Grief presents a unique set of challenges to members of the law enforcement community – whether a department experiences the trauma of a line-of-duty death or marks the passing of a veteran officer within their community.

Few individuals better understand the significance and potential healing power of  police funerals than John Cooley, a 30 year veteran of the Los Angeles Police Department.

Cooley’s insights into how we honor the dead in a way that heals survivors and ennobles the law enforcement profession will change the way you think about the “unthinkable”.

Educational Workshop

John Cooley

Healing Power of Ceremony and the Police Funeral

October 25, 2012 Waldorf, Maryland

Hosted by the Charles County Sheriff’s Office

• Defining a Line-of-Duty Death – Ceremonies vs. Benefits • Honors for Line-of-Duty and Active-Duty Deaths• Choosing a Funeral Coordinator – “Who Me?”• Funeral Notices and Obituaries – Inclusions and Omissions • Bereavement Material – More Than a Hand Shake and a Hug • Traditional Funeral Services – Family and Officer's Wishes • Funerals for Female Officers• Civilian Funerals• Retiree Funerals• Unwanted Attendees – Who Could That Possibly Be? • Traditional Honors Ceremonies – Should and Shall• Critical Incident Debriefings• Death Notifications (I) – Time Is of the Essence• Death Notifications (II) – On and Off-Duty Personnel Issues • Notifying Our Own About Their Own – They Deserve Better • Determining the Next-of-Kin – Trust But Verify• Emergency Contact Information – Inaccurate Won't Work • Trust and Memorial Funds – Protect the Children • Scheduling the Services – Guidance vs. Instruction • Strategic Planning Team – 12 Important Positions • Collecting Agency and Personal Property – A Simple Policy • Suicides – Not If, But When

Multi – Agency • Mutual Aid – Know Now, Plan Now • Protocols – Your Agency, Your Protocol

John’s role in these workshops alternates between presenter and group facilitator.

The workshop format provides an excellent opportunity for change to occur because participants can determine what will work for them, what they need to do, and how to do it.

They get feedback from other agency representatives on what worked well and what didn’t. They can actually walk away with a comprehensive outline and understanding of what they need to do and the resource material to help them do it.

They often develop a network of local agencies to share information and resources with.

The attendees were encouraged to return to their agencies and compare their preparedness level to what was suggested or determine how to become prepared and follow-up with the development of a protocol or guideline etc.

Healing Power of Ceremony and the Police Funeral

Each department will receive a FREE DVD featuring a copy of John’s funeral planning guide, including the pdf book, videos, customizable forms and checklists, and many other resources ... everything needed to develop an agency protocol to plan and conduct a dignified, meaningful, police funeral or memorial.

www.policefunerals.com/thebook/index.html

Free DVD for AttendeesCourtesy of PoliceUSA.com and the authors.

Sgt. John Cooley retired in 2001 after 30 years of service with the Los Angeles Police Department.

As the Officer-in-Charge of LAPD’s Employee Assistance Unit from 1992 until his retirement, he served as the department’s Funeral Coordinator, among other responsibilities.

He is a Certified Bereavement Facilitator and developed his expertise in coordinating law enforcement funerals through managing 18 line-of-duty funerals for LAPD, plus 3 for other California agencies (Simi Valley, Pomona, and Palos Verdes Estates) in addition to over 60 LAPD funerals for active officers. He also assisted the Los Angeles City Fire Dept. with a multiple-victim funeral.

“My seminars & workshops will help police agencies and those responsible for managing police funerals better understand the tasks associated with such an event. The information provided represents my knowledge, experience and personal opinions.” Sgt. John Cooley

Through his seminar, “Healing Power of Ceremony and the Police Funeral”, veteran police officer John Cooley shares his extensive experience and people-oriented insights to raising the professional standards by which law enforcement honors and lays to rest its fallen heroes.

Always engaging, often moving, John draws on the wisdom accumulated during his 30 years with the Los Angeles Police Department, where he coordinated over 80 police funeral and memorial services.

In training seminars held across the country, John has given attendees a rare opportunity to focus on sensitive issues that are seldom discussed and often overlooked by agencies amidst a line-of-duty death crisis.

The Seminars not only guide participants through the myriad of decisions involved in developing their own comprehensive “Line-of-Duty Death Protocol”, John also motivates participants to take action.

“It is vital to develop a Line-of-Duty Death Protocol well in advance of a crisis. Few agency or department administrators have been through a line-of-duty death as active participants, and most funeral homes know even less. But a poorly executed police funeral is an embarrassment to the city, the department, and the officer’s family.”

Seminar Registration

Healing Power of Ceremony and the Police Funeral

Thursday, October 25, 2012

0800-1700 hrs

Please Fax completed form to: 800-961-9773

Registration deadline: Thursday Oct 11, 2012

Agency: _________________________________________________________________

Agency Address: __________________________________________________________

Contact person: ___________________________________________________________

Contact phone number(s): ___________________________________________________

Contact email address: _____________________________________________________

Contact fax number: _______________________________________________________

Name/rank of attendees:

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Notification will be made confirming the date requested and the number of seats reserved. If there will be additional attendees, please inform the Charles County Sheriff’s Office to ensure that sufficient seating and handout materials are available.

If there will be fewer attendees than registered, please notify the Charles County Sheriff's Office so that additional seating and handouts may be made available to others.

For further information contact: Captain Michael McGuigan at (301) 609-3917 or by email: mcguiganm@ccso.us

Seminar Location:Greater Waldorf Jaycees Community Center

3090 Crain HighwayWaldorf, MD 20601