Crisis Management and Communications Contingency Planning -
a checklist for corporate survival
The following is a general outline of factors to be considered to ensure the survival and continuity of the business enterprise in the event of natural or man-made crises, including how to cope with issues associated with product safety, service continuity, public health and financial stability. A key component of every contingency plan is the extent to which a firm is willing and ready to communicate effectively and clearly with each constituency group within its sphere of influence and operations, including internal messages to employees, their families, other relatives and input from various support groups that may be deemed necessary to help people cope with the crisis at hand. This checklist is only a guide. It may not contain all of the components, contingencies or options required by each unique type of business for its survival planning process and procedures.
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Does your firm have
a Crisis Management
Plan? |
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- Is this plan current and is it updated regularly, or as conditions change?
- Does the company have a formal procedure for assessing that something is, in fact, a crisis?
- Is there a crisis management group, committee or task force?
- Are managers and employees aware of the plan and trained in its use?
- Does your firm conduct frequent drills and disaster exercises to test the plan and those who would implement it?
- Is every group, division, work unit and location required to provide input to the plan and feedback on its effectiveness in actual practice?
- Are suppliers, vendors, channel partners and other third parties essential to the survival and success of the company aware of the plan and their roles?
- Does the firm have a single point of contact, "Crisis Manager" or officer[s] responsible for overall crisis management and communications?
- Does the company have a designated, safe and secure "crisis center" on site equipped with telephones, facsimile machines, computers with Internet access, copy machines, office supplies, etc.? (Is this room windowless, below grade level, and have at least two exits?)
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| + Does
the plan address company
survival and continuity
planning options in
the event of natural
or man-made disasters? |
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- Evacuation procedures, and alternative routes (internal/external), in case of building or road barriers or blockages.
- First Aid, EMT or paramedic support on site, or on call.
- Transportation alternatives (for employees and critical files, materials).
- Data backup procedures and locations for files, proprietary information, employee records, customer files, vendor files, etc.
- Electronic security procedures: for authorized access to buildings, secured areas, computer files and networks, levels of security within file groups, passwords, photo IDs, card readers, firewalls, encryption, other related issues.
- Relocation alternatives: Rallying points, alternative emergency operations center, and where (and when) employees would report after a disaster.
- Availability of fire fighting devices, including extinguishers (with current certifications), hoses, ladders, hard hats, anti-smoke inhalation masks, axes, mauls and other emergency tools.
- Working sprinklers, Halon gas (or other fire retardant) systems, automatic fire doors, emergency fire department and employee notification alarms and similar tools.
- Battery charged and equipped smoke detectors, emergency lights, exit lights and other signage designed to show access and egress.
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emergency contact and
notification procedures
an integral part of
the plan? |
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- Is there a multi-network notification system, and alternatives, for managers and employees to use if standard systems are down, too busy or inoperative?
- Is there a separate, formal notification plan for employees' immediate families and close relatives in the event of loss of life, missing personnel, etc.?
- Does the company have a discrete notification system for caregivers, day care operators and others upon whom employees may depend for family member support?
- Is there an employee "hot line" company personnel can call in the event of emergencies? (or an internal Web site, fax broadcast service, wireless notification procedure, etc.)
- Does the company have a plan of action, or chart, that specifies whom should be contacted, at what locations, and listing multiple (current) phone/cellular/pager numbers, based on the severity of potential emergency scenarios?
- Are these notification lists kept current and do they include key groups such as:
- - Shareholders
- - Customers
- - Key media and market analysts
- - Local government officials
- - Regulatory agencies
- - Law enforcement personnel
- - Union officials
- - Engineering, operations and facilities personnel
- - Architects and drawings/plans/blue prints of all company buildings
- - Insurance contacts and policies
- - Major suppliers and vendors
- - Consultants: Attorneys, industrial hygienists, environmental that can be called in to cope with adversarial questions and deal with matters within their areas of expertise.
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| + Does
the plan include emergency
supplies, employee
health records, first
aid as well as emotional
trauma care? |
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- Are disaster supplies (food, water, first aid, blankets, flashlights, etc.) stockpiled in each company location, at central sites and/or available in company vehicles?
- Are company personnel trained in basic first aid, CPR and defibrillation techniques?
- Are their certifications current?
- Does the plan include how to cope with emotional and psychological trauma, through the use of trauma counselors, clergy, psychologists, etc.?
- Does the company hold regular training exercises to test proficiencies in first aid, triage, etc.?
- Are employee blood types, RH factors, health conditions (i.e., asthma, heart, allergies, pregnancy, etc.) and special medical requirements (i.e., prescription drugs, respiratory breathing devices and oxygen, wheelchairs, walking aids, hearing aids, etc.) on record with human resources in the event that such items would need to be replaced or supplied in emergencies or knowledge of such things be made known to medical personnel?
- Is there a plan in place to assist handicapped employees in exiting the premises, getting special transportation or medical support?
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| + Are
physical plant continuity
considerations covered
in the crisis plan? |
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- Does the company and its satellite locations have their own back up power supplies (off of the public grid) including such things as battery backup or diesel/turbine generators, solar panels, etc.?
- Does the company have its own equipment for moving machines and heavy objects, for opening blocked access points, or can it obtain such services quickly if needed?
- Does the firm have air and water purification/filtration systems internally?
- Does the firm have emergency communications equipment, beyond cellular, to include microwave radio devices, infra red, satellite, etc., using discrete frequency bands?
- Does the company have its own water, gas and/or heating oil supplies, or must it rely on public pipelines and delivery services?
- Is there a backup for ventilation and outside air circulation in unsealed as well as sealed buildings should the HVAC system be down or offline?
- Does the company have water pumps and portable vacuum systems to remove water, debris and smoke from affected areas in an emergency?
- Are portable heating or air conditioning units available within the company, especially in regions where temperatures can drop below -- or rise above -- comfort zones, in the event of public power failures?
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| + Does
the firm have an updated
crisis communications
plan that can address
a wide range of potential
issues and concerns? |
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- Does this plan include what should be discussed, in how much detail and to whom information should be released following a crisis?
- Is there a public hot line, or a "dark" Website that can be activated on short notice, to provide information during an emergency to everyone in the community?
- Is the company prepared to respond immediately to the media? (With sample news release drafts covering common contingencies and/or fill-in-the-blanks press templates, so authorized personnel can use these tools to quickly "plug-in-and-play" factual information as required.)
- Are written guidelines in place instructing those dealing with an issue on how to gather information about a crisis, or potential crisis?
- Have selected senior managers, or other designated spokespersons, been media trained?
- Is there a readily-available and easily-accessible database of information about the company in case of emergencies (updated company background information on a Web site or in hard copy form)?
- Is the company prepared to address product or facility safety issues forthrightly and in a timely and factual manner?
- Does the company have an updated safety record for review and dissemination?
- If public health is in jeopardy, based on a product, action or mistake of the company and/or its affiliates, or due to contamination issues, is the firm ready to alert the appropriate audiences and take corrective steps?
- If a service provision company is involved, does the firm have a messaging plan focusing on the need to inform customers or the public concerning service availability and continuity?
- If the crisis is related to the financial health of the company, does the firm have a plan to inform all key stakeholders (i.e., employees, customers, investors, the SEC, the banking and investment community, financial analysts and the public) with pertinent details they will need to make informed decisions Ð whether or not the firm is public or private? (A classic example for publicly-held companies is whether or not a costly crisis qualifies as a "material event" that must be publicized.)
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