-written-and-approved H&S Program will have a section on LODD's as well as Critical Incident Stress Management, two very critical areas that must be addressed.

[opsoverkill]

Papacheese

Great add!! Guys it is so important to follow those guidelines. Not following them could jeopardize the death benefit to the family. And that is why it is important to have a rep from the fire co. It could be a member of your department or delegate it to someone that will make sure every thing is done according to the states guideline!!!! Having that person in uniform tends to get more respect at times.