The goal of recovery is to successfully overcome the impacts—physical and emotional—of the incident and to return to the main mission of learning, or worship, as quickly as possible. After a mass casualty incident, the greatest focus will be on providing a caring and supportive environment and helping survivors recover emotionally. In addition, the recovery process needs to support law enforcement’s investigative objectives.

In the beginning, the process may be intensive and stressful, with demands from many directions. It may be emotionally taxing, as situations involving fear, shock, and grief inevitably are. And it is likely to last for an extended period because healing takes time.

A recovery plan provides the foundation for uniting the whole community carrying out this process in a coordinated manner and for having the appropriate resources available when needed.