The loss of an officer in the line of duty has a deeply painful impact on the department, the community, and, ultimately, the nation. But the most painful blow is dealt to the officer’s family, whose worst nightmares are suddenly realized. The lurking fear that the “goodbye” said before a shift might be the last has suddenly become an unimaginable reality.

It now falls to those left behind to serve and protect that family. The following are a few things an agency can do to help the officer’s family following a line-of-duty death.