Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Resources for Crisis Communications

  • 10/01/16

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security provides online information on preparing for the need to communicate with the media and others during an emergency. They recommend that the crisis communications team, consisting of members of the administration team, should operate in an office environment to support the contact and information centers. The offices may be clustered near the emergency operations center or at an alternate site if the primary site cannot be occupied.

The goal of the crisis communications team is to gather information about the incident. This should include monitoring the types of questions posed to call center operators or staff in the office; emails received; social media chatter or stories broadcast by the news media. Using this input, the crisis communications team can inform the administration about issues that are being raised by stakeholders. In turn, administration should provide input into the messages generated by the crisis communications team. The team can then create appropriate messages and disseminate information approved for release.

Resources should be available within the primary site and provisions should be made to set up similar capabilities within an alternate site in case the primary site cannot be occupied.

  • Telephones with dedicated or addressable lines for incoming calls and separate lines for outgoing calls
  • Access to any electronic notification system used to inform students and staff
  • Electronic mail (with access to info@ inbox and ability to send messages)
  • Fax machine (one for receiving and one for sending)
  • Webmaster access to institution website to post updates
  • Access to social media accounts
  • Access to local area network, secure remote server, message template library and printers
  • Hard copies of emergency response, business continuity and crisis communications plan
  • Site and building diagrams, information related to business processes and loss prevention programs (e.g., safety and health, property loss prevention, physical and information/cybersecurity, fleet safety, and environmental management)
  • Copiers
  • Forms for documenting events as they unfold
  • Message boards (flipcharts, white boards, etc.)
  • Pens, pencils, paper, clipboards and other stationery supplies

For more information, visit www.ready.gov/business/implementation/crisis.

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

Featured

  • Dallas ISD Voters Approve $6.2B Bond Package

    Dallas ISD voters have approved a record-setting $6.2-billion bond package that district leaders say will modernize aging campuses, eliminate portable classrooms and reshape learning environments across one of the nation’s largest school systems.

  • UT-San Antonio Begins Residence Hall Renovations

    The University of Texas at San Antonio recently began a $6-million renovation project to one of its residence halls, according to a news release. Originally completed in 1986, Chisolm Hall measures in at 120,860 square feet and is the oldest and largest residence hall on campus.

  • Girl Sitting at Library Desk, Using Laptop

    How Campus Design Shapes the Finals Week Experience

    Academic performance is not just about preparation. It is closely tied to how students manage stress, maintain their energy, and shift between work and recovery modes. Much of that is influenced, directly or indirectly, by design.

  • UCF Modernizes College of Hospitality Management

    The University of Central Florida in Orlando, Fla., recently completed a major renovation effort for the Rosen College of Hospitality Management, according to a news release. The project modernized 77,600 square feet worth of academic classrooms, teaching labs, and collaborative spaces to support both students and faculty.