Article authored by Jim Dunn, APR, President of Jim Dunn & Associates

The property damage, injuries and personal loss caused by natural disasters can be devastating for a community and rock the foundation of our schools. In the face of such destruction, people desperately want three things that school communicators are uniquely positioned to deliver:

1. Timely, practical, accurate and accessible information to help them get their lives back together;
2. A sense of security and confidence that the worst is over and the rebuilding can begin with the help of an organized and competent school staff behind a well thought out recovery plan; and
3. A meaningful way to share feelings, grief, resources, and networking with others to build a sense of connection to the broader community and let them know that they are not in this alone and others care about what has happened.

The following helpful tips were prepared by NSPRA Past President Jim Dunn, APR, president of Jim Dunn & Associates in Liberty, Mo., with help from past South Central Region Vice President Nicole Kirby, director of communication services for Park Hill School District in Kansas City, Mo., and NSPRA member Zac Rantz, communication coordinator for Nixa (Mo.) Public Schools, who have all spent countless hours assisting Joplin (Mo.) Schools in the aftermath of the tornado that devastated the city last May. Our special thanks to them for sharing their lessons learned with NSPRA.

Crisis Communication Nuts and Bolts:

Equipment and Communication Tools

• Have a pair of waterproof boots in your car. You will be in the mud and walking on nails.

• Have flashlights and rain gear in your car and maybe a hard hat.

• Carry two phones: your business phone and your personal phone.

• All administrators need to have all emergency numbers in their phones and a paper copy in their office and in their car.

• All teachers should have a paper copy of a class roster with phone numbers. They may need to call them to see if students are alive.

• Prepare now to have some wireless hot spots ready to go with different phone providers.

• Having access to copy machines was a real problem in Joplin. With servers down they had to improvise in a hurry. Make sure your technology department understands how major their role will be in a crisis!

• Be ready for your servers to be down. You need backup! Have a copy of everything in a secure back-up spot outside the district.

• Think about warehouse space before the storm. Where could you store truckloads of water? You will need water and supplies as well as a place to house donations.

• Identify now other websites you might be able to use if your website goes down (PTA, Facebook, government agencies, etc.).

• Facebook saved the day in Joplin! It was the only way to communicate until the servers came back on line. Have social media tolls in place before the storm.

• Keep a record of EVERYTHING that goes out of your office.

Leadership

• Have a crisis supervisory team in mind that will know to meet daily until the worst of the crisis is over. (The best minds, town movers and shakers, and school and kid loving people should be on this team).

• Get your superintendent ready!!! People will want to hear from him/her and this first impression will mean everything.

• Leaders will want to run around helping people, but they need to stop at some point and get together to think strategically and make decisions.

The Role of Staff, Students & Parents

• Principals are invaluable in a crisis. They know the kids and parents. Usually they are unbelievably dedicated. Make sure you train them and then rely on them to get key messages out and think on their feet.

• Cross-train. You do not know who will be incapacitated by a storm; who will freak out; or who will be searching for their own family members. More than one person needs to be able to fill a critical role or perform a critical task.

• Find somebody who can still proofread. Check everything that goes out. Speed is essential but wrong information can ruin your credibility. Trust is your most valuable asset.

• Make sure counselors and psychologists know how to contact each other, where to go, and have practiced their response.

• Teachers and support staff who know a lot of kids by name and face (PE and music teachers, lunch ladies, attendance secretaries, etc.) should be aware they will be needed if you have to find your people.

• Bus drivers need to know that you will try to open the bus barn and they should go to the bus barn in an emergency. Buses used as ambulances saved lives in Joplin.

• Parents are your best avenue for sharing information. Build trust now, and get them in the habit of turning to you for the truth.

• Your students, with some training and lots of support, will be your BEST spokespeople. It is worth the risk.

Dealing with outside support/first response agencies/volunteers

• Talk with surrounding districts and have mutual aide agreements in place before the storm.

• You need to work with emergency officials now and develop a pass ID that will admit administrators and bus drivers past police check points in an emergency. In Joplin, people who really needed to be in the emergency areas were stuck outside of town.

• Identify some different places that volunteers can go to in an emergency to lend their help.

• Get ready for FEMA! They will drive you crazy with all their rules, but they are the people you must use to get the help you need.

Managing people with compassion

• Nobody cares what you have to say until they know that you care.

• You will deal with people who are out of control with grief. They will be rude and even scary. Respond with love. Be kind to everyone, even reporters.

• People of all kinds will want to tell you their tornado story. Take the time to listen.

• If somebody dies, a crisis becomes an explosion of emotion. Do not underestimate the consequence of a death in the family.

• JOB ONE after a big storm is to find your people. Joplin Schools won the hearts of its community because it moved heaven and earth to find every student and employee.

Managing the media and high-profile visitors

• Sit down with your local media before a storm and tell them you will count on them to help you get your messages out to the public.

• The more you plan for the media, the better chance you have of getting your messages out.

• Create a disaster response room with computers, phones and giant strips of paper on the wall. Make media grids; systematize the requests for information and get them properly assigned; make sure your website has all the basic information about your district that will be requested.

• Call for help! You will not be able to handle the media onslaught by yourself.

• Remember what people want to know: What happened? What does it mean? What are you going to do about it?

• Only tell the media what you know! You will want to say all kinds of things but unless you have confirmed information; keep your mouth shut.

• Let teachers and staff know who the spokesperson for the district will be and that they are expected to refer all question to that person.

• Start training spokespersons for your district today. The media is going to find somebody to talk, so you might as well help them find somebody who at least knows what they are talking about.

• The media will demand a villain, a victim and a hero in any crisis. Your job is to make sure the school district is the hero. This is important! Heroes will get support for years to come.

• Your local media is more important than the national media in getting your message to your families and community. The national media can help share your volunteer and money needs with a larger audience. Balance their needs.

• Media trucks are noisy and obnoxious. You tell them where to park!!! National media have their own agenda and will do what they want. Your best hope is to provide them with the stories and people they need. Hammer them nicely with your messages and then outwork them. They will respect that. Tip: get all their cell phone numbers and check in with them as much as possible. The may get sick of you, but they will call you first when they need something.

• Presidents, Governors, Senators and Representatives will come to your siet. You need to get messages ready and overwhelm them with your kindness and willingness to help.

• Every crisis has a political side. You better take that into consideration. Alienating your Board of Education, local politicians, and/or influential bloggers is a big no-no.

• Remember, you can never put toothpaste back in the tube. Be extremely careful what you say.

Tips for PR Practitioners:

• Practice keeping your cool! Learn to not get upset (practice this at stoplights; when you get a bill for car repair, or whenever you get scared or worried). You can actually teach yourself to get calmer as things get more chaotic. Cool heads rule in a crisis.

• Balance is a good word for dealing with lawyers. Remember, you are an expert in the court of public opinion.

• If you come to help others in a crisis, make do with what you have! Bring your own computer, wireless connection, water, boots, hat and sunglasses, sunscreen, paper and pens, media lists, etc. Don’t expect people at the crisis scene to coddle your needs. Find the work that you can do, be positive, and help. Come in early and stay late — the crisis never ends. If you go to a crisis scene thinking it is all about you and what a wonderful person you are — GO HOME!

Four Simple Tips to Remember:

1. In a crisis: Single voice, simple message.

2. In a crisis: To talk with reporters practice CPR — Calm Prepared Relaxed.

3. In a crisis: People will most likely do what they have repeatedly been trained to do. It does no good to have a crisis plan that has never been practiced.

4. Be an active member of NSPRA! (Before there’s a crisis). No other source of help can match the crisis response capabilities of our collegial network. Be a member of your state chapter as well.

As school communicators across the country rise to meet the challenge during crises like floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, and fires, good communication is always one of the most powerful first responders. The Chinese symbol for “crisis” aptly refers to the pivotal role the PR pro plays in these situations. It is a blend of two symbols: “Danger” and “Crucial Point” (or opportunity). An emergency full of danger, threats and heart-wrenching damage may be a crucial point where we as chief communication officers can make the difference. A crisis is a test of us, our plans and our instincts. Victims and responders are counting on us at this crucial point.

Jim Dunn, APR, can be contacted at dunn830@gmail.com.