New resource and NFDA Convention panel help the profession take its place in local emergency planning
Brookfield, Wisconsin – When disaster strikes, funeral service professionals are essential to their community’s response, yet many funeral homes aren’t included in local emergency planning until a crisis is already underway. Today, the Funeral Service Foundation launched A Seat at the Table: Why Funeral Service Professionals Belong in Every Community’s Crisis Response Plan, a new 12-page booklet designed to help change that.
“When a crisis strikes a community, few people carry the responsibility that funeral service professionals do: caring for those who have died, staying beside their families, and supporting their community through memorialization and grief, from the first call to long after,” said Allan Cole, Past Chair of the Funeral Service Foundation and Chair of the Crisis Response Task Force. “That experience belongs in the planning before a crisis, not after. This booklet and our panel in Charlotte help funeral professionals make that case in their own communities.”
The booklet outlines what funeral service professionals bring to community crisis response, from coordination with coroners, hospitals, and public safety to preparedness expertise, clear communication with families and agencies, and cultural competence.
Created alongside the booklet, a panel at the 2026 NFDA International Convention & Expo in Charlotte, North Carolina will bring together funeral service professionals with firsthand experience responding to mass fatality incidents to share practical lessons learned, operational challenges, and strategies for effective collaboration.
Conversation Café: A Seat at the Table in Your Community’s Crisis Response
Tuesday, October 27, 2026 | 12:30–2 p.m. | Charlotte Convention Center
Open to Full Convention passholders
Moderated by Cole, of MacKinnon and Bowes, the panel brings together funeral service professionals with firsthand experience responding to mass fatality incidents:
- Bryant Hightower, Hightower Family Funeral Homes
- Jimmy Lucas, Lucas Funeral Homes
- Carmalita March-Harris, March Funeral Homes
- Tim Schramm, Howe-Peterson Funeral Home and Cremation Services
- Michael Soper, Legacy Funeral Group
Through candid conversation and real-world examples, attendees will explore how funeral homes can strengthen preparedness, build relationships with key community partners, and position themselves as essential stakeholders in local crisis response planning. Participants will leave with actionable steps to improve readiness and enhance coordination, and to ensure their funeral home has a seat at the table before a disaster occurs. The session is approved for 1.5 CE hours by APFSP and selected state licensing boards; attendees should check with their state board for approval status.
The booklet and panel were developed by the Foundation’s Crisis Response Task Force and are supported through the Foundation’s Crisis Response Fund.
A Seat at the Table is available to download and order for free (simply pay shipping) at FuneralServiceFoundation.org/Resources-For-Professionals/Seat-At-The-Table.