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ORANGE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE GENERAL ORDER Effective Date: December 19, 2017  Amends - GO 4.6.4 (December 18, 2015) Number: 4.6.4 Distribution: All Personnel Review Month: June Reviewing Authority: HRD/Employee Services Subject: Death and Serious Injury of Active and Retired Sheriff's Office Agency Members This order consists of the following: 1. Purpose 2. Policy 3. Definitions 4. Procedures 1. Purpose The purpose is to provide compassionate assistance to the immediate family of an act ive or retired agency member who has died or has sustained a severe/debilitating injury/illness . 2. Policy It is the policy of the agency to utilize all appropriate and available resources to provide critical support to the immediate family of an active o r retired agency member who has died or has sustained a severe/debilitating injury/illness during the time of severe trauma or loss. 3. Definitions A. Active agency Members – are defined for the purpose of this policy as full or part - time employees, both swo rn and civilian, as well as volunteers. B. Benefits Coordinator - a member of the Risk Management Section who shall coordinate all survivor benefits (i.e., life insurance, medical benefits, retirement or workers' compensation). C. Casualty Assistance Officer ( CAO) - an agency liaison to the immediate family/survivor of a severe/debilitating injury/illness or deceased active or retired agency members. D. Casualty Assistance Officer (CAO) Team – a component of the CBT, composed of twelve(12) agency members selec ted to liaison with immediate family members of seriously injured or deceased active and retired agency members. Victim Advocates and Chaplains are an additional element of the CAO team. E. Casualty Assistance Officer (CAO) Team Leader – the CAO Team Leader is a Captain appointed by the CBT Team commander and shall direct the overall CAO coordination and liaison with the Production Team Leader. F. Casualty Benefits Team (CBT) - a voluntary team composed of two sub teams: The Casualty Assistance Team and the Pro duction Team. 4.6.4; Pag e 2 of 9 G. Casualty Benefits Team Commander - the CBT Commander is the Support Services Division Commander and has overall command of the Casualty Benefits Team. H. Concerns of Police Survivors (COPS) – a national non -profit organization that assists pol ice survivors. I. Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) - an agency program whose team members assist agency members in coping with stress related to traumatic events. J. Escorts – an individual assigned to accompany immediate family to the memorial servi ces. One of the escorts will be the CAO who is the liaison with the immediate family. K. Family Liaison – an agency member from the squad or section who has a personal relationship or friendship with the surviving family . L. Immediate Family – parent, spous e, children (regardless of residence), other relatives who reside in the agency member’s household, and others approved by the Sheriff. M. LMHP – a licensed mental health professional. N. Logistics Officer – a member of the Casualty Assistance Team dedicated t o monitoring the needs of the immediate family. The Logistics Officer shall document and disseminate the information to the Production Team Leader for appropriate action. O. Production Team - a component of the CBT team responsible for the coordination of agency resources for the funeral of deceased active or retired agency members. P. Production Team Leader – the Production Team Leader is the Community Relations Section Commander and shall direct the overall coordination of agency resources related to fune ral planning. Q. Retired Agency Members – are defined for the purpose of this policy as those former agency members who se parated from the agency with 20 years of service. R. Severe/Debilitating Injury or Illness - a life threatening injury or illness so serio us and debilitating that the employee is transported to and likely to be admitted to a medical facility. S. Sheriff’s Employee Assistance Trust (SEAT) – a program serving all agency members and qualified officers from other Orange County law enforcement agen cies by providing financial assistance when needs arise due to death, disability, illness, injury, or circumstance. Assistance is granted when funding is not provided by state or federal law, workers’ compensation or other special trust fund established f or this purpose. 4.6.4; Pag e 3 of 9 T. Survivor – immediate family member of an agency member killed in the line of duty. 4. Procedures A. All Active Agency Members’ Duty Related Death s or severe/debilitating injury/illness Notifications 1. The Communications Supervisor shall immed iately notify the Sheriff, the Undersheriff, the agency member’s Division Commander, the Human Resources Division (HRD) Commander or designee, the CBT Commander , the CAO Team Leader and the on -call CAO of the death or severe/debilitating injury/illness to all active agency members. 2. The Watch Commander, CBT Commander, CAO Team Leader or above may authorize the Communications Supervisor to access the "Emergency Notification Information." Consistent with the notification protocol, the “Emergency Notificati on Information” will be immediately provided to the necessary personnel. B. All Active Agency Members’ Non