Indiana Homeland Security District

Indiana Homeland Security District

Crisis Communication and Public Information Guide

With Templates

[Date]

Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr. Governor

Rebecca S. Skillman, Lieutenant Governor

Joseph Wainscott, Executive Director,

Indiana Department of Homeland Security

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Indiana Homeland Security Crisis Communication and Public Information Guide

Table of Contents

Executive Summary 1

I.  How to Use this Template 2

II.  Objectives 3

III.  Principals of Crisis Communication 3

IV.  Core Elements of a Crisis Communication Plans 5

V.  Phases of Crisis Communication 8

VI.  Joint Information Centers 10

VII. References 11

Appendix 12

Indiana Homeland Security Crisis Communication and Public Information Guide

Executive Summary

This guide includes an overview of the principles, objectives, and key considerations of crisis communication. It also includes individual worksheets and templates to assist each Homeland Security District to communicate with the public in regard to the following four areas: prevention, protection, response, and recovery.

The importance of effective and efficient communication of relevant information to the public during a crisis cannot be overstated. Accurate information provided in a timely fashion is a critical part of responding to and recovering from any emergency or disaster, whether it is natural or the result of human causes.

A crisis can trigger a level of public interest and media inquiry that requires a significant increase in staffing and/or resources to make a reasonable media response. Crises include such things as disasters, disease outbreaks or other health-related threats. Crises also may include fires, breakdowns in communications, disruptions in services and even rumors.

Crisis communication refers to the efforts of emergency response officials to communicate with the public during a crisis or emergency incident. Crisis communication informs the public about the emergency, reviews the government’s responses, directs the public to sources of assistance, and recommends protective actions.

Risk communication is a critical component of crisis communication. Risk communication is the process of informing and influencing the public’s actions to avoid risks. Risk communicators describe known risks, identify the probable negative outcomes associated with taking certain actions, and recommend ways of avoiding risk.

This guide will assist jurisdictions in creating a crisis communications plan. This plan will provide policies and procedures for the coordination of communications in the event of any disaster, emergency or controversial issue that demands a response. It will address communication and coordination within the jurisdiction and between the jurisdiction, the media, other responding organizations, and the public. The plan will anticipate potentially harmful situations and describe the procedures for responding to these situations quickly and effectively.

How to Use this Guide

This guide outlines the basic objectives, core elements, and principles of a crisis communication plan. It is designed to be implemented at the local level by each jurisdiction. However, each Homeland Security District should promote and support the development of Crisis Communication and Public Information Plans for each of the jurisdictions within its boundaries.

Although many elements of these plans may be identical or very similar, each jurisdiction will have a unique set of information resources to establish an information center and a unique range of media circumstances. Each jurisdiction will need to identify its own Public Information Officer and determine what location or locations in the community are ideally suited to serve as Joint Information Centers (JICs). Because planning components such as these must be individualized, each jurisdiction will need to create its own Crisis Communication and Public Information Plan.

Sections II through IV of this guide describe the fundamentals of crisis communication plans focusing on objectives, principles, core elements, and event phases. Section VI briefly discusses the mission and operations of the Joint Information Center (JIC). The Appendix contains worksheets and detailed templates for the development of crisis communication materials and plans. These materials provide suggested directions, outlines, and language. Jurisdictions may also choose to use other sources of information to create materials and plans.

In addition to providing support for the establishment of plans in each jurisdiction, the Homeland Security Districts should also act as clearinghouses for contact information regarding media outlets in the region and state. They should eventually maintain updated data on the district’s public information resources – both human and material. These information resources may also be activated within the district for use in individual jurisdictions requesting aid or within the District Task Force (DTF). The nature and procedures required for activating public information assistance may also be included within mutual aid agreements.

Objectives

The Indiana Department of Homeland Security Crisis Communication Plan outlines the following overall objectives:

·  To gain public confidence by providing timely, accurate and pertinent information

·  To keep the public calm

·  To direct public action

·  To meet the information needs of the news media

·  To meet the information needs of partners/stakeholders

·  To coordinate with other federal, state, and local agencies involved in responding to the event and providing information to the public

Principles of Crisis Communication

People respond differently in times of crisis. To ensure that people understand information during a crisis, communication efforts must be simple, timely, accurate, credible, and consistent.

A recent Homeland Security report entitled Incident Communications Emergency Reference: A Guide for Communication Professionals recommends the following when designing effective communication strategies and messages during a crisis:

To communicate effectively with people who are experiencing different reactions to an emergency situation, you should have distinct messages prepared that address their particular needs. These include messages that express empathy, clarify facts, and call people to action.

Crisis Emergency & Risk Communication, a joint report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), describes five essential principles of successful crisis communication:

·  Execute a solid communication plan

·  Be the first source for information

·  Express empathy early

·  Show competence and expertise

·  Remain honest and open

A similar approach is shared by the Center for Risk Communication, which urges that crisis communication should build trust and credibility by expressing empathy, competence, openness, and commitment.

Expressing empathy in times of crisis is especially important. Some simple ways to effectively communicate empathy include:

·  Acknowledge uncertainty and fears

·  Stop trying to allay panic by repeatedly discussing it

·  Don’t over-reassure

·  Be careful with risk comparisons

·  Give people things to do

Core Elements of Crisis Communication Plans

The core elements of crisis communication plans are assembling the public information staff, preparing messages, meeting the needs of the audience, working with the media, and working with other agencies.

Assembling the Public Information Staff

A crisis communication plan should address the following staffing issues:

·  Staff positions and Functions

·  Shift Management

·  Staff Surge Capacity

A crisis communication plan should specify staff roles and responsibilities. Staff assignments will largely depend on resources; however, when writing a plan, officials should emphasize the following positions:

·  Spokespeople are responsible for representing the jurisdiction when communicating with the media and the public. They should have knowledge of policy, technical information, and incident details that will need to be communicated. Possible spokespeople include elected officials, individuals with recognized authority or special knowledge, or identified PIOs in the jurisdiction.

·  Public Information Officers (PIOs) assume the lead role in crisis communications during an emergency. They will need to assess the incident and demands of stakeholders such as media, public, and other agencies, coordinate staff hours and tasks, and communicate with the media and other departments and agencies.

·  Assistant PIOs assist the PIO with his/her tasks. If this position does not exist prior to the emergency, planners should consider hiring a pre-existing staff member who has regularly worked with the lead PIO.

·  Administrative Staff support implementation of the plan, receive and screen phone calls and inquiries, review outgoing information for quality control, and monitor availability of physical resources such as supplies, equipment, and infrastructure.

Additional information on possible staff roles and responsibilities can be found in the Appendix of this document.

Preparing Messages

During an emergency response, incident managers will need to provide the public with basic information describing the nature of the incident, the risks and dangers associated with it, and protective actions to avoid risks. By preparing informational materials in advance, jurisdictions will have these materials available for immediate distribution to the public at the onset of a crisis. A crisis communication plan should address procedures for preparing, approving, and distributing alerts and notification messages.

Pre-packaged messages may include fact sheets, press releases, pamphlets, brochures, maps, diagrams and illustrations. Style and format are important considerations for making informational materials comprehensible to the general public. Effective pre-packaged messages adhere to the following guidelines on formatting and style:

·  Local-in-Origin: Crisis communication experts suggest that the public has the greatest trust and confidence in local government and local officials. Branding pre-packaged materials with names, logos, or other identifying features as appropriate is important, especially when materials are borrowed from other organizations.

·  Clarity: Information contained within pre-packaged materials should be clear and specific. Avoid offering conflicting directions or guidance that lacks detail or supporting information. Where possible, use a combination of graphics and prose to explain key points and important information.

·  Simplicity: Design materials to provide short, simple, and easily remembered public messages. Journalists and members of the public are more likely to receive, understand, and retain messages and information that are short and simple. Brief, concise messages can also be easily repeated in television broadcasts, on websites, and in newspapers.

·  Portability: Detailed instructions, maps, diagrams, or other supplemental information should be formatted to allow the public to easily carry them during the incident. Examples include web documents in html or PDF formats, flyers and brochures distributed directly or as inserts in newspapers and magazines, and electronic files that can be downloaded into portable computers, PDAs, or cellular phones. Emergency planners should also consider laminating (water proofing) emergency evacuation information, as well as producing some materials at a size that will fit into pockets.

Suggested Message Components

The following table from Incident Communication Emergency Reference provides suggested message components, explains why they are important, and offers examples.

What / Why / Example
Expression of empathy and acknowledgement of fear and uncertainty / Public officials are usually trained never to speak with or about emotions; rather, about facts. Therefore, expressing empathy, fear, or uncertainty can be particularly difficult for officials to do. Experts believe that citizens need to know that their feelings are understood and acknowledged by authorities. This helps establish a connection and makes it a little easier for audiences to hear the difficult information that usually follows. / “Whatever it [the loss of lives] is, it will be more than we can bear. . . .”
R. Giuliani,
September 11, 2001
Clarification of facts / It is important to provide as much factual information as you can about the situation. / “At 10:05 a.m., a bomb exploded at...”
What we do not know / Just as expressions of empathy may not always come naturally, discussing the unknown elements of the situation also goes against years of professional training and experience. You may be used to having confirmation of all of the facts before releasing information. However, waiting until you have an answer to every possible question could jeopardize public safety.
There will be many things you do not know, such as when you suspect a particular agent was released but have not yet confirmed it. It is also likely that, in the initial stages of such an investigation, you will not know the route of exposure or who caused the situation. Even so, the public will benefit from learning what you know and don’t know. / “As our understanding of the situation evolves, we will provide you with updates on what we know and what we do not know.”
Steps we are taking to get more facts / Although there is much you may not know, you can communicate the immediate steps you are taking to get more facts and to begin to manage the emergency.
The public can more easily accept high levels of uncertainty when they are aware of the actions you are taking to find answers. Be as specific about these actions as you can. / “We do not know right now if the train derailment is a terrorist act, but DHS and the FBI are gathering evidence and talking to witnesses to determine what caused the accident.”
Call to action—giving people things to do / Once you deliver the first four parts of the message, the public can better hear and act on your advice.
In a crisis where immediate action needs to be taken (e.g., sheltering in place due to a radiological incident), this may be the second part of your message.
In some cases of less urgency, even symbolic actions can help channel people’s energy and desire to do something. / Protective actions:
q  Boil your water before drinking or drink bottled water.
Helpful actions:
q  Donate blood or money to a charity that is providing assistance.
Symbolic actions:
q  Light a candle or fly the flag.
Referrals / Tell the public when the next update will occur and where they can go for more information, such as helpful websites to visit or hotlines to call. / “We expect to have the test results confirmed within the next 12 hours and will let you know what we are dealing with at that time. . . .”

Meeting the Needs of the Audience

A crisis communication plan should consider the mechanisms and procedures necessary for tailoring and relaying messages to those with special needs. This includes individuals who are:

·  Geographically isolated

·  Without access to traditional communications mechanisms

·  Limited in language skills, due to health problems or developmental barriers

·  Out-of-town business and visitor population

·  Different cultural groups

·  Non-English speakers

Working with the Media

When developing a crisis communication plan, the jurisdiction should include procedures for maintaining a list of e-mail addresses, phone, and fax numbers for regional and local media contacts from all major media outlets. This list should be revised and updated regularly. When an incident occurs, the individual responsible for dealing with the media can use the list to relay accurate contact information to local and national reporters.