Casualty notification


Casualty notification is the process of notifying relatives of people who have been killed or seriously injured unexpectedly. The notification may be done over the phone or in person, but is normally done by a police officer in person when possible, at least for the next of kin.
In the case of the United States armed forces, the notification is done by a specialist known as a casualty notification officer, normally within four hours of learning of the casualty or, for the Navy, by a casualty assistance calls officer.
Denny Hayes, who spent fifteen years as a chaplain for the FBI’s critical response team, says:


"You can’t make it better," said Dr. Nancy Davis, former chief of counseling services for the FBI. "But you can definitely make it worse."