When an incident occurs, an organization must immediately play the internal role of a ‘reporter’ in compiling, confirming and assessing information as it becomes available. Effective communications during the first 24 hours of a crisis will establish the organization’s credibility to manage the entire response and recovery operation.
This chapter will discuss procedures to gather and confirm information as soon as possible.
Keep in mind that these steps may occur simultaneously:
- Activate the Crisis Communications Team (CCT)
- Confirm information
- Assess the gravity of the crisis
- Identify key stakeholders
5.2 Activate the Crisis Communications Team
The CCT Leader must determine if the group should meet immediately to assess the incident or if individual members should first work on their own to collect information. From then on, the team must periodically reassess whether it should work as a group or should delegate tasks to individuals. Ideally, team members should have access to radios/walkie-talkies because phones may be out of operation.
The following is an example of possible team members needed to assist in the communications response:
- Communications
- Operations
- Government relations
- Community relations
- Legal
- Investor relations
- Relevant outside consultants (communications, legal, security)
- Senior leadership, if the severity of the situation requires their attention
- Support staff:
- Media queries/media log maintenance
- Media monitoring
- Research
- Editing/writing
- Website updates
- Crisis Center and press conference area
5.3 Confirm information
Assign duties to CCT members and support staff to verify information as it becomes available:
- Information-gathering liaisons for the following areas:
- Crisis response team/operations center
- Stakeholder groups
- Partner organizations
- Outside consultants, subject matter experts, membership associations
- Research
- Media monitoring
5.3.1 Sorting the information
The following are basic assessment questions to help determine the severity of a crisis:
Initial information
- What specific events occurred or are expected?
- Where did or will they occur?
- When did or will they occur?
- Why did or will they happen?
- Who is or will be affected? (Are children involved?)
- What action should the public take?
Response activities
- What has already been done to control the situation?
- Is there remaining danger?
- Has the affected area been secured
- Have proper authorities been notified, such as emergency crews, police, fire and/or other law enforcement/regulatory authorities?
- What actions have the authorities taken?
- How can public and employees obtain information- through a hotline, website, scheduled meetings?
Public health concerns
- Was anyone injured or killed, or what is the potential for injury or death?
- If there is a fatality, how and when was someone killed?
- Do the victims’ families know what happened?
- Is the organization responsible for informing relatives?
- Was the victim an employee or member of the community?
- Are any individuals still at risk?
- What are the names, ages, addresses, family information and hospital location for the people affected?
- If a victim is an employee, what is his/her title, job description and length of service organization?
- Was there a rescue, who conducted it?
Facility impact
- Was an organization’s facility involved? If so, what kind of facility?
- What was its function?
- Was the facility damaged?
- Were operations interrupted?
- Who will be affected by the incident?
- How much will this event cost to mitigate?
Media interest
- Have rumor control numbers been established?
- Are the media aware of the incident; are they on site?
- Is the media coverage being monitored and taped for accuracy review?
- Has the press called and are queries being logged?
- Has a website been set up to post background information?
See Chapter 6: Messages and Strategy for incident- based research questions specific to natural disasters human-caused hazards or mechanical malfunctions.
5.4 Assess the gravity of the crisis
Once the CCT collects and verifies the information and has reviewed special considerations, determine the gravity of the emergency. This is done in consultation with the CCT information-gathering liaisons. For example, the crisis response team liaison would need to obtain the situation reports (SITREPs) or updated chronologies of crisis and response events issued at regular intervals from the command post. The other CCT liaisons (stakeholder groups, partner organizations, outside consultants/subject matter experts/trade associations) should provide as full an account as possible of the incident and its implications.
Distribute the situation assessment in a consistent format to all members of the CCT so that the entire group is working from the same set of facts. When it is appropriate, the CCT Leader and crisis response leader (or incident commander) should also convey the information to other staff, such as the senior leadership. In all situations, it is extremely important to verify and double-check all facts, particularly in highly sensitive cases.
5.5 Identify key stakeholders
Depending on the nature of the incident, it may be necessary to identify affected groups in order to form appropriately targeted key messages. Be attentive to differences among the messages to various stakeholder groups.
If the incident involves sensitive information vital to the well-being and safety of specific groups – especially if they are victims, children and families – make every effort to develop materials for them before informing the media. People should never learn of their loved ones’ injury or death through the media. Meet stakeholders in person with verified information, the organization’s response to address their needs and/or recourse options available to them.
See Chapter 6: Messages and Strategy and Chapter 7: Engaging Key Stakeholders for procedures on creating materials and services for groups the crisis affects.