The Governor’s Sandy Hook Advisory Commission this week released its report and recommendations growing out of its research and discussions in the wake of the 12/14 mass killing at Sandy Hook Elementary School. It was the third major report to address the tragedy, following the Danbury State’s Attorney report on the crime in November 2013 and the report by the Office of the Child Advocate released late last year. Unlike the first two reports, which offered disturbing investigative details of the pathologies of the crimes and their perpetrator, the advisory commission focused its forensic interest on the responses to the killings by public and private bureaucracies, systems, and ad hoc organizations.

While the panel expressed its admiration for Newtown’s reaction as a community, enthusing to First Selectman Pat Llodra “You have set a new standard,” the scary truth was that much of that local response was made up on the fly — not a standard any critical thinking people should willingly adopt. Newtown’s remarkable performance in delivering critical information and services to a town suffering unfathomable psychological wounds in the middle of a blizzard of 6,000 phone calls, 200,000 pieces of mail, countless media satellite trucks and interview requests, and legions of empathetic visitors from afar — not to mention 65,000 teddy bears — was a testament to the willingness of the people of Newtown to step up to meet the need. Now, the Sandy Hook Advisory Commission’s report raises the question: Will the governor and legislature do the same?

Key among the commission’s recommendations is the development of a comprehensive statewide plan for responding to large-scale school crises that includes educational and behavioral health agencies. The key word is comprehensive, which should apply to both the scope and duration of the state’s commitment to assisting with recovery efforts. While these recommendations were set in motion by a school tragedy, the state needs to consider the same level of preparedness for all major traumatic events that can devastate a community. That includes environmental catastrophes and weather disasters where there are also acute needs for response planning and execution, communication, security, mental health services, and mechanisms and measures to ensure the fair, ethical, and expeditious distribution of donations and emergency grants.

These are the kinds of responsibilities we need governments for. Yes, when the chips are down, volunteers moved by empathy and compassion will come running to meet even the most daunting challenges, as they did in Newtown. Despite this town’s exemplary example, however, Connecticut’s elected representatives must accept that this should not become the standard response. We encourage them to use the Sandy Hook Advisory Commissions recommendations to set a new standard of response to overwhelming tragedy.