Designation:E2732−11StandardPracticeforResponderFamilySupportService1ThisstandardisissuedunderthefixeddesignationE2732;thenumberimmediatelyfollowingthedesignationindicatestheyearoforiginaladoptionor,inthecaseofrevision,theyearoflastrevision.Anumberinparenthesesindicatestheyearoflastreapproval.Asuperscriptepsilon(´)indicatesaneditorialchangesincethelastrevisionorreapproval.INTRODUCTIONThedeliveryofcriticalemergencyresponseservicesintimeofdisasterislargelydependentupondesignatedindividuals(responders)whopossessthenecessaryskillandtrainingtoproviderelieftothoseaffected.Suchdesignatedindividualsmaycomefromavarietyofpublic,private,orgovernmentsponsoredentitiesdependingonthenatureandextentoftheemergencysituation.Whiletheircontributionstothereliefeffortmaybediverse,theyallshareacommonconcernthathasthepotentialtodistractfromtheirfocusonemergencyresponse,whichistheconcernforthesafetyandsecurityoftheirfamiliesandlovedones.Theserespondersneedtobeabletoconcentratefullyontheirresponseduties,especiallyintimesofawidespreademergency.However,itisrecognizedthattheserespondersmayfacethedifficultchallengeofdecidingbetweenprofessionalduty,thewelfareoftheirlocalcommunity,andthesafetyandwelfareoftheirfamiliesandlovedones.Thus,thispracticewasdevelopedtoprovideaframeworkfortheresponsibleentitiestohelptheirresponsepersonnelplanforandmanagethesafetyoftheirfamiliesduringextendedperiodsofemergencyassignment.Toavoidunnecessaryburdenonorreductioninthenumberofanentity’semergencyresponders,otheravailablecommunityhumanresourcesshouldbeconsideredtohelpwiththistaskofensuringthatresponder’sfamiliesaresupported.Preferably,suchadditionalhumanresourceswouldhaveaccess,eitherpersonallyorthroughtheirorganization,tolocalresourcesthatmightbeneededtoprovidethenecessaryresponderfamilysupport.Theseadditionalresourcescanoftenbefoundinlocalrecreational,cultural,andeducationalprogramsandorganizationlocatedwithinthecommunity.Insomecommunitiestheseprogramsandorganizationsmayhavepaidstaff,andinothercommunitiessu...
