National
Honor Guard Commanders Association
Recommended Funeral
Response Levels
When a firefighter
dies, family members or members of the fire service organization may
request a fire service funeral. Based upon the circumstances, the
department should provide appropriate services from the planning of the
funeral through the survivor follow-up process. To honor all
firefighters in a consistent manner, a state or region may want to adopt
a policy on the types of services to provide. The following are
recommended funeral response levels that many fire service agencies
across the county have established and are already using.
Level One Funeral
Service-
Honors bestowed for the line-of-duty death of any active, uniformed
member of the Department or Company. This may include a death stemming
from injuries or illness while on duty.
Level Two Funeral
Service-
Honors bestowed for the off duty, or non-duty related death of an active
uniformed member of the Department or Company.
Level Three Funeral
Service-
Honors bestowed for the non-line-of-duty death of an active
non-uniformed member; retired member (whose death is not attributed to a
line-of-duty injury or incident); honorary member; or a member’s spouse
or children.
Recommended Response
Levels and Honors Bestowed
The recommended Honors
that are bestowed during a firefighter’s funeral that correspond to the
appropriate funeral response level are outlined below. Please keep in
mind that the surviving family members ultimately determine what Honors
if any are performed at the memorial service and or the funeral. And
that the chief or director can alter the honors offered, once they are
altered though, a new precedent has been set and that department must be
prepared to make adjustments again in the future. For that reason, it
is advised that a department develops a standard and makes every effort
to adhere to it. Only under unique and extreme circumstances would a
department or company vary from what has already been established.
Level 1 Honors Bestowed
Level One Funeral
Service-
Honors bestowed for the line-of-duty death of any active, uniformed
member of the Department or Company. This may include a death stemming
from injuries or illness while on duty.
-
All military standards observed
- Department Honor
and Color Guard
- Department
Chaplain
- Station and
apparatus bunting
- Death Watch/Casket
Vigil
- Honorary
Pallbearers
- Department
apparatus used as caisson
- Department
apparatus used as a flower truck 
- Family
transportation 
- Department Casket
Team
- Bunker gear,
helmet and badge presentation
- IAFF medal
presentation for IAFF members
- Crossed aerial
ladders with flag drape
- Non-crossed aerial
ladders (straight up) with flag drape 
- Bell Ceremony
- Final tone-out
- Flag presentation
- Fly over
(helicopter)
- Firing Party/rifle
volley salute (if veteran or law enforcement officer)
Level 2 Honors Bestowed
Level Two Funeral
Service-
Honors bestowed for the off duty, or non-duty related death of an active
uniformed member of the Department or Company.
-
All military standards observed
- Department Honor
and Color Guard
- Department
Chaplain
- Station and
apparatus bunting 
- Static display of
apparatus 
- Death Watch/Casket
Vigil
- Honorary
Pallbearers
- Department Casket
Team
- Bell Ceremony
- Final tone-out
- Flag presentation
- Firing Party/rifle
volley salute (if veteran or law enforcement officer)
Level 3 Honors Bestowed
Level Three Funeral
Service-
Honors bestowed for the non-line-of-duty death of an active
non-uniformed member; retired member (whose death is not attributed to a
line-of-duty injury or incident); honorary member; or a member’s spouse
or children.
-
All military standards observed
- Department Honor
and Color Guard
- Death Watch/Casket
Vigil
- Department Casket
Team
- Bell Ceremony
- Final tone-out
- Flag presentation
- Firing Party/rifle
volley salute (if veteran or law enforcement officer)
|