CITIG 11 - preparing for an emergency - communication and ... · • Social media will go mad •...

WWW.MUSTERPOINT.IO @MUSTER_POINT


Christine TownsendCEO and Founder

[email protected]: +44 203 808 8248

US: +1 512-265-6035

Preparing for an emergency -communication and collaboration



Background

• FifteenyearsasaPIOinemergencyservicesandthepublicsector

• TenyearsasaSpecialConstable• Qualifiedtrainerincommsmanagementforinvestigationsandmajorincidents

• DeliveredsocialmediaconsultancyandtrainingtoemergencyservicesintheUK,US,Canada,EuropeandChina



About MusterPoint

Social media management, archiving

and monitoring

Media logging and release distribution

Emergency simulations and training



Significant injuryLoss of life

Threat to propertyCatastrophic interference

with normal activity

What is an emergency?

Situation requiring immediate attention



What is collaboration?



• The public need consistent messaging during traumatic events

• Combines resources and skills• Saves money, time and effort• An opportunity for learning• Internal processes need to be effective to deliver a

combined response

Why collaboration is important



External factors and collaboration

• Collaboration and shared services are becoming inevitable and should be embraced

• Many organisations have been required to collaborate through a number of external events • Disorder• Protest• Global events • Demand for transparency• Digital democracy• Budget cuts• Change in political landscape• Privatisation of public services




Considerations of collaboration


LegalCulturalPhysical




By the time a commuter reaches the City of London

they have had touch points with over 18 different partner agencies

or stakeholders



The funeral of Baroness Thatcher



Key facts

• 2,300 guests • All current Cabinet Ministers • Over 30 attendees from

Thatcher’s Cabinets from 1979-1990

• 2 Heads of State • 11 international Prime Ministers • 17 serving Foreign Ministers • 170 countries represented by

foreign dignitaries • 11 Overseas Territories • Over 4,000 police on duty• Over 1,800 media accredited

Three people in the City of London Police

Corporate Communications team available



Lessons learnt

• Ensure all members of a comms team have basic level skills at every aspect of comms - regardless of role

• Periodically check your policy documents are up to date

• Log every conversation, every decision and every action

• Keep lines to take simple and anticipate what they could be to get them signed off in advance

• Do not get involved in party politics - focus on the job

• Leave clean clothes in the office!

CASE STUDY



The key stages of emergencies



• Start online searches • Broad monitoring• Assess resource issues• Engage people early• Be sure• Check policies are up to date

Phases of an emergency: indications



• Start a decision log• Ensure all actions are recorded• Continue to engage internally with key

stakeholders• Ensure all team members are informed of any

potential legal issues• Review resources - if necessary, send people home

to ensure continuity later• Make contact with relevant agencies, partners and

stakeholders• Request support from other departments / teams

Phases of an emergency: declared



• Calls will increase• Social media will go mad• People will ask anyone in your organisation what’s

going on• Public figures in your organisation will probably

start offering their opinion to anyone who will listen• You will receive calls, texts, IM’s from people you

know, people you forgot you knew and people you’d rather not know

What will happen immediately?

How can you deal with it?



Brief earlyBrief simply

Brief frequently

If nothing else, remember this:




• Internal comms during an emergency can sometimes fall down

• Consider employees who will find out on their mobile devices

• Using Airwave? Push for radio comms in your team - even if it’s just one handset

Consider who will find out first.. and how




• Engage your ‘single point of contact’ resource for external audiences

• Ensure internal communication consistent with external

• Be the source of reliable and trusted information• Rebut, correct and be consistent• Review lines to take and adjust where necessary• Watch for any welfare issues and deal accordingly• Ensure other issues are still dealt with in context

Phases of an emergency: during




Social media and emergencies

• Support the wider communications response, which in turn supports organisational objectives

• Keep the public, media and stakeholders informed

• Assist in managing community impact• Support recovery stage and return to normality• Maintain confidence in those dealing with

emergency• Reduce impact on resources by smart

monitoring• Identifying and influencing public opinion



Social media won’t work unless you balance it with offline working processes – don’t assume everyone knows what to do.

Talk to people about what is expected of them as soon as possible to avoid confusion

SOCIAL MEDIA TRAFFIC LIGHT



Sit together, achieve together

• If physically possible - work in the same room• You may have different aims and outcomes in

your respective roles, but you are still working to the same organisational values

• An understanding of all roles in a hub is essential• Communicate effectively and expediently• Log everything



• Announce end of incident• Check welfare of team• Summarise engagement and coverage• Assess - what worked, what didn’t?• Record all learning points• Create action plan based on learning points

Revert to business as usual

Phases of an emergency: post



• Use time to prepare • Start your measurement benchmarks• Ensure policies and standard working procedures

are in place• Get your resources together• Assess training needs• Get the right tools - and know how to use them!• Understand what your role is• Understand what is expected of you• Make it clear to stakeholders

Phases of an emergency: BAU



Prepare, prepare, prepare



• Work with your team to come up with a list of emergencies

• Refer to your emergency planning department

• When things are written down the less likely you are to panic or forget things

Emergency comms manual


EMERGENCY SCENARIO TEMPLATE



• Every situation will have quirks• But every situation will also have an element of

predictability• Anticipate what you can • Learn from what you can’t• What can you get signed off in advance?

What are your priorities?




• Are you aware of what these are both in your organisation and nationally?

• You don’t detailed knowledge, but your Head of Corporate Communication should do and can advise

• Seek to ensure that everything is in place, robust and stands up to scrutiny – the media will seek out any weaknesses and report on them

• Are there any organisational blockages preventing the adoption of policy, guidance and legislation?


Policy, guidance and legislation



Some legislation examples

ContemptofCourtAct1981

Defamation,libelandslander

Copyright

Disclosure- CriminalProcedureandInvestigationsAct

FreedomofInformationAct

MaliciousCommunicationsAct

DataProtectionAct1998

ProtectionfromHarassmentAct

HumanRights(Article10– freedomofspeech)

PublicOrderAct




Key points to take away

• Check all policy, guidance and records are up to date

• Ensure buy-in from management – you need support to make decisions under pressure

• Need logistical support? Evidence why and ask for it

• Get your business continuity in order

• Collaborate, share and communicate

• Move teams around to challenge them

• Record everything – if it’s not written down, it didn’t happen



Emergency shouldn’t mean panic

• An emergency can often be a good thing – it tests resilience, complacency, framework, structure and skills

• … but only if the lessons are learnt and acted upon

• People often prepare for the worst, so it’s easier to deal with a textbook crisis than a slowly developing reputational risk scenario

THINK: Is it really an emergency?



Questions




Christine TownsendCEO and [email protected]: +44 203 808 8248US: +1 512-265-6035

Thank you

@christinetwnsnd

CITIG 11 - preparing for an emergency - communication and ... · • Social media will go mad •...

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