The mission of VictimsFirst is to empower and safeguard victims of mass violence by providing swift and comprehensive support. This is achieved through rapid response, direct financial assistance, community preparedness education, compassionate care, and advocacy for policies that benefit all victims and survivors. By undertaking these initiatives, we aim to cultivate a society that is more empathetic, resilient, and informed, prioritizing the rights and well-being of victims in the aftermath of atrocities.

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Vision: 

VictimsFirst responds immediately to mass casualty crimes by engaging directly with families of the deceased and those wounded both physically and mentally, while also helping the affected community understand the needs of victims/survivors. We work with local, state, and federal governments, care providers, businesses, and the public to ensure that victims/survivors receive the services, comfort, and financial support they need while protecting them from being re-victimized.

This includes but is not limited to:

• Working with government officials to ensure a rapid and well-organized response to a mass casualty crime by making sure communities implement the Best Practices/National Guidelines Protocol For Mass Casualty Crime so that surviving victims are not re-victimized.

• Organizing outreach to local businesses and community organizations, national corporations, and the public to collect funds and ensure 100% goes directly to victims to help pay for expenses in the aftermath of the crime.

• Watching over funds to make sure that all donations collected in the victims’ names go directly to the victim base. This may include initiating and managing fundraising endeavors to ensure 100% of all money donated to help victims goes directly to victims. 

• Interacting with the media to guide them in adapting a No Notoriety policy for the sake of public safety, as well as employ ethical, humane, and trauma-informed reporting practices that respect victims and their families. 

• Working with media, politicians, and community leaders to adapt the proper language when speaking to and about victims of crime.

• Helping to initiate immediate, financial assistance to victims/survivors of mass casualty crime. 

• Connecting victims/survivors with the proper services and agencies they need (i.e. Office of Victims’ Assistance for burial expenses) through referral. 

• Creating and managing social media campaigns of support to victims/survivors of mass casualty crime.

• Partnering with other organizations to end online harassment and conspiracy theories against victims/survivors.

• Working continually with local, state, and federal governments to advocate for victims' rights (i.e. reinstating Son of Sam laws to killers cannot profit from their crimes, advocating so the deceased have rights, and protecting families so that coroner reports and crime scene photos do not become public).  

• Educating companies, communities, municipalities, states, and organizations to ensure they are prepared for a mass casualty crime and are able to respond ethically, humanely, and effectively—always putting victims first. 

• Helping to find ongoing support for victims/survivors of mass casualty crime. 

• Partnering with like-minded organizations.

Values:

• Advocating – Advocate for victims/survivors during the worst and most vulnerable time of their lives when they need help having their voices heard. This includes working both as advocates for victims, but also with government officials to implement the Best Practices/National Guidelines Protocol For Mass Casualty Crime. 

• Teaching – Provide first-hand knowledge from past experiences to community leaders and elected officials on how to effectively respond to mass casualty events without re-victimizing families of the deceased and survivors as well as provide compassionate care to victims by implementing our Best Practices/National Guidelines Protocol For Mass Casualty Crime.

• Helping Hands – Provide help with no expectation, without taking advantage of victims/survivors when they are most vulnerable.

• Building Bridges – Work with others for a common goal: to make sure that victims/survivors receive the help they need directly and without being re-victimized.

• Collaborating – Collaborate, when necessary, with other non-profits that can provide direct care for victims.

• Providing Compassion – Have compassion and empathy when working with and for the victims/survivors. 

• Prioritizing Ethics – We will perform our duties ethically.