Incidents of mass violence and terrorism—bombings, mass riots and shootings, hijackings, bioterrorism attacks, and other human-caused disasters—present unique challenges to the communities in which they occur. These incidents require a coordinated, cross-sector approach among federal, state, local, and tribal governments; private entities; and nonprofit organizations to drive an effective response.
Although community crime prevention efforts are critical, this toolkit provides tools and resources for developing a comprehensive victim assistance plan that can be incorporated into your community’s existing emergency response plan. Victim assistance plans support and enhance your response and recovery efforts. The toolkit’s Partnerships & Planning section reviews how to create and maintain partnerships, address resource gaps, and develop victim assistance protocols, and its Response & Recovery section covers how to use the protocols after an incident of mass violence or terrorism. The Tools section includes checklists, samples, a glossary, and a compendium of victim assistance resources.
