0240.10 Line of Duty Death

0240.10 Line of Duty Death
 

Refer:
•    ORS 181A.832, Mental health wellness policies for law enforcement agencies 
•    ORS 181A.835, Peer support counseling sessions 
•    City of Portland Human Resources Administrative Rule (HRAR) 10.02, Employee Assistance Program 
•    DIR 0218.00, Honor Guard and Highland Guard
•    DIR 0416.00, Critical Incidents 
•    DIR 0505.00, Employment Assistance Program (EAP)
•    DIR 0612.10, Death Messages
•    DIR 0631.35, Press/Media Relations
•    Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs):
o    Training Division SOP 13-7, Member Death, Memorial Services and Family Member Death
o    Honor Guard SOP 5, Memorial Service Responses
o    Strategic Communications SOP 9, On Duty Serious Injury or Death of a Sworn Member
 

Definitions:
•    Beneficiary: The person(s) designated by the member as the recipient of specific death benefits.

•    Death Benefits: Monetary payments made to the family to ensure financial stability following the loss of a loved one.

•    Family (or Survivors): The immediate family members of the deceased member, including the spouse, domestic partner, children, parents, siblings, fiancé and/or significant others.

•    Family Liaison Officer: The officer designated on a member's "Employee Emergency Contact Information Form" who plays a support role for the family if a member dies in the line of duty.

•    Highland Guard: A Portland Police-sponsored bagpipe band, comprised of active and retired Portland Police personnel; members of other area public safety agencies; and civilian volunteers, that primarily participates in events to honor and commemorate fallen emergency service personnel.

•    Honor Guard: A Portland Police ceremonial unit that participates in police- and fire-related events and memorials to honor and commemorate fallen emergency service personnel.
•    Incident Commander: The person responsible for all incident activities, including developing strategies and tactics and monitoring resources. The IC has the overall authority and responsibility for conducting incident operations and is responsible for managing all incident operations at the incident site.

•    Line-of-Duty Death: Any action, felonious or accidental, that claims the life of a member who is performing work-related functions while on or off duty.

•    Next of Kin: The person(s) a Bureau member has listed as "Whom to Notify" in the event of an emergency on their "Employee Emergency Contact Information Form" or who is listed in the member's Personnel Division file.

•    Police Liaison Officer (PLO): The Bureau's Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Coordinator or designated EAP team representative who provides centralized coordination for support to survivors and Bureau members following the severe injury or death of a member. 
 

Policy:
1.    This Directive describes the Bureau's coordinated response to support members and their families after a Line of Duty Death.

2.    The Bureau recognizes that the death of a Bureau member can be a   difficult experience for members and their families, and these events require a thoughtful, caring response, balancing emotional support while allowing people the space to grieve.

3.    The Bureau's intent is to provide professional, compassionate, and coordinated services to the surviving family, Bureau members, and the community.

4.    The Bureau will act in support of family members' decisions on medical care and memorial service planning.

Procedure:
1.    Member Responsibilities.
1.1    Bureau members are encouraged to update their "Emergency Contact Information Form" on the intranet, identifying their next of kin and preferred Family Liaison Officer (FLO).

1.2    Members shall immediately notify the Responsibility Unit (RU), Chief of Police, and EAP Coordinator in the event of another member's severe injury or Line of Duty Death.

1.3    Members shall limit radio transmissions, texts, phone conversations, and social media posts with identifying information until the Bureau's Public Information Office (PIO) officially releases information.  

1.4    Members shall not release the name of the deceased or severely injured member(s) to the media until the next of kin is notified and the Chief of Police has granted permission for the release of the name(s). If the media discovers the name, they should be asked to respect the survivors and withhold the name pending notification of the next of kin.

2.    The EAP Coordinator or Incident Commander (IC) may assign members to one or more of the following teams from the time of death through the memorial service.
2.1    Notification Team. 
2.1.1    The Notification Team consists of at least two members, preferably one RU representative and one peer support team member or Chaplain. The team is designated to notify the next of kin of the member's death.
2.1.2    If notifications need to be made at multiple locations (e.g., parents and spouse live at different locations), the IC will assemble additional two-person notification teams and plan for all next of kin to receive the notification at the same time.
2.1.3    The Notification Team shall:
2.1.3.1    Identify the next of kin listed on the deceased member's "Employee Emergency Contact Information Form." If no one is listed, contact the Personnel Division Manager for access to the member's personnel file; 
2.1.3.2    Only provide confirmed facts surrounding the death. Members should not speculate or make any statements giving false hope to the survivors; 
2.1.3.3    Have medical personnel available if the next of kin or other family present during the notification have a known medical problem such as a heart condition, high blood pressure, etc.;
2.1.3.4    Make the notification in person if the next of kin is in the local area;
2.1.3.5    Coordinate with local law enforcement agencies to make an in-person notification if the next of kin are outside of the local area; 
2.1.3.5.1    The Bureau Notification Team will follow up with out-of-town family members to help coordinate transportation to the treating medical facility.
2.1.3.6    Consider the location and other people present when notifying next of kin, and:
2.1.3.6.1    Avoid making notifications at the doorstep;
2.1.3.6.2    Request to come inside to a comfortable location prior to making the notification;  
2.1.3.6.3    Consider potential impacts the notification may have on other family members, especially children;
2.1.3.6.4    If the next of kin is at their workplace, coordinate with their immediate supervisor to ensure the family's privacy is protected. 
2.1.3.7    Ensure family members who live locally have immediate transportation to the treating medical facility. At least one Bureau member, preferably the Family Liaison, Officer (FLO) will accompany the family to the medical facility; and
2.1.3.8    Notify the Hospital Team of the anticipated arrival time of the family to the medical facility.

2.2    Hospital Team.
2.2.1    The Hospital Team consists of member(s) assigned to the receiving medical treatment facility. 
2.2.2    The Hospital Team shall:
2.2.2.1    Connect with facility staff and prepare for the arrival of the family and Bureau members; 
2.2.2.2    Designate separate, private, waiting areas for the family and for arriving Bureau members;
2.2.2.3    Designate a staging area for media, if needed;  
2.2.2.4    Establish 24/7 security or honor watch over the member until they are relieved by Honor Guard or other Bureau members; 
2.2.2.5    Ensure the family is greeted at the medical facility, introduced to medical staff, and provided the most updated information;
2.2.2.6    Designate a Bureau member to remain with the family until the FLO arrives; and   
2.2.2.7    Assist the family with any logistical needs while the member is at the hospital.  

2.3    Family Liaison Team.
2.3.1    Ideally, a FLO is a member that is close to the family and able to provide support to the family without it causing the FLO undue personal and emotional stress.  
2.3.1.1    A two-member Family Liaison Team may be needed to provide consistent and long-term support to the family while allowing assigned members time for personal breaks. 
2.3.1.2    The Police Liaison Officer (PLO) will make a recommendation if more than one FLO is required to provide appropriate support to the family and/or to multiple survivors. 
2.3.1.3    The PLO may request that the Chief's Office place the FLO(s) on special duty to serve the family until the memorial service is complete. 
2.3.1.4    FLO(s) shall: 
2.3.1.4.1    Be the single point of contact for all internal and external agencies requesting information from the family;
2.3.1.4.2    Provide information and advocate for the family but not make decisions for them;  
2.3.1.4.3    Immediately follow up to assist with travel/lodging logistics after receiving confirmation that the next of kin living outside the local area have been notified;
2.3.1.4.4    Arrange to have the member's personal belongings (that are located at work) gathered and given to the family at the appropriate time; and 
2.3.1.4.5    Support the family during the investigation and any court-related proceedings (e.g. by providing updates and helping family members understand the legal process), without getting directly involved in any legal matters.

2.4    Memorial Service Planning Team.
2.4.1    For formal Line of Duty Death memorial services, an Incident Commander will be assigned to oversee the Bureau Memorial Service Planning Team, which may include representatives from the Employee Assistance Office, Personnel Division, Public Information Office, Traffic Division, Honor Guard, Highland Guard, collective bargaining unit, the funeral director, the FLO(s), and representatives from external support agencies, such as the Oregon Fallen Badge Foundation (OFBF). 
2.4.2    The Bureau Memorial Service Planning Team will coordinate Bureau efforts in support of the family; Bureau members; and the broader community, when applicable; leading up to and during the memorial service.

3.    Police Liaison Officer PLO Responsibilities.
3.1    The EAP Coordinator or designated EAP team member serves as the PLO and shall:
3.1.1    Ensure Bureau peer support teams are designated and dispatched to appropriate locations to care for family and Bureau members; 
3.1.2    Assist in coordinating logistical support for family to include transportation, lodging, meals, childcare, and home security, as needed; 
3.1.2.1    This can include connecting the family with state, federal, and non-profit resources that may offer financial assistance;
3.1.3    Direct all medical facility bills to the Bureau and not to the next of kin; 
3.1.4    Coordinate with the FLO(s) on memorial service planning to ensure families' wishes are honored. Unless initiated by the family, no memorial planning discussions will occur until 24 hours have passed from the time of death; 
3.1.5    Provide consistent outreach to the family to be a resource and assist with related problems, as needed;
3.1.6    Serve as, or designate a benefits team, to act as a single point of contact for the family to track all monetary benefits, gifts, donations, or other financial matters related to the member's death; 
3.1.7    Liaise with professional organizations, such as OFBF and Concerns of Police Survivors (COPS), to offer the family assistance in the memorial planning process; 
3.1.8    Facilitate chaplain and peer support response to the incident scene, hospital, and workplace to provide one-on-one and group support to Bureau members and their families;
3.1.9    Coordinate the mental health provider response for member and family support, to include critical incident stress debriefings; 
3.1.10    Advocate for relief of emotionally overwhelmed members currently on duty, pursuant Directive 0416.00, Critical Incident - Temporary Altered Duty; 
3.1.11    Coordinate with the Incident Commander and the PIO to avoid conflict with family wishes;
3.1.12    Be responsible for filling out the appropriate paperwork for benefits and follow through to ensure the family is receiving the benefits to which they are entitled; and
3.1.13    Assist the FLO(s) during the investigation and any court-related proceedings.

4.    Honor Guard Commander Responsibilities.
4.1    In the event of a Line of Duty Death, the EAP Coordinator will notify the OFBF , who will coordinate with all surrounding Honor Guards.
4.2    The Honor Guard Commander, or their designee shall: 
4.2.1    Work closely with the Bureau's IC, or their designee, to provide ceremonial support as needed; 
4.2.2    Coordinate and plan the ceremonial aspects of the funeral based on the wishes of the deceased member's family, while staying within the limits of available financial resources and existing Bureau staffing limits;
4.2.3    Arrange for casket watch at the funeral home; 
4.2.4    Coordinate with visiting agencies; 
4.2.5    Coordinate and supervise ushers for the service; 
4.2.6    Provide a casket flag(s) for presentation to the survivor(s); 
4.2.7    Notify and coordinate with the Honor Guard network to coordinate a 24-hour honor watch, to include escorts when the member's body is transported to the funeral home or memorial service venue;
4.2.8    Coordinate with the Honor Guard network for memorial service support; and
4.2.9    Provide law enforcement customs and traditions at the memorial service to honor the member, in accordance with the family's wishes.  

5.    Public Information Office Responsibilities.
5.1    The PIO will coordinate with the FLO(s) to notify the family before any information related to the member's death, memorial service, or criminal investigation is released to the media.
5.2    The PIO may serve on the Memorial Service Planning Team.

Effective:              12/20/2025
Next Review:        12/20/2027