Are You Prepared?

• Team
  • Do you have a designated crisis team? Is there a clear team leader?
  • Do you have a communications manager or someone designated to manage this function?
  • Do you have a process for notification of a potential or actual crisis?
  • Is there a clear policy for communication between operations and communications staff and to customer service?
  • Do crisis team members/senior staff understand their communication responsibilities in a crisis?
• Audiences
  • Have you identified all of your potential target audiences?
  • Do you understand their information needs?
  • If you needed to contact these individuals/groups ASAP, do you have the means to do so?
  • How accessible is their contact information? Is it updated?
  • Have you considered which staff members “own” relationships with your key audiences?
• Messaging / Media
  • Do you have a designated spokesperson? Who are the back-ups?
  • Have all of these people received training?
  • Do you have a media policy? Do employees understand it?
  • Is there a process for developing and approving communications in a crisis response?
  • Who is required for approvals?
  • Can you use your website for crisis communication?
  • Who is responsible for monitoring media coverage, or for maintaining ongoing relationships with key local media?
• Communication Logistics
  • What is the procedure if an “unusual” crisis occurs?
  • How would you manage telephone inquiries in a crisis? Can your organization field an influx of calls? If not, have you identified a back-up plan?
    • Call center vendor
  • Is there a process for logging calls received during a crisis?
  • Would your communication response fare well in a prolonged crisis (days or weeks)? How would you utilize staff?