Originally published on Jan. 31, 2007
-- By the time you hear the thunder, it's too late to build the ark."Author Unknown
According to a report released just last week by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, only six of 75 U.S. metropolitan areas received the department's highest marks for their ability to communicate during a disaster, five years after the September 11, terrorist attacks.
The study evaluated large and small cities, their suburbs, and included a handful of U.S. territories. Communities were judged in three categories: operating procedures currently in place, use of communications systems, and how effectively local governments have coordinated in preparation for a disaster.
Overall, 16 percent of communities were given the highest score for the communication procedures they have in place. Only 1 percent received the department's lowest rating.
Your ability to communicate with your customers, your staff, other systems, and the world is essential, especially during a time of crisis. Since the September 11 attacks, $2.9 billion in federal grant money has been distributed to state and local first responders for the improvement of their emergency communication systems.
For many small water and wastewater systems, the recent Department of Homeland Security report raises an important question... "If the big metropolitan agencies are still working to meet the security and crisis communication needs of this modern era...how can we be expected to do the job with our limited resources?"
In this issue of the Safe Drinking Water Trust eBulletin, we will take a look at the basics of crisis communication and a few simple actions that all systems should undertake to be prepared in the face of any crisis. Remember, when an emergency situation hits, a well-constructed communication plan can mean the difference between a community in chaos and a community that overcomes adversity.
Additional Resources
Read the Department of Homeland Security Report:
www.dhs.gov/xprepresp/gc_1167770109789.shtm [1]
Staying Afloat in Turbulent Times
Standing in the glow of the television spotlights, Jane Q. Water fidgets nervously outside the water treatment plant she manages.
Uncertain what to say--or exactly how she had been "chosen" to explain the situation to the world, (had she missed a meeting?) the reporters' relentless barrage of questions begins.
"Was this a case of terrorism?"..."Are lives at risk?"..."How much will this incident cost your customers?"
Thinking back to what her mother had once said about how if you don't have anything nice to say then you shouldn't say anything at all, Jane begins to stammer... "Well, Uh, lets see... I don’t know what to tell you...I guess we just don’t have a comment at this time."
At the speed of light, her statement is broadcast to nearly every TV set in the county. What could have been the system's one chance to calm customers' concerns melted away and the seed of doubt was planted.--Was their water really safe to drink? Were people trying to hide something?
If only Jane Q. Water and her fellow staff down at the treatment plant had taken the time to create a plan of action...long before the crisis began.
A safety, health, or environmental crisis is an unplanned event which triggers a real or perceived threat to safety, health, or the environment, or to your system's reputation or credibility.
Crises can come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and causes. Whether as a result of nature, man-made origins, or simply a run of bad luck, crisis situations can quickly overwhelm your system damaging your reputation, operational effectiveness, and even your customers' health, if you are not prepared to properly address the situation.
To meet this need, every system, regardless of size, should take the time to create a Crisis Communication Plan and hone the communication skills that will help them to respond during turbulent times.
Additional Resources
EPA's Water Security Handbook: Planning for and Responding to Drinking Water Contamination Threats and Incidents
www.epa.gov/safewater/watersecurity/pubs/water_security_handbook_rptb.pdf [2]
Don't Forget Your ABC's or ERP's
In order to properly address the broad spectrum of emergency situations that your system could one day face, the first step is to regularly review and update your system's Vulnerability Assessment (VA) and Emergency Response Plan (ERP). These documents, and their proper use, should always serve as your first line of defense during an emergency or a crisis.
Tip: Water systems serving a population larger than 3,300 are required by law to complete Vulnerability Assessments (VAs) and Emergency Response Plans (ERPs) under the Bio-terrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002. Since protecting public health is the primary goal of all water systems, even those systems serving fewer than 3,300 people are strongly encouraged to complete an ERP and VA.
As you read through your system's ERP (a "living document" that will change over time and should be reviewed and updated at least every three years) one of the key pieces that you will notice is the section on Communication Procedures.
This portion of your ERP will serve as a solid foundation for the more narrowly focused Crisis Communication Plan. An ERP is designed to provide guidance on a broad range of communication needs, from how to properly address customer concerns to how to issue health advisories (boil orders, etc).
In this age of 24-hour news channels and around-the-clock Internet access, an information hungry world will demand answers--especially when things are not going well. To meet this need, your system should begin preparing, by dusting off your ERP and expanding it to include a Crisis Communication Plan before the storm clouds arrive.
Additional Resources
American Water Works Association Crisis Communication Plan Template
www.awwa.org/Advocacy/pressroom/publicaffairs/crisis_template.cfm [3]
EPA's Emergency Response Plan Guidance for Small and Medium Community Water Systems
www.epa.gov/safewater/watersecurity/pubs/small_medium_ERP_guidance040704.pdf [4]
Getting Started: Small Steps Lead to Big Gains
Even with the help of a crystal ball, Dionne Warwick's buddies over at the "Psychic Friends Network," or even Miss Cleo of late night infomercial fame, it's impossible to foresee every emergency that could arise.
Properly handling a crisis involves balancing the need to provide relevant and necessary information, while, at the same time, protecting your system and staff. The key to effective management and communication during a crisis is to have a plan--before the snow, or rain, starts falling and the power goes out. It's just that simple. By the time a crisis occurs, there is little time to think, much less start making plans.
In order to keep your system and your customers safe and informed during a crisis you should review and consider taking the following steps:
1. Identify Your Crisis Communication Team: These are the folks that will take a good long look at your system. They will review your VA and your ERP to determine what potential crises could affect your system and what actions can be taken to prepare for and/or prevent them from happening. This team should include system operators and senior members of your management team. During a crisis, your crisis communication team will quickly assemble and determine the most appropriate public response.
2. Identify a Spokesperson: For most water and wastewater utilities, the spokesperson will likely be the system supervisor or operator. No matter who is selected, this person must be able to appear comfortable when the TV cameras start rolling and be able to remain calm and think fast on their feet. One of the most important characteristics this person must possess--is the ability to know when to stop talking. It is also important to remember that your appointed spokesperson should be the only member of your staff that is authorized to speak with the media so that a unified message is always presented.
3. Spokesperson Training: A little training, which can be as simple as letting your staff shout questions at you while you try to answer them, can go a long way. It will teach your spokesperson to be prepared, to respond in a way that is clear and to the point, and to provide real answers--even under pressure.
4. Establish Clear Communication Protocols: Crisis related information can come from a variety of sources, especially during the early stages. A crew digging up a leaky main, a billing clerk, or even an observant neighbor, may be the first to recognize that there is a problem. Who should be notified, and how do you reach them? These are questions that need to be answered before a problem arises. An emergency communications "tree" (contact list) should be established and distributed to all employees telling them precisely what to do and who to call if there appears to be a crisis. It is also important that you post emergency contact numbers in visible locations at each of your facilities.
5. Identify Your Audience: In most situations there are specific people that need to be contacted and informed. You should have a clear understanding of who needs to be contacted when a problem arises, from your customers, all the way up to state and federal regulatory agencies.
6. Determine the Proper Communication Method: For each specific audience you have identified, you should have a specific system in place to ensure rapid communications when a crisis happens. These systems can range from press releases, warning signs, radio announcements, email notifications, telephone calls, etc. Remember, when you are in the middle of a crisis, it is important to have back up methods in place--just in case the computer you send your emails from is suddenly under six feet of water, the power goes out, or you simply can't reach the key federal contact you are required to call.
7. Anticipate Crises: Take time to sit down with your Crisis Communication Team and brainstorm potential crises that could affect your system and potential ways to respond or even prevent them from happening. The EPA offers a great tabletop training exercise that your system can access online to help you work through this process. A link to the EPA's Emergency Response Tabletop Training Exercises can be found at the end of this section.
8. Assess the Crisis Situation: Reacting without being fully informed is a classic "shoot first and ask question later" approach that generally ends up with you shooting yourself in the foot. While this is a step that can't be performed before a crisis occurs, it is important that you have completed the previous steps so that you are ready to focus on the event at hand--and not trying to figure out what to do next.
9. Identify Key Messages: After a crisis happens, but before your spokesperson steps in front of the cameras, it is important that your Crisis Communication Team meets to determine a series of crisis-specific messages. These messages should clearly address the type of information each of your audiences need, without overwhelming folks with too many unassociated details. Remember, keep the message honest, simple, and to the point.
10. Honestly Review the Situation: After a crisis event has ended, and your system is safely back on line, your Crisis Communication Team should sit down and take a hard and honest look at how things went, what could have gone better, and ways to improve your response the next time things take a turn for the worse. It is important that your Crisis Communication Team is honest with itself. If they totally blew it, then admit it and look for ways to make things better the next time.
Additional Resources
EPA's Emergency Response Tabletop Training Exercises
www.epa.gov/safewater/watersecurity/tools/trainingcd/Pages/disclaimer.html [5]
It All Begins With an Acronym
By now, you all should be familiar with EPA, ERP's, VA's, RCAP, SDWA, and the entire myriad of alphabet soup terminology that makes up the water and wastewater business. However, there is one more acronym that you might want to remember when planning for a crisis… ACT NOW.
The ACT NOW approach is a six-step plan that has been adopted by businesses across the country and can be used to help ensure that everyone at your system clearly understands your Crisis Communication Plan.
Step 1: A_nticipate disaster: Anticipation can be thought of as a crisis insurance policy. The more time and effort we invest in planning for what might happen…the greater the chance for positive returns and successful outcomes after the crisis has passed.
Step 2: C_are about the customers: The most important task we face is to protect the health and wellbeing of our customers. In order to do this, we must be willing to honestly communicate with them, even when things are going poorly.
Step 3: T_ell what we know immediately: Honesty is always the best policy. Responding and providing information to our customers and others, either through the media or other outlets can end speculation and help others make informed decisions.
Step 4: N_ote your next steps: Have a Crisis Communication Plan in place before a crisis occurs and then stick to the plan. It's important that our entire staff and others crucial to our response including local police, other departments, etc. understand our plan and know who to contact if they observe a potential crisis.
Step 5: O_ffer help and assistance to reinforcements: If a crisis situation requires assistance from other government agencies, neighboring systems, or a Water/Wastewater Agency Response Network (WARN) we will be open about what is known and do everything in our power to be a part of the solution, not the problem.
Step 6: W_eigh the results: After a crisis has passed. We will review what happened, how we responded, and what we can do to improve upon our handling of the situation.
Additional Resources
NDWC's Winter 2002 issue of On Tap article "Keeping Your Communities Informed During Emergencies"
www.nesc.wvu.edu/ndwc/articles/OT/WI02/Crisis_Comm.html [6]
Lights...Camera...Action!
Let's face it, those nice young men with their spiffy uniforms and snappy three finger salutes (Come on, you know--the ones with a habit of helping little ol' ladies across the street) hit the nail on the head when they picked their motto... "Be Prepared."
When a crisis occurs, the health of your customers and the integrity of your system may be at risk. However, the most important thing to remember is to always be honest and put your customers' health and safety first. Anything less is simply unacceptable and could place you in a position where you are legally liable.
So why not follow the Boy Scouts' lead by reviewing your system’s communication procedures and making sure that you have a comprehensive plan in place and are fully prepared...before you find yourself standing under the lights of a TV camera trying to remember what your Crisis Communication Plan says about how to respond when you really don't have anything nice to say.