Traumatic Incident Response Program Mission Statement
The mission of the North Carolina Sheriffs’ Association’s Traumatic Incident Response Program is to provide assistance in traumatic incidents to the Office of Sheriff in North Carolina. Traumatic incidents are defined as events that cause powerful emotional reactions in people who are exposed to those events, including:
- line of duty deaths;
- incidents involving the use of force by the employee, against the employee, or against others;
- suicide of a colleague;
- serious work-related injury;
- multi-casualty incidents;
- events with a high degree of threat to the personnel;
- significant events involving children;
- events in which the victim is known to the personnel;
- events with excessive media interest;
- events that are prolonged and end with a negative outcome; and
- any significantly powerful, overwhelmingly distressing event.
Traumatic Incident Response Program Overview
The first edition of the North Carolina Sheriffs’ Association (NCSA) Traumatic Incident Response Program Manual has been developed by NCSA staff at the request of the NCSA Traumatic Incident Response Committee to fulfill the above mission statement. The primary focus of the first edition is line of duty deaths and serious injuries.
The manual will be used as a continuing education and training tool for sheriffs’ offices statewide. However, it is important to note that the manual is designed to serve only as a guide and resource for sheriffs’ offices. It is not all-inclusive and the sheriff may wish to deviate from the manual as deemed appropriate.
Additionally, as we encounter and respond to traumatic incidents in the future, we will undoubtedly learn from these tragic experiences and will modify our program accordingly.
More information on the Public Safety Officers Benefits Program can be found at www.PSOB.gov.
