CMH Crisis Communication Plan| 1

Childrens Museum of Houston Crisis Communication Plan for an Abducted Child

Crisis Communication Plan Team

Schieffer School of Journalism
Texas Christian University
Doctor Amiso George

Written November 30, 2014

CMH Crisis Communication Plan| 2

Table of Contents
Introduction

Page 3

Acknowledgments

Page 4

Rehearsal Dates

Page 5

Purpose and Objectives

Page 6

Key Publics

Page 6-8

Crisis Communication Team Roles

Page 8-10

Crisis Communication Team Directory

Page 10

Emergency Personnel

Page 10

Equipment and Supplies List for Crisis Control Room

Page 12

Pre-Gather Information

Page 12-13

Develop Key Messages

Page 13-14

Plan Dissemination of Key Messages

Page 14

Review Draft of Crisis Plan and Make Corrections

Page 15

Distribute Plan to All Members of Crisis Team

Page 15

Rehearsal

Page 15-16

CMH Crisis Communication Plan| 3

I.

Introduction

The Childrens Museum of Houston (CMH) was founded in 1980 by a group of Houston
parents who hoped to enhance the early childhood development in the Houston community.
After 34 years of serving the Houston community, the Museum now serves over 850,000 people
annually, focusing on bilingual, fun and hands-on learning for kids from ages birth to 12 years in
subjects such as literacy, science, math, health, engineering, civic engagement, culture and social
studies. According to the mission statement, the Childrens Museum of Houston is transforming
communities through innovative, child-centered learning. The staff at the Childrens Museum
of Houston work with children, and ensure a fun, positive and educational visitor experience.
The safety of our visitors is our number one priority. With the increased risk and reports of
child abduction and missing children from around the nation, we have taken extra preventative
measures to ensure that we are providing our guests with the safest environment. We have
established a crisis plan detailing step-by-step actions to be implemented in the case of an
abducted/missing child within the museum property. We must ensure that the Childrens
Museum has proper procedures put in place, in the case of an abducted/missing child on our
premises, so that the museum may continue to provide fun and educational learning experiences
to the community.
Although our premises is fully gated and certain safety precautions have already been put
into effect regarding the identity and background of our visitor, we continue to serve hundreds of
people in the Houston area daily. There is no age restriction on who may and may not enter the
museum; therefore, there is potential danger in welcoming all kinds of visitors to the museum.
Thankfully, our organization has yet to encounter such a crisis, but we will continue to improve
our safety measures as we hear of similar cases around us.

CMH Crisis Communication Plan| 4

II.

Acknowledgments

To be signed by:
Tammie Kahn, Executive Director
Rita Villanueva, Director of Human Resources
Elaine Holthe, Director of Visitor Experience
By signing this statement, I verify that I have read this Crisis Communication Plan
and am prepared to put it into effect

________________________
(Signature and date)
Tammie Kahn, Executive Director

________________________
(Signature and date)
Rita Villanueva, Director of Human Resources

________________________
(Signature and date)
Elaine Holthe, Director of Visitor Experience

CMH Crisis Communication Plan| 5

III.

Rehearsal Dates

To ensure the effectiveness of our crisis communication plan among our staff, we have
scheduled two rehearsal dates for a crisis communication plan stimulation. The stimulations have
been scheduled before our two busiest seasons so that any flaw may be addressed and fixed
immediately; the first stimulation will be held before the Christmas holiday and the other
stimulation will be held before school has been dismissed for the summer.

Rehearsal Dates
December 16, 2014
May 10, 2015

CMH Crisis Communication Plan| 6

IV.

Purpose and Objectives

a. Purpose
In the case a child is abducted or goes missing from our premises we must have a
plan prepared in order to take immediate action to work with local officials and
the family of the abductee to bring the child home safely. This plan will aid in
keeping all those internally involved with the situation, as well as those externally
involved, such as the publics and the media continually informed about the
unfolding situation. By being truthful, transparent and cooperative, the crisis can
be resolved in a calmly matter and further actions can be taken to prevent another
similar crisis in the future.
b. Objectives
i. Secure perimeters within 15 minutes of notification of missing child
ii. Inform owners and managers of crisis within the first 30 minutes
iii. Inform Houston Police Department within 10 minutes of informing
management
iv. Inform publics and media within 2.5 hours through an initial statement on
Twitter and Facebook
v. Email museum members/pass holders a letter explaining the crisis, what is
being done, and how it will affect them

V.

Key Publics

The key publics that would be affected if a child were abducted from Childrens Museum of
Houston would include:

CMH Crisis Communication Plan| 7

Type

Public

Description

How to Reach

Museum
staffers

Museum staffers are

entrusted with guiding
children and museum
visitors throughout the
museum. If a child were to
be abducted from the
museum, we would
immediately notify all
staffers so that they would
be able to be immediately
be able to vigilantly observe
the crowd and lead visitors
in security protocols.

On-site staff members will be

contacted via their headset radios.
There will also be a text alert sent
out by the museum. Off the clock
employees will also be notified of
the situation via a text message.

Museum
patrons

Patrons of the museum are

comprised of both children
and adults. If a child were
abducted, our number one
priority would be to ensure
patrons that their safety is
our top priority.

Will be contacted during the crisis

by members of museum staff and
via loudspeaker. Following the
crisis, they will be contacted via
email.

First
responders

In the event of a child

Will be contacted via a phone call to
abduction, we would
9-1-1
immediately implement the
Emergency Operations plan
and would call the local
first responders including:
police department, fire
department, emergency
medical providers, and any
other agencies who might
become involved in the case
of a missing or abducted
child.

Neighboring
establishments

Childrens Museum of
Houston is located in a busy
neighborhood. In the event
of an abduction, we would
make sure to immediately
inform our neighbors so
they could take

Internal

If they have provided us with email

addresses, we will inform them
through email of
the situation/lockdown. We will
not, however, provide any details
until confirmed and following the
crisis, will not give out personal

CMH Crisis Communication Plan| 8

precautionary measures of
their own and be watchful
and of assistance.

information of neighbors located

next to school.

Media

Houston has a great many

local publications many of
which have a police and
emergency beat. It will
be crucial to control the
flow of information to the
media so false information
or rumors will not be
spread. By doing this, we
will control what
information is released and
reinforce our status as in
control of the situation. It is
vital that we be seen as
doing everything possible to
secure the safety of our
visitors.

Email and phone will be used to

notify the press of a press
conference; media inquiries will be
responded to via the media outlets
individual preference.

Community

Childrens Museum of
Houston is an important
member of the Houston
community, and the
museum relies upon
community trust. It will be
necessary to maintain an
honest, open line of
communication with
individuals of the
community so as to position
ourselves to win their trust.

Telephone will be the primary

channel for community inquiries.
Though the website will be used for
the distribution of general
information, email will be used for
specific inquiries.

External

VI.

Crisis Communication Team Roles

A strong crisis communication team with clearly defined roles is essential for executing the crisis
communication plan. Beneath is a list of roles for the members of the crisis communication
team.

CMH Crisis Communication Plan| 9

a) Spokesperson
The spokesperson for important events is Executive Director, Tammie Kahn. Ms. Kahn, as the
executive director, is accountable to the board of directors. However, she is capable of making
decisions about the safety and well-being of staff and visitors present. Therefore, her role will be
to implement the crisis plan and alerting the necessary parties and emergency personnel. As the
spokesperson, the executive director will be kept abreast of all developments and details
surrounding the crisis. She will act as the voice and representative of the unified Childrens
Museum of Houston.
b) Media Liaison
Child abductions receive a substantial amount of media coverage. In the case of a crisis like this,
media inquiries about the status of the crisis are inevitable. With this in mind, the media liaison
will log all communications with the media, and be charged with responding to them promptly,
as well as with making updates to the website. This liaison will assist the executive director in
her duties as chief spokesperson.
c) Visitor Liaison
Visitors, both parents and children, will be in a state of worry regarding their own safety and the
safety of their children. The visitor liaison will be responsible for communicating the status of
the crisis with visiting parents and children. To ensure that the museum can maintain contact
with parties present at the crisis, visitors on the scene should have their contact information
collected. The visitor liaison is responsible for mobilizing the visitors in a secure area.
d) Community Liaison

CMH Crisis Communication Plan| 10

There is no doubt that this event will be jarring for the community at large, therefore it is
necessary for a community liaison to be in contact with individuals or organizations that may
offer assistance.
e) Control Center Manager
This managerial position will be responsible for the operations within the control center. These
duties include the setting up of the crisis control center and maintaining the centers resources,
including rations, tools, and information. The manager will also be responsible for setting up an
area for press conferences.
f) Phone Workers
In the event of a crisis at the museum, parents, visitors, and the media will attempt to contact the
museum for further details. Phone workers will assist these publics by relaying the key messages
to those inquiring about the status of the crisis.
VII.

Crisis Communication Team Directory

To be completed prior to the first rehearsal.

Role

Name

Number (Cell) Email

Spokesperson

Tammie Kahn (713) 535-7215 tkhan@cmhouston.org

Media Liaison

Henry Yau

(713) 535-7267 hyau@cmhouston.org

Elaine Holthe

(713) 535-7221 eholthe@cmhouston.org

(also backup spokesperson)

Visitor Liaison
Community Liaison
Control Center Manager
Phone Workers (2)
General
Media

CMH Crisis Communication Plan| 11

VIII.

Emergency Personnel

In the event of a security breach on our campus, our first step would be to call emergency
responders including Fort Worth Police and Fire Departments.
Houston Police Department
Emergency Phone

9-1-1

Address

1200 Travis Street

Houston, TX 77002

Public Relations Contact

Name John Cannon
Title Public Information Officer
Phone (work) (713) 308-3280
Email john.cannon@houstonpolice.org
Houston Fire Department
Emergency Phone

9-1-1

Address

600 Jefferson, 7th Floor

Houston, TX 77002

Public Relations Contact Sr. Cpt. Ruy Lozano

Phone (work) (832) 394-6642
Email Ruy.lozano@houstontx.gov

CMH Crisis Communication Plan| 12

IX.

Equipment and Supplies List for Crisis Control Room

The Crisis Control Room will be situated in the conference room of the Childrens Museum of
Houston. If more space is needed, the adjacent smaller conference room will serve as an
extension of the principle Control Room. The materials listed below, as well as the pre-gathered
information documents are contained in a box labeled Emergency Supply Kit in the office
main supply closet.

XI.

Mobile computers

Folding tables

Press release letters

Pens and pencils

Legal pads

Crisis plan

Contact directories/ media list

Food and beverages

Walkie-talkie ear pieces

Pre-Gather Information

Copies of all of this information is kept in the crisis preparation kit which itself is kept in the
office of the president of the museum. The pre-gathered information binder includes:

Existing safety precautions and safety records

Employee backgrounds/executive biographies

Photos/maps of the museum and surrounding neighborhood

Location of the exits

CMH Crisis Communication Plan| 13

Fact sheets about the museum

Fill-in-the-blanks news releases

Phone books

Emergency contact information

XII.

Develop Key Messages

Initial Tweets:
Child reported missing from Childrens Museum of Houston at XX:XX. Exits are secured and
police notified. Will update info as more info becomes available
Missing child located and museum is now safe. Exits have been reopened and patrons are able
to leave
Child abduction case now being handled by Houston Police Department. The Childrens
Museum is now safe and clear.

Placeholder Statement: We have secured all exits and will get back to you with further details
as they become available.

Initial Statement to the Press/Media

At approximately XX:XX today, _________________, a child patron was abducted from the
Childrens Museum of Houston. The childs mother alerted security that her son/daughter was
missing, and surveillance footage showed an unidentified man speaking to the boy/girl near an
exhibit. Security personnel secured all exits, alerted the Houston Police Department, and began
searching for the missing boy. Museum employees immediately implemented our emergency

CMH Crisis Communication Plan| 14

operations plan and within minutes the HPD was on-site and began search-and-rescue tactics.
The boy/girl is now safe and sound, and the suspect was taken into custody. We will give you
more details as they become available, and ask you to respect the family of the victims privacy
in this difficult time. We also would like to commend our employees for their timeliness and
courage in securing the safety of our patrons.

XIII.

Plan Dissemination of Key Messages

Type

Public

How to Reach

Museum staffers

Staff working on the day of the incident will be contacted

via headset radios given to all staff members. Staff
members who are off the clock will be contacted by
phone/email to notify them of the crisis that has occurred
and keep them informed.

Museum patrons

Will be contacted by staff members working.

First responders

Executive director will contact these individuals by

phone.

Neighboring
establishments

Will be informed via email by museum staff.

Media

Media liaison will contact media via phone call and email
to notify reporters of press conference.

Community

Telephone as primary method for inquirieswebsite for

general information, but email correspondence for more
specific inquiries will be responded to at earliest
convenience.

Internal

External

CMH Crisis Communication Plan| 15

XIV.

Review Draft of Crisis Plan and Make Corrections

Plan will be reviewed on January 1st of each year and corrections will be made as necessary.

XV.

Distribute Plan to All Members of Crisis Team

Receivers initial

Role

Name

Spokesperson

Tammie Kahn

Media Liaison
(also backup spokesperson)

Henry Yau

Community Liaison

Rita Villanueva

Control Center Manager

Elaine Holthe

Phone Workers (2)

Media
Community

XVI.
A.

Courtney Fillmore
Kelly Brown

Rehearsal

Executive Director reviewed plan and made corrections.

_________________________________
Signature

____________
Date

Executive Director will review plan again on/or before: January 1, 2015

B.

Distributed plan to all members of the crisis team

Role

Name

Spokesperson

Tammie Kahn

Receivers initial

CMH Crisis Communication Plan| 16

Media Liaison

Henry Yau

(also backup spokesperson)

Community Liaison

Rita Villanueva

Control Center Manager

Elaine Holthe

Phone Workers (2)

C.

Media

Courtney Fillmore

Community

Rita Villanueva

Next rehearsal dates scheduled for:

January 1, 2015

Rehearsal of the crisis plan allows for our organization to discover the strengths and weaknesses
of our plan. One of these three exercises should be completed every 6 months:
1. Simulation Activity: Key personnel will sit down together and discuss step by step each
phase of response within a crisis event. The goal of this exercise is to have the team
engage in problem-solving situations and explore as a group solutions and ideas that may
or may not already be in the crisis plan.
2. Functional drill: This exercise is designed to test the crisis management team in real
time. The goal is to go through the process and find new ways to improve the plan.
3. Full scale drill exercises: In this exercise all personnel will be involved to test the
complete crisis plan in a simulated environment. All stakeholders within the organization
will need to collaborate in order to achieve optimal results. Additionally this exercise
may require stakeholders to think outside the box.

CMH Crisis Communication Plan| 17

Evaluation
The crisis management plan was followed. Circle one:
Not at all
0

Somewhat
2

Completely
6

10

What role did you have in the crisis?

Were employees confused? Why?
Did the public and the media receive accurate information?
Was information given to the public and the media in a timely manner?
What was the crisis management process and how was it used?
What was most effective about the crisis management plan?
What was the least effective about the crisis management plan?
What suggestions do you have to better improve the crisis management plan?
Did members of the crisis management know what they were supposed to do?
Was the crisis management team able to quickly respond to the crisis?
Were there any critical steps missing in this plan?
Could the crisis have been avoided if certain actions had been taken?
Was the spokesperson the best individual qualified to handle the crisis?
Is someone better suited to serve as spokesperson? What about the other major key players?