Pre-Incident Planning

The Alaska Victim Assistance Partnership (AVAP) is a multidisciplinary working group operating around the state to solve many of the same challenges you are facing. 

Planning is key when preparing for a Mass Violence Incident (MVI). It requires strategy, assessment of your community’s resources and determination of how to best use community’s support systems. Developing and maintaining partnerships is essential for any victim assistance response.

• Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) Toolkit Partnerships & Planning
• Response Through Recovery - Activities at a Glance
• Partnership and Planning Checklist
• OVC – First Response to Victims of Crime

Suggestions to Kick-Start Your Team!

Embrace the Need for Advocacy

A victim assistance plan should include information for responding to the needs of individuals impacted by a MVI. This includes support to victims and survivors before, during, and after interviews with law enforcement officials as well as addressing medical needs, providing information about loved ones, mental health services, temporary shelters, financial resources, and other services. Adherence to ADA compliance, even in a crisis, must be provided.

Learn about Incident Command Centers

This is the hub of all activity during a MVI. It provides a unified command center in a multi-responder emergency in which all agencies, including victim advocates, has a jurisdictional responsibility for the crisis response.

Pick a Team Captain

The primary law enforcement agency will provide the overall leadership in response to a MVI, but it is helpful to identify who will take the lead in responding to the needs of the victims and survivors immediately after a MVI as well as in the long-term. It is imperative that the victim advocate(s) coordinate with the emergency management group prior to a MVI occurring to ensure that there is a victim service response in the emergency management plan.

Determine Your Responders

Identify who will be responding as victim advocates when a MVI occurs. Develop how these responders will be called out and ensure that they are trained on what their role will be and what is expected of them. It is essential that victim advocates have identifying information when they respond to a MVI. This may be an identification card that is readily visible when they respond.
Role of Victim Assistance

Explore Your Capabilities

It is helpful to do an assessment of what the community can provide, what resources are currently available (including both people and money resources) and where they will need assistance from other communities. It is important to coordinate with governmental agencies, non-profit organizations, colleges, foundations, and others in your community. Once gaps have been identified, they can be addressed.
AVAP Intro Form

Develop a MOU & Communications Plan

Having MOUs among agencies helps to institutionalized roles and responsibilities and provides for clear expectations and sustainability over time.

Developing a communication plan and protocols to implement the plan are essential. Typically, the lead law enforcement agency will be responsible for informing the public of information it wants to release. However, a plan should be made to help victims and survivors receive information before it is released to the public and to help them deal with the media attention they may receive.
PIO Lessons Learned

Ready, Set, Go Boxes!

Go boxes can be used to have forms, technology support, identification items, etc. readily available so that victim advocates can leave at a moment’s notice.

Responding to Mass Violence Incident: Victim Assistance Agency/Organization "Go Kit"

Responding to Mass Violence Incident: Developing a Personal "Go Kit"

Create an Initial Place of Gathering: Identification & Notification Center

Identification and Notification Center: Identify temporary locations in the community where people can gather with loved ones or for those family members who want to report someone missing. The space should be able to house a significant number of people and have tables, chairs, separate rooms, food and beverages. These can range from arenas to schools, libraries, etc.

Phase 2 of Gathering: The Family Assistance Center (FAC)

Identify places where a Family Assistance Center could be located in the community. (Please see Family Assistance Center under the post-incident section)