1. crisis & emergency risk communications (cerc) plan naacho advanced practice center (apc) road...
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Crisis & Emergency Risk Communications (CERC) Plan
NAACHOAdvanced Practice Center (APC)
Road ShowBillings, MontanaJuly 16-17, 2009
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About SCCPHD Advanced Practice Center
• APC mission: Improve local capacity to prepare and respond effectively to public health emergencies.
• Toolkits: Guidelines, strategies, insights from lessons learned, and prototypes for implementation.
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CERC Toolkit
• Online toolkit for Public Health Public Information Officers (PIOs).
– www.sccphd.org/APC
• Designed to build a strong operational framework for Joint Information Center (JIC) emergency public communication.
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Today’s Objectives
• Present highlights of the CERC toolkit.
• Provide information and materials to guide
public information activities.
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CERC Toolkit Content• Planning Elements -
– CERC Plan & Org Charts
– Operations Manual – Developed by your individual county
• Joint Information Center (JIC) Structure– Roles & Responsibilities
– Job Action Sheets for each functional area
– Key templates & tools for each functional area
• Message Maps & Fact Sheets for Public Health
emergency scenarios and response.
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CERC Tools: Planning Elements
• Incident Management Command (ICS) Overview
• CERC Plan Template & and Org charts.
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Incident Command System (ICS)
– Know the Incident Command System
– Communicate effectively.
– Work within a defined and clear chain of command.
– Understand roles and responsibilities and how the entire command system works and fits together.
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ICS Structure
PIO
Safety Officer
Liaison Officer
EOC
Planning Section
Operations Section
Finance/ Administration
Section
Logistics Section
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CERC Plan- Components Overview
• Crisis Communication, Issue Mgmt. & Emergency Risk Communication
• Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication Overview
• Crisis Communication
• Emergency Risk Communication
• Responding to the Crisis or Emergency Event
• Definitions-see handout
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Crisis Communication
• Crisis Communication- – Typically unexpected– May not be in the organizations control– May cause harm to the organization’s good reputation– Organization is likely to face some legal or moral
responsibility
– Examples:• Medical/Patient issue: hospital-based disease outbreak• Workplace Incidents: workplace violence• Issue regarding senior management/staff: arrests• Issues affecting the organization: • Political and/or legal actions: public protests
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Issue Management
• Issue Management- Similar to crisis communication, but the organization knows the crisis is coming.– Examples:
• Medical/Patient issue: medical error• Workplace Incidents: harassment or discrimination• Issue regarding senior management/staff: dept.
investigations• Issues affecting the organization: labor disputes, funding
issues, etc..• Political and/or legal actions: high-profile lawsuits, criminal
cases
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Emergency Risk Communication
• Emergency Risk Communication– Different from crisis communication.
– Organization is not perceived as a participant in the disaster, except for having a role in responding to the
situation.
– Examples: • Natural or man-made disasters at a facility: bomb or bomb
threats, severe storm damage, power failure, terrorist attach, etc..
• Environmental/Safety related incidents: injuries or fatalities, fires, spills, etc..
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Crisis and Emergency Risk Communications Overview
• Plan takes effect when any department within your organization is facing a crisis/disaster
• Purpose of the CERC plan is to prepare and guide the PIO in communicating to key audiences
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Crisis and Emergency Risk Communications Overview Cont’d
• Objectives:
– Provide sound and thoughtful information to preserve and protect the public’s health in a crisis/emergency
– Provide necessary information to limit ineffective, fear driven and potentially damaging response to a serious event.
– Protect and preserve the reputation of your department.
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Crisis and Emergency Risk Communications Overview Cont’d
• PIO and Public Information Staff Must-Do’s:
– When lives or health of individuals are at risk, safety is the highest priority.
– Protect and enhance our reputation by relying on our values and acting in a professionally responsible manner.
– Use the CERC plan as a guide for acting and communicating responsibly.
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Crisis and Emergency Risk Communications Overview Cont’d
• Must Do’s (continued...)
– Follow the rules and responsibilities outlined in the plan and detailed in your CERC Operations Manuel.
– Coordinate the response with appropriate Emergency Operations personnel including security & Safety Officer.
– Reach out to key audiences as quickly as possible.
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Crisis and Emergency Risk Communications Overview Cont’d
• Must do’s continued...
– Be authoritative, trusted and reliable source of accurate information for key audiences.
– Position the organization as responsible, trustworthy and caring.
– Speak with a unified voice and provide regular updates.
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Crisis and Emergency Risk Communications Overview Cont’d
• Departments can’t control crisis situations but they can control the response to the situation:
– Learn as much about the situation as possible.
– Make decisions as quickly as possible, appropriate to the situation, with appropriate approval.
– Maintain effective internal and external communications.
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Crisis and Emergency Risk Communications Overview Cont’d
• Control the response to the situation cont...
– Remember the needs of those affected by the crisis. They are your key audience.
– State the steps/actions being taken to mitigate the situation and prevent reoccurrence.
– Begin to return to normal operations as soon as possible.
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Crisis Communication
• Crisis Response Team -Handles the crisis and may include senior mgmt, medical staff & operational personnel.
• Responsibilities:
– Ensure all aspects of crisis communications and operations are carried out in accordance with your org/dept.
– Maintain and reaffirm values.
– Establish and maintain the flow of accurate information both internally and externally.
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Crisis Communication Cont’d
• Responsibilities:– Work together to recommend strategy and
actions.
– Identify all allocating appropriate resources to ensure effective response.
– Make decisions responsibly and quickly as possible.
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Crisis Response Team Chart
Team Leader Drives the communications response and
represents department on Crisis Response Team
Executive Administrative Assistant
Assists team leader
Public Information Officer Liaison between Crisis Response Team and
Communications Team; responsible for execution of communications response
Others as Needed For example, the Director
of Nursing
Communications Team Research and drafting of all
communications materials Facilitates all media requests/
responses Coordinates with outside agencies and
partners Assists with employee communications
Physician Lead Leader from the
department involved.
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Crisis Communication Notification Steps
• Step 1: The first person to learn of a potential issue or crisis must contact his/her supervisor or manager immediately.
• Step 2: The supervisor/manager contacts the appropriate leadership group member.
• Step 3: Once the EMG member is made aware of the situation, they contact the Team Leader and provide an initial briefing.
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Crisis Communication Notification Steps
• Step 4: : Based on the initial briefing, the Team Leader notifies other Crisis Response Team members and alerts them to the situation. The Team Leader decides if a meeting or conference call is to be held.
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Crisis Communication Notification Steps • Step 5: The Crisis Response Team begins
managing the response to the crisis and by doing the following:– Starts planning ahead.– Team Leader determines location of Crisis
Response Team and prepares schedule of regular update meetings.
– Other Crisis Response Team members are activated as needed.
– Public Information Officer recommends who needs to be updated and when, and activates other PIO staff as needed.
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Post Crisis Checklist• Schedule a debriefing with Crisis Response Team.
• Assemble documentation from the crisis and note any future impacts/problems/actions.
• Consider a briefing with key stakeholders.
• Continue to communicate with employees and thank them for their patience and understanding during the crisis.
• Consider holding a responder appreciation event.
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Post Crisis Checklist
• Consider making a public expression of thanks or appreciated.
• Prepare a post-crisis report to the Crisis Response Team.
• Make appropriate changes to the CERC Plan and incorporate any needed future trainings or exercises.
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Crisis Decision Matrix
If no If yes If no
If yes
Does the situation impact external audiences and/or have the potential to attract media attention?
Notify appropriate leadership
Gather information and all known facts
Establish system for monitoring the situation
Notify appropriate leadership Assemble Crisis Response
Team Gather information and all
known facts Develop communications
strategy and messages Assess media
interest/involvement and determine course of action
Are media aware of the incident?
Notify appropriate leadership
Implement media strategy
Finalize messages/ talking points
Identify, brief and prepare spokesperson
Determine media strategy
Develop media communications plan
Identify spokesperson and brief
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Emergency Risk Communication
• During an emergency event, it is paramount that information be timely and accurate.
– If emergency is multi-jurisdiction, EOC’s will be activated.
– Know where each EOC is located (County, PH Dept, Hospital Command Center).
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Emergency Risk Communication Cont’d• Public Information Officer Responsibilities
– Provide prompt & organized responses to the media and:
• Participate in Action Planning
• Participate in emergency briefings
• Verify facts, monitor rumors
• Write news releases, scripts, fact sheets, FAQs.
• Distribute news releases
• Talk to news media
• Post on web sites
– Understand the scope of the emergency – who’s who, what’s what and who should we talk with.
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Emergency Risk Communication Cont’d
– Information Collection & Production- The PIO collects accurate information regarding the emergency.
– Information Dissemination- The PIO is established as the designated contact with the media for the development and release of information.
– Understanding the scope of the Emergency -PIO must understand any and all key audiences that should be communicated with during an emergency.
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Emergency Risk Communication Cont’d• The PIO:
• Must know which jurisdictions are operational.
• Coordinates communication to ensure that messages are consistent and within the scope of Public Health’s responsibility.
• Activates and directs staff functions as determined by the event.
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Emergency Risk Communication Cont’d
• The PIO
– Activates the emergency call down list to ensure adequate staffing
– Activates an informal MOU with other organizations to supplement public information staffing.
– Contacts the ICS Labor Pool, for additional staffing, if needed
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Emergency Risk Communication Cont’d
• The PIO:
– Acts as Hospital or PH Dept’s PIO during emergency.
– Works with other County/Agencies to ensure effective collection and dissemination of information.
• Public Information Operational Roles & Responsibilities (will cover in depth)
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Emergency Risk Communication Cont’d
• Documentation: The PIO must maintain:
– Hard copy or computerized activity logs.
– Copies of all new advisories, releases and statements.
– Staff sign-in sheets to document hours worked during the emergency.
– The Administrative Support Team collects all documentation materials.
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Post-Event Activities
• The emergency is over - let the public know.
• Schedule a debriefing with PIO staff debriefing.
• Participate in the Public Health and hospital debriefing.
• Contribute to post-crisis reports.
• Assemble documentation from the crisis and note any future impacts/problems/actions.
• Update and revise the CERC Plan.
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Post-Event Activities
• Brief key stakeholders – County officials, reporters, and neighbors – ask what went well and what could be done better next time.
• Continue to communicate with employees and thank them for their patience and understanding during the crisis.
• Consider holding a responder appreciation event.
• Consider making a public expression of thanks. Such as an advertisement in a local paper if local emergency responders or neighbors where involved in the crisis.
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Responding to the Crisis or Emergency Event Guidelines
• Audiences- Know your audience
• Media Relations– Use news release, web postings, media interviews and
news conferences to acknowledge event
• Questions to Consider- – What happened?– When and where? – Who was affected?
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Responding to the Crisis or Emergency Event Guidelines
• Communication Response Guidelines– Overview of the issue or situation– Is the communications strategy proactive or reactive
and why?– Who are the key audiences? They should be
communicated to on a regular basis– Key Contacts? They should be communicated to on a
regular basis– What are you 3 key messages?– What resources are going to be needed?– Explain what is confidential and why?– Use your good judgment
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Joint Information Center (JIC)
• A JIC gathers, coordinates and disseminates information across jurisdictions and agencies (gov’t, private sector and non-gov’t), effectively and efficiently
• A JIC- is temporary organization of public information resources, representing the agencies involved in the response to the emergency. A JIC is used to gather, share and dissiminate consistent and accurate emergency public information.
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The JIC Structure
• The JIC is organized into central functions with an assigned lead for each functional area.
• The Lead Public Information Office (PIO) and the JIC Manager are part of the Command Unit and oversee the functional units of the JIC: Media Relations, Research and Writing, and Special Projects.
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JIC
• Key Point– Organizing public information resources
in a JIC enhances response
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At Work: Joint Information Center
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Command Unit
Media Relations Unit
Research & Writing Unit
Special Projects
Unit
Functional Units: Tools & Templates
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JIC Tools & Templates
• Each JIC Functional Section Includes:
– Job Action Sheets for each Unit Lead
– Roles & Responsibilities lists for sub-positions
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JIC Tools & Templates
Sample Operational Tools & Templates Included:
– Media Relations: Policies, Media Logs, Equipment Checklist, etc.
– Research/Writing: Press templates, Message Map template, etc.
– Special Projects: Key Partners Contact List, Phone Script sample, etc.
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Supplemental Materials: Case Scenarios
• Real life examples provide insight about how emergency risk communications will work during an event.
• The case scenarios are from real situations we have faced in our community, although many of these events have been false alarms, they have provided invaluable hands-on practice.
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Supplemental Materials: Message Maps & Fact Sheets
• Message Maps and Fact Sheets are included for biological, chemical and radiological events, as well as for other emergency incidents.
• The background information and specific scenario-based information can be adapted and tailored for your organization and can serve as a platform in developing messages and public communication tools.
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• Develop your message– Provide easy-to-understand information that’s
accurate, consistent, and timely, instills confidence in the community and directs appropriated responses to the emergency
– Have pre-scripted fact sheets and message maps
JIC- Message Tips
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JIC-Message Map “Roadmap”
SITUATION RISKS ACTIONS Key Message/Fact 1: Situation What has happened? Express concern, empathy and compassion.
Key Message/Fact 2: Risks Who is at risk? Who is at the greatest risk?
Key Message/Fact 3: Actions What actions are being taken by Public Health? What actions should individuals/families take?
Supporting Fact 1-1: State facts as you know them at the time. If it is serious, say so.
Supporting Fact 2-1: Is it contagious, communicable, or spreading? If so, give details. If not, say so.
Supporting Fact 3-1: Immediate actions for those affected or potentially affected. Provide instructions to protect yourself and your family.
Supporting Fact 1-2: Demonstrate credibility. How do we know what we know?
Supporting Fact 2-2: What are the symptoms?
Supporting Fact 3-2: Actions being taken by the Public Health Department. For example, the SNS has
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Message Map Exercise
• Divide into 3 groups- • Develop Message Maps:
– Pandemic Influenza– Anthrax– Small Pox
• Pass out factsheets
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QUESTIONS?
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For More Information, or to Find APC Products, Visit:
www.naccho.org/APC
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