Crisis Communication Planning

My interest in crisis communication stems from my work with cheerleading safety. When I think of crisis as related to cheerleading, my early thoughts were of catastrophic injury, but my definition through the years has expanded to such crises as inappropriate behavior of coaches, cheerleaders, and parents as well as other major problems that affect cheer programs. My interest in crisis communication has grown to include disasters that severely impact communities such as weather disasters, chemical disasters, etc. All of these situations need a crisis communications plan--a plan that details who, what, when, and where as it pertains to the individual disaster or crisis.  In my experience with cheer gyms and programs, very few are prepared to handle the communications needed during a crisis. I am probably safe in saying few small businesses are prepared to do the same.

My interest in crisis communications and helping communities has led to my participating in CERT--Community Emergency Response Team. CERT training helps citizens become better prepared to respond to disasters through education, training and volunteer service. I also sit on the board of the Recovery Organization of Coffee County (ROCC). ROCC is a type of VOAD (Voluntary Organization Active in Disaster), a group whose job is to assist in coordinating voluntary relief efforts in times of disaster. Without VOAD groups, assistance to survivors of disasters might be haphazard and of little help. You can imagine the chaos that would ensue if these groups had no crisis communication plans.

Recently I completed FEMA course G288--Local Volunteer and Donations Management. Almost every unit of the manual devoted some space to communications. Social media was discussed in great detail as being an aid to crisis communications and as being a hindrance. In FEMA's publication, Social Media Strategy: Virtual Social Media Working Group, FEMA administrator Craig Fugate emphasizes the importance of social media:  ". . .it helps to facilitate the vital two-way communication between emergency management agencies and the public, and it allows us to quickly and specifically share information with state and local governments as well as the public." After Hurricane Sandy, FEMA published Lessons Learned--Social Media and Hurricane Sandy: Virtual Social Media Working Group. This publication details multiple uses of social media by government agencies and private groups. Collaboration with a variety of agencies allowed for centralization of information and sharing of information, social media allowed the media to provide information to the public and to gather information from the public, social media enabled rumors to run rampant but also helped to give space to controlling rumors.

If it is possible before a disaster is declared, vital communications should take place--what are the evacuation routes, where are the locations of shelters, what family needs should be taken care of (cash, medicine, diapers, formula, water, pet food, etc.), and other relevant messages. These messages should be delivered through traditional means (radio, television, newspaper) if time allows and also through social media. Local EMA Facebook and website pages should contain this information; city governments' websites and Facebook pages should also have this information. Friends and family may use Twitter, Facebook, and texting to relay information to their loved ones. Pre-disaster information is valuable in keeping people safe and in enabling citizens to prepare. It is important that those groups who issue the pre-disaster communications have a plan in place and practice for the next disaster. Reviewing and revising those plans should be a regular exercise. Continual monitoring of social media is important as information changes.

After the disaster, communication is necessary to assist people in responding and recovering. Most of our communities are ready to help our neighbors and even respond to help other communities close by or in another state. We volunteer our assistance for a variety of reasons:  genuinely want to help, have survived a similar incidence, or want to be part of a larger cause. We donate to causes for similar reasons, but we may have selfish reasons to donate--seeking a tax break or ridding our homes of excess goods. Communications directed to volunteer efforts and donation efforts can greatly assist local EMAs and VOAD groups. This is an opportunity to educate the public (that truly wants to help) what volunteer help is needed and where donations will be collected. In the FEMA course G288 I learned that financial donations to reputable volunteer organizations are the best method of giving to the recovery effort. Some people see disaster donations as a way to clean out their closets and get rid of their clutter. The last thing a disaster victim needs is someone's used clothing or broken/used furniture or appliances. During the class everyone had a story of really useless things donated to a recovery effort and the reactions of folks when their "treasures" were rejected. Reputable voluntary organizations have experience in disaster recovery, and they know what is needed. Financial contributions allow the voluntary organizations to purchase items needed locally, thereby assisting the local economy. This makes so much sense. Donated items must be packed, labeled, and transported to a distribution center--costing valuable time and money.

Communications in the responding and recovery phase related to volunteers and donations should clearly state where donations can be made, where volunteers should go to register for disaster work, and what type of assistance is needed. Social media is very useful to get these messages to the public. Websites, Twitter, and Facebook are useful as they give an opportunity for two-way communication; questions can be answered, rumors squashed, and updates posted. These communications should be coordinated with all groups involved--local government officials, the media, and EMA should all have much the same information. The mayor should be giving the same donation and volunteer information as the VOAD or the Red Cross. Monitoring the various social media sites will help ensure the messages are correct, consistent and updated.

Planning communications before a disaster occurs gives groups the time to compose messages that educate and detail what needs to be communicated. Having templates set up for a variety of disasters may make communications a bit easier or at least give you a head start. We can't prepare for everything, but we can prepare for incidents that are typical for our area.