Communication and Crisis Paper

HCS/320

Instructor: Debbie Hunt

September 03, 2012

The nuclear reactor that malfunctioned, in the Three Mile Island created a release of radiation into the environment which caused a crisis. It drew a lot of media and created concerns in the local area and beyond. A traditional form of technology was used to notify the public, television networks and local radio stations were used. Compared to the crisis that took place in 2005, Hurricane Katrina, which devastated the New Orleans area, immersing many parts of the city under water causing trauma to families, the strategy for communication used was the internet, which reached a greater number of the public in less time.

As a director of a regional Emergency Management office and was to start receiving official reports that the public water supplies of several towns in the area have become contaminated with a life-threatening biological agent, the strategy I would use to start a contingency plan that would address my organization and the public without creating panic would be to send an immediate e-mail to all staff to attend an emergency, mandatory meeting. Employee’s who are unable to attend because of emergency situations will have access to a video conference. I would get one of our communication specialists in the company to give a presentation reminding our organization’s staff of our organization’s emergency policies and procedures in the event of conflicts that pertain to disasters. Included in the discussion the communication specialist would relay our plan centered on how we are going to try to diffuse the traumatic stress the media might have caused. Making sure if that we have a pre crisis plan in case there is another crisis ever happens agene.

We will have individuals and groups that will be communicating with the inside and with the outside during this crisis situation. Effective crisis management handles the threats sequentially. The first primary concern in a crisis is public safety. A failure to address public intensifies the damage of a crisis. The second primary concern is the reputation and financial concerns are considered after public safety has been remedied. The crisis management is designed to protect the organization and its stakeholders from threats and reduce the impact affected by the crisis, so that everything and everyone is doing good and well. The crisis management is designed to prevent the damages of a crisis. That can inflict on the organization and its stakeholders. As a process, crisis management is not just one thing, crisis management is dived into three phases which are: pre-crisis, crisis response, and post-crisis. 1) The pre-crisis phase is concerned with prevention and preparation. 2) The crisis response phase is when management must actually respond to a crisis. 3) The post-crisis phase looks for ways to better prepare for the next crisis and fulfills commitments made during the crisis phase including follow-up information. The tri-part view of crisis management serves as the organizing framework for this entry. Prevention involves seeking to reduce known risks that could lead to a crisis. This is a part of the organization’s risk management program. Preparation involves creating the crisis management plan, selecting and training the crisis management team, and conducting exercises to test the crisis management plan and crisis management team. Both Barton (2001) and Coombs (2006) document that organizations are better able to handle crises when they, have a crisis management plan that is updated at least annually, have a designated crisis management team, conduct exercises to test the plans and teams at least annually, and pre-draft some crisis messages. One strategy used to diffuse as much traumatic stress is the media because, they can contact a few support groups that are in each community so that there will be help to the ones that need it in the time of the crisis or after the crisis. The individuals that will be communicating inside and outside the organization during the crisis situation will be a selected small group of staff in our communications department that will be assigned to the catastrophe. The group will contact the local support groups in the community by making phone calls and emailing them by way of the internet. A record of the results from contacting these support groups will be given to the manager of the communications department.

One of the most important support groups that will be helpful to the organization is the well-known Red Cross. The Red Cross offers help when crisis take place on different levels. The Red Cross’s organization is dedicated to helping others in a crisis. They rely on these three things; concentrated communication, technology and a command structure, that aids in their success of helping others carrying out their mission. They are dedicated to the public with a mission for support of humanity.

First our company will contact the Red Cross to solicit their help in financial assistance and attempt to help the public to receive supplies that are needed such as water and a temporary place of dwelling until the life threatening biological agent is no longer a threat. The Red Cross also uses external communication to spread news to others who need information and are waiting to hear responses. The Red Cross communicates externally; it specializes in using emergency response units, the government and the media as a tool for help.

One of the tools used on the internet to contact the public is the Disaster Management Information System. The Disaster Management Information System (DMIS) is a web-based working tool that is only accessible to those individuals working with the Red Cross and the Red Crescent (The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, 2012). It makes information available concerning disaster trends.

Some of the potential advantages and challenges with communicating within the organization and with the public and private sectors during the crisis situation may be language barriers, mismanagement of phone calls that occur, our phone lines may be busy, lack of volunteers and response times may be slow.

As the director of a regional Emergency Management office I would make every necessary arrangement to make sure that every community is aware of the situation. By doing this I have a communication team and a group that will be speaking inside and outside of the organization. By making sure that we have the help needed, we have contacted the Red Cross, Media and we have e-mailed for help explaining that a nuclear reactor malfunction, in the Three Mile Island that created a release of radiation into the environment which caused a crisis in several communities that my organization is managing. By making sure that every community is safe in the future and the crisis can run smoothly we will be having drills and meetings and be better prepared. For if there is another crisis in the communities, that I am the director of, I hope that with all of the information that I have provided will help your organization to have a great plan in place, for if there was ever a crises in your community, so that your community is safe and sound from harm’s way. With all the ways there is to communicate when there is a crisis will help get the crisis information out in the community. Sure there can be some problems with communication like language barriers, mismanagement of phone calls that occur, our phone lines may be busy, lack of volunteers and response times may be slow. Make sure that all your communication lines are in order when there is a crisis.

References

Fundamental Principals. (2012). The Global Red Cross. Retrieved on August 6, 2012, from http://www.seva-redcross.org/TheGlobalRedCross.

International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. (2010a). Emergency Response Units (ERUs). Retrieved on August 06, 2012, from http://www.ifrc.org/what/disasters/responding/drs/tools/eru.asp

International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. (2010b). DMIS-Disaster Management Information System. Retrieved on August 06, 2012, from http://www.ifrc.org/what/disasters/responding/elements/logistics.asp

International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. (2010c). Introduction to logistics. Retrieved on August 6, 2012, from http://www.ifrc.org/what/disasters/responding/elements/logistics.asp

International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. (2010d). Governance. Retrieved on August 6, 2012, from http://www.ifrc.org/who/governance/index.asp?navid=03_06

Murphy, P. (2001). The American Red Cross Today. Retrieved on August 6, 2012, from the EBSCOhost Power search database

N.A. (N.D.). Preparing for Disasters, Emergency Response Units ERUs: Types. Accessed August 6, 2012 from: http://www.ifrc.org/what/disasters/responding/drs/tools/erus/erutypes.asp

N.A. (2010). About Us. Accessed August 6, 2012 from: http://www.redcross.org/portal/site/en/menuitem.d8aaecf214c576bf971e4cfe43181aa0/?vgnextoid=477859f392ce8110VgnVCM10000030f3870aRCRD&vgnextfmt=default