Preparing for Crisis: A First Responder's Guide to Messaging When it Really Matters

Finally, a guide that helps determine what to say when it really matters! In the event of a crisis, today more than ever, first-responder public information officers (PIOs) including police, fire, EMS, hospitals and other agencies on the front lines, must be prepared to communicate immediately. When time is of the essence, telling people what they need to know will help your agency come through a crisis with the trust and confidence of your community intact. Developing that messaging on the spot, in the midst of chaos and adrenaline, can be fraught with problems. The answer is to create a strategic crisis communications plan in advance to serve as the backbone of your messaging. Preparing for potential issues in advance allows organizations to deal with incidents proactively, and effectively manage the narrative being conveyed by the media and other target audiences involved. It also allows an agency to make important communications decisions quickly and decisively, as opposed to agonizing and wasting valuable time and resources debating what to say in the moment. This guide provides simple and effective strategies along with templates to help first-response agencies create a bespoke crisis communications manual. A well thought out communications plan allows an organization to escape the short-term focus that often plagues agencies in crisis. It allows you to be not only a first-responder, but a “first-reporter” as well.