How you react in the first 24 hours of an incident sets the tone for public perception and media coverage.  An established plan allows for a quick and accurate response to a crisis, and conversely, if there is no response, or the response is not carefully planned, negative attention may arise.

The first step to establishing a crisis communications plan is to identify the main contacts and set up a crisis team.  This team is the basis of the crisis communication tree, providing the order of contact in a crisis.

After the team is created, review possible crisis scenarios and responses for the press and the public. Preparation is key to ensure a timely and appropriate response.  For example, a construction company employee may be working late and is injured on site. The press will immediately question why the employee was on site so late.  The crisis spokesperson can respond, noting, “It’s not unusual for an employee to be at the site past the usual work day.  However, at this time, we are unable to provide specific event details.”  Media will likely inquire about site safety and measures taken to ensure employees’ safety in the future.  The spokesperson must provide honest but positive answers, while clearly stating the steps the organization is taking to prevent this incident from reoccurring.

Any information released to the media or public must be truthful and sensitive to the nature of the incident.  For example, responding to a construction injury, an appropriate response would be, “This incident is now part of an ongoing police investigation and at this time, we cannot divulge any details. However, our thoughts go out to the family, and we pray for a full recovery.”  Employees contacted about the crisis can direct the media to the appropriate contact; questions are only to be answered by the established contact.

After a crisis occurs and the public and media have been addressed, it is important to meet with the crisis team to debrief the situation.  How could the crisis have been prevented?  What can the organization do in the future to ensure safety?  What improvements can be made to respond more effectively?

Crises will always occur, but with a well thought-out, practiced plan, an organization can quickly handle the situation to prevent or minimize damage to the organization. Does your organization have a current crisis plan? Has the crisis team met and reviewed it recently?

On June 7^th, I joined thirty-five fifth and sixth graders from Westport Academy as they learned more about the environment.  As part of a month-long project, the National Aquarium led several hundred Baltimore-area school children who planted more than 16,000 smooth cordgrass plugs in the newly reconstructed tidal wetlands along the edge of the Middle Branch basin.  Students also released striped bass (also known as rockfish if you’re from Baltimore) that they had grown in their classrooms throughout the year.  The National Aquarium will bring the students back to help maintain the wetland as it grows over the next year.

Fox 45, WBAL and WJZ were on site to capture the students in action.

The wetland reconstruction is part of a public/private partnership to restore the ecology of the Middle Branch, which is home to abundant populations of fish, birds and other wildlife, but has suffered from degradation due to decades of industrial activity.  Wetland restoration in the Middle Branch is a key priority of Baltimore City as it focuses on redeveloping the Middle Branch watershed as Baltimore’s “green harbor.”  The abandoned industrial buildings that we used as sight points to guide our boats are gone.  In their place, a sustainable neighborhood is being built.  The Westport Waterfront wetlands are the first phase of what will be an exciting project to watch.

photos by Wink Hastings, C-Kat Studios 2010