The plan does not exist as formal written policy. Nevertheless, it has become standard operating procedure for the Employee Assistance Unit. The plan details the order in which survivors are to be notified, the individuals responsible for making those contacts, and the resources available to assist the agency and the surviving family. The plan also ensures that the people who drive to the victim’s residence and inform the family have an accurate idea of what they may encounter and are as prepared as time and circumstances allow. Guidelines involve conducting death notifications in person, in pairs, with compassion, and in the order of kinship, starting with the spouse or domestic partner and continuing with the minor children, the adult children, the parents, the siblings, the grandparents, and others. List of guidelines, notes, photographs, and 4 suggested readings