Handling Deceased / Permadeathed Characters

As a member of EMS, your role is not only to save lives but also to handle death with professionalism and respect. When a player decides to permadeath (perma) their character, your job shifts from life-saving to documenting the death, preserving roleplay, and helping provide closure.

This guide outlines the correct procedures to follow when encountering a permadeathed or deceased character.

At Scene Care

Upon arrival at the scene:

  • Ensure Scene Safety: Make sure law enforcement has cleared the area if it was a crime or active shooter scene.
  • Assess the Situation: Check for signs of life (pulse, breathing, responsiveness).
    • If no vital signs are detected and it’s clear the character is beyond revival, move to Step 2.
    • If the player uses /me or OOC chat to indicate a permadeath (e.g., /me has passed away permanently), confirm that this is a permadeath and proceed.

Confirm Permadeath

Verify OOCly if Needed:

  • Use ‘/me’ or dm them on discord to confirm: /me Would patient be resuscitated?

If confirmed:

  • Treat the character as legally deceased.
  • Notify any law enforcement on the scene that the person is deceased.

Note: Do not revive a permadeathed character under any circumstances. Do not joke or go OOC in an insensitive way at the scene. Do not leave the scene without proper RP documentation of death and body removal.

Report

Begin documenting the death for RP records:

/me kneels beside the body and checks for vitals.

/me No pulse or breathing detected.

/me confirms time of death at [in-game time].

/me places a sheet over the body and calls for a coroner.

Include as much detail as possible in an EMS report in the MDT

Fill out a Death Report including:

  • Character name
  • Time of death
  • EMS units on scene
  • Summary of injuries
  • Cause of death (if known)
  • Actions taken

Transport

There are two main ways to proceed

Option 1: Coroner RP / Morgue

  • Contact the coroner (if available).
  • Transport the body to the morgue or hospital if coroners are not available.
  • Use /me to show covering and loading the body onto a stretcher or body bag.

Option 2: Law Enforcement Hand-off

  • If the death is part of a criminal investigation, hand the body over to law enforcement or CSI.
  • Remain on-scene to assist with any statements or medical insight.