Serving Colorado and Wyoming Region

Crisis Communications Plan

Video pitch: http://wsu.voicethread.com/myvoice/thread/9073521

Prepared by
Christina Mascarenas
Washington State University
Com 562: Crisis Communication
Writing: Final Crisis Communication Report
April 21, 2017
 Table of Contents

1. Before a Crisis Occurs 3

2. History 3
3. Vision Statement 4
4. Mission Statement 4
5. Locations 4
6. Who does ARC Serve 5
7. Training for Volunteers 5
a. Training Education 5
b. Training Contact Information 6
8. Emergency Planning and Preparation 6
9. Stakeholders 7
a. Internal 7
b. External 7
c. Local and Reginal Partnerships 9
10. Volunteer Contact Information in Database 9
11. Objectives 9
a. Disaster Relief 9
b. Supporting America’s Militarily Families 10
c. Lifesaving Blood 10
d. Health and Safety Services 10
e. International Services 11
12. Threats to ARC 11
a. Shortage of Volunteers 11
b. Lack of Funding 11
c. Transporting 11
d. Housing 11

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 e. Safety of Volunteers 11
f. Communicating 12
g. Food 12
h. Recovery Needs 12
13. Procedures 12
a. How to Contact/Assemble Volunteers 12
14. Response 13
a. Who Responds to the Crisis? 13
b. Setting up Shelter for Clients 13
15. JIS/JIC/PIO 13
a. Joint Information System (JIS) 13
b. Joint Information Center (JIC) 13
c. Identification of JIC Space/Resource Needs 14
d. Identification of Any Necessary Contracts 15
e. Public Information Officer (PIO) 16
f. Identification of a Spokesperson 16
g. Check List 16
h. News Releases 17
16. Social Media 17
a. Levels of Social Media Use 17
b. Social Media Platforms 17
c. Social Media Platforms and Planned use of Those Platforms 17
d. Who is Responsible for Communications? 18
e. Social Media Drawback 18
17. Media Relations Assets 19
a. Contact Information for Southern Colorado Media 19
18. Finding Ways to Honor the Heroes of a Crisis 19
19. Additional Resources 20
a. ARC Code of Ethics and Contact Booklet Link 20
b. Red Cross Offers Key Lessons in Crisis Communications Link 20

American Red Cross Colorado & Wyoming Region | Final Crisis Communications Plan | 2
The Crisis Communications Plan (CCP) is intended to keep American Red Cross (ARC) staff

and volunteers aware of policies and procedures before, during and after a crisis/emergency.

Before A Crisis Occurs

We encourage you to read the ARC Crisis Communication Plan BEFORE a disaster so you will

be informed of the organizations policies and procedures to be prepared.

During a crisis is not the time to familiarize yourself with the important details. We recommend

that you review all the materials in this CCP and ask your supervisor any questions before an

emergency strikes. Please print this plan and keep it in a binder so you will have it when you

need it to reference in an emergency.

In a disaster, electricity may be out and the dark website may not be up and running. A dark

website contains information for internal use and is a way for staff and volunteers to keep

information up to date internally. This website is a “safe place” for internal use since not all our

information is for external parties.

History
The ARC was founded in 1881 during the Civil War by Clarissa “Clara” Barton who opened

paths to the new field of volunteer service through her devotion of serving others. The ARC was

created out of a desire to bring assistance without discrimination to the wounded on the

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battlefield, [international and national endeavors], to prevent and alleviate human suffering

wherever it may be found.

Source: http://www.redcross.org/about-us/history/clara-barton

Vision Statement
The ARC, through its strong network of volunteers, donors and partners, is always there in times

of need. We aspire to turn compassion into action so that all people affected by disaster across

the country and around the world receive care, shelter and hope.

Source: http://www.redcross.org/about-us/who-we-are/mission-and-values

Mission Statement
The mission of ARC is to prevent and alleviate human suffering in the face of emergencies by

mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors.

Locations
ARC locations are in every major city in the United States and many countries around the world

along with thousands of volunteers. 90% of the ARC workforce are volunteers. This is a contact

list of the southern Colorado chapters and Denver.

Chapter Address Phone

Denver 444 Sherman Street, Denver, CO, 80203 303-722-7474

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 Fort Carson 1675 Ellis St., Building 1217, Room 114 719-526-2311
Fort Carson, Colorado 80913 DSN Phone #: 312-691-2311
American Red Cross 1650 Cochrane Circle, Building 7500, 719-526-7144
at Evans Army Room 1011, Fort Carson, Colorado 80913
Community Hospital
Colorado Springs 1040 S 8th St #200, Colorado Springs, CO 719-632-3563
80905
Pueblo 4104 Outlook Blvd, Pueblo, CO 81008 719-561-2614

Who does ARC serve?

The ARC wants to be known as humanitarians, impartial, neutral, an independent organization, a

voluntary service, create unity and universal. ARC volunteers and staff do not ask legal status of

the clients they serve.

Training for volunteers

The volunteer trainings will depend on your specialty. Please register on the ARC website:

https://www.redcross.org/accounthelp/signIn.jsp to create your login and password. ARC offers

many classes and certificates to educate our volunteers.

Training Education

Many ARC jobs require up to date lifesaving skills because they address health emergencies

every day, people such as health care providers, first responders, and lifeguards. Others,

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including teachers and babysitters, are entrusted with precious young lives that could require aid

on a moment’s notice. http://www.redcross.org/about-us/our-work/training-education

Course and certificates are available, including Lifeguarding, Caregiving and Babysitting, and

Swimming and Water Safety courses the Red Cross can provide you with the training and skills

you need to prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies.

Training Website Address

First Aid training http://www.redcross.org/take-a-class/first-aid

CPR training http://www.redcross.org/take-a-class/cpr

Automated External Defibrillator (AED) http://www.redcross.org/take-a-class/aed

training

Babysitting and Caregiving training http://www.redcross.org/take-a-

class/babysitting-child-care

Swim training http://www.redcross.org/take-a-class/swimming

Certified Nursing Assistants (CAN) http://www.redcross.org/take-a-class/cna

training

Basic Life Support (BLS) training http://www.redcross.org/take-a-class/bls

Emergency Planning and Preparation

http://www.redcross.org/get-help/prepare-for-emergencies/types-of-emergencies

Emergencies come in many shapes and sizes, some man-made, others acts of nature. While it is

impossible to control every outcome, education and planning can help you feel more confident

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that you and your loved ones will have the skills needed to cope. The ARC offers a robust library

of tips and checklists to help you before, during and after an emergency.

Chemical Flu Pet Safety Water Safety

Emergency Food Safety Poisoning Wildfire

Drought Heat Wave Power Outage Winter Storm

Earthquake Highway Safety Terrorism

Fire Hurricane Tsunami

Flood Landslide Volcano

Following our simple steps in advance to ensure you can weather a crisis safely and comfortably.

Use the following steps to prepare for an emergency.

http://www.redcross.org/get-help/prepare-for-emergencies/be-red-cross-ready

1. Get a Kit: Learn the essential supplies to put in your family’s first aid and survival kits.
2. Make a plan: Plan effectively for you and your family in case of an emergency.
3. Be informed: Understand which disasters are likely in your area and what you must
know to stay safe.

Stakeholders
ARC has various partners in each community and at the national level. The local partners

include fire and police departments as well as city and county officials. ARC also partners with

the Salvation Army and blood service partners.

Internal stakeholders: employees and volunteers

External stakeholders: Red Cross clients, donors, suppliers, vendors and the public at large

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Categories of Specific information Contact information Noting the need for contact
stakeholders information
Employees What each ARC Name, phone Each stakeholder needs to know what
employee’s job title number(s) and email each employee does so we know who
and summary of work to contact for what disaster.
performed
Volunteers: Skills set Name, phone Volunteers have different skills set, so
“Boots on the Strengths number(s) and email we need to know what are their
ground” Availability. strengths to activate them for the
correct disaster. Along with their
availability.
Volunteers: PIO We have several PIO Name, phone Make sure everyone knows the Social
volunteers who are number(s) and email Media passwords
students and work so
we need to know their
availability and
strengths.
Red Cross Document the disaster Name, phone Need their contact info so ARC can
Clients they were in number(s) and email. follow up with them. Also, they can
Also a relative’s info be the best PR source in the future
since the client may be after they have settled into their new
displaced. normal.
Donors Updated list of donors Name, phone To have a steady flow of monetary
who have given to number(s) and email donations.
ARC in the past and
potential donors of the
future.
Suppliers List of suppliers and Name of main contact, List of suppliers so a volunteer or
their goods. phone number(s) and employee knows who to call for which
email supply.
Vendors List of vendors and Name of main contact, List of vendors so a volunteer or
their goods. phone number(s) and employee knows who to call for which
email supply.
Public at Large Public individuals who Name of main contact, This could be a list of government
would be interested in phone number(s) and officials or politicians who could
promoting ARC email, job titles, useful advance ARC’s cause to serve the
contacts public in a time of disaster
New Media Media at some stations Name, phone Media can help spread the word of the
are a revolving door so number(s) and email disaster and tell their audience how
it’s important to have they should be responding such as
contacts and update shelter in place or give an evacuation
them. route.

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Local and Regional Partnerships

http://www.redcross.org/donations/companies-and-foundations/giving-opportunities#local

Every day, the ARC is in communities across the country to assist people who face emergencies.

We secure food and lodging for the family struck by a home fire. We help a deployed soldier get

home for the birth of his son. We provide blood to the child battling cancer. And we could not do

it without the ongoing help of businesses and foundations of all sizes.

Volunteer contact information in database

Log in to Volunteer Connection to view your profile, your chapter, shifts and opportunities to

volunteer. You can also log your hours by clicking on the link below.

https://volunteerconnection.redcross.org/?nd=m_home

Objectives
The ARC exists to provide compassionate care to those in need. Our network of generous

donors, volunteers and employees share a mission of preventing and relieving suffering, here at

home and around the world, through five key service areas:

Source: http://www.redcross.org/what-we-do

 Disaster Relief

http://www.redcross.org/about-us/our-work/disaster-relief

The Red Cross responds to approximately 70,000 disasters in the United States every year,

ranging from home fires that affect a single family to hurricanes that affect tens of thousands, to

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earthquakes that impact millions. In these events, the Red Cross provides shelter, food, health

and mental health services to help families and entire communities get back on their feet.

Although the Red Cross is not a government agency, it is an essential part of the response when

disaster strikes. We work in partnership with other agencies and organizations that provide

services to disaster victims.

 Supporting America’s Military Families

http://www.redcross.org/about-us/our-work/military-families

The Red Cross helps military members, veterans and their families prepare for, cope with, and

respond to the challenges of military service. Emergency communications, training, support to

wounded warriors and veterans, and access to community resources help an average of 150,000

military families and veterans annually.

 Lifesaving Blood

http://www.redcross.org/what-we-do/blood-donation

Your donations of blood are what make the American Red Cross the largest single supplier of

blood and blood products in the U.S. Each year, nearly 4 million people donate blood through

the Red Cross, helping to provide more than 40% of America’s blood supply.

 Health and Safety Services

http://www.redcross.org/about-us/our-work/training-education

The Red Cross is the nation’s leading provider of health and safety courses, such as CPR, First

Aid and Lifeguard training. Each year, more than 9 million Americans participate in our training

programs, including first responders, educators, babysitters, and people who want to be prepared

to help others in an emergency.

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  International Services

http://www.redcross.org/about-us/our-work/international-services

The ARC is part of the world’s largest humanitarian network with 13 million volunteers in 187

countries. Working together, we help respond to disasters, build safer communities, and teach

the rules of war. Each year, we reach an average of more than 100 million people across the

globe.

Threats to ARC
Depending on the community, there are a few threats that can harm the ARC.

Shortage of Volunteers: Volunteers may get burned out if they are always working an

emergency.

Lack of Funding: Donors may not have disposable income or they may have to choose between

various organizations or use their money towards a family emergency.

Transporting: Finding the transportation resources to transport volunteers into emergency

situations can be difficult if there is a shortage of cars, vans or busses.

Housing: If volunteers are deployed to the area of the emergency there may be a shortage of

hotel rooms or adequate shelter.

Safety of Volunteers: The safety of volunteers needs to be the main priority along with keeping

the clients safe. It is the responsibility of the emergency managers to determine the safe areas of

an emergency.

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Communicating: Getting vital information to the public and volunteers needs to be a priority

along with coordinating with other non-profits.

Food: The volunteers along with the clients need to eat. ARC can ask for food donations from

restaurants and grocery stores. ARC is unable to accept food from the public since we must

follow food guidelines.

Recovery Needs: The first step in assisting clients to heal are helping with their recovery needs

such as toiletry items and clothing items.

Procedures
How to Contact/Assemble Volunteers

The Disaster Action Team (DAT) designated staff/volunteers who are on call will activate their

DAT by calling the volunteers on their contact list.

 Respond to disaster calls appropriately when on call

 Assist with medical and emotional needs (must meet specific criteria to be eligible)

 Perform disaster assessments

 Assist in opening and closing a shelter

 Complete client casework and follow-up

 Communicate effectively with media and other community partners

 Provide Red Cross services to individuals without regard to race, color, sex, religion,

national origin, age or handicap

Source: http://www.redcross.org/news/press-release/Red-Cross-Is-Recruiting-For-The-Disaster-

Action-Team-Training

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 Response
Who Responds to Crisis?

The DAT volunteer/staff member will call people on their availability list to participate in the

emergency.

Setting Up Shelter for Clients

The shelters may be in a school gymnasium, a sports arena to a small shelter in the mountains.

In Colorado, many clients have motor homes and will choose to stay in them during an

emergency. They may park their motor home next to the ARC’s designated shelter and eat

meals provided by ARC.

JIS/JIC/PIO
Basic Guide for PIO’s by Fema is a great source of information. The following information is

from Fema’s booklet: https://www.fema.gov/media-library-data/20130726-1623-20490-

0276/basic_guidance_for_pios_final_draft_12_06_07.pdf

Joint Information System (JIS)

The JIS integrates incident information and public affairs into a cohesive organization designed to provide

consistent, coordinated, accurate, accessible, timely, and complete information during crisis or incident

operations. The mission of the JIS is to provide a structure and system for developing and delivering

coordinated interagency messages; developing, recommending, and executing public information plans

and strategies on behalf of the Incident Command (IC); advising the IC concerning public affairs issues

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that could affect a response effort; and controlling rumors and inaccurate information that could

undermine public confidence in the incident response effort [Fema].

Joint Information Center (JIC)

The JIC is a central location that facilitates operation of the JIS. It is a location where personnel with

public information responsibilities perform critical emergency information functions and crisis

communications. If possible, it is advised to have location(s) identified that could be used as a JIC before

an incident occurs; ideally, in close proximity to the Emergency Operations Center (EOC). It is important

that these locations meet the working needs of the Public Information Officer (PIO) function and allow

easy access for the media. Once a JIC has been identified, it is recommended to have appropriate

equipment and other resources available and operational. The PIO should develop standard operating

procedures on the actual use of the JIC and the equipment and staff that may be needed [Fema].

Identification of JIC Space/Resource Needs

ARC’s JIC space and resources will depend on the location of the crisis. In rural areas, the JIC

may be the back of a pickup truck or an ARC van. Schools are also a good place to consider if

they are not in the line of the crisis. Inside the city limits, JIC’s have already been created as a

collaboration with police, fire and the city communications department. The resources in a rural

area may be non-existent. ARC should bring in water and food for the client and create a shelter

for those who are displaced. In Colorado, we have found the people who live in rural areas tend

to have campers and Recreational Vehicles (RV) and are self-sufficient.

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Identification of Any Necessary Contracts

ARC has partnerships with law enforcement and the medical community that would have

contracts in place. ARC also has a relationship with other nonprofits such as Care and Share and

the Salvation Army to collaborate with in a crisis.

ARC doesn’t know when and where a disaster will strike. It seems to be a given the ARC is

expected to be there for people who are in a disaster and other agencies will collaborate and form

a partnership when needed.

(Image curtesy of Fema, https://emilms.fema.gov/IS702A/PIO0103summary.htm )

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Public Information Officer (PIO)

The PIO gathers, verifies, coordinates, and disseminates accurate, accessible, and timely information on

the incident’s cause, size, and current situation; resources committed; and other matters of general interest

for both internal and external use. All information in the field must be cleared by the IC prior to release

[Fema].

Identification of a Spokesperson

During a crisis or disaster, the ideal spokesperson would have the most experience with crisis’

and the media but this may not always be the case. The ARC will have their own PIO aka

Communications Specialist who will be the face of the Red Cross for this crisis. For agencies,

outside of the ARC, it is best to have the fireman or police man’s PIO to speak about the

situation. Since many our volunteers work outside of their ARC volunteer work, the person who

will speak on behalf of the ARC will be the person on duty in most cases.

ARC’s PIO’s attend several trainings to prepare them for working with the media. We should

always remember the media are not trying to be annoying, they also have a job to do such as

getting information to the public. It is best to stay on good terms with the media since they are

our connection along with social media to our clients who are affected by the crisis or disaster.

Check List

https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/PIO_PCL.pdf

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News Releases

http://www.eplanonline.com/webver/PublicInformationOfficer.htm#Media Releases

Social Media
The objectives for using Social Media for crisis communications is to reach the people who

follow ARC. Social Media is a great tool, though limited, since it only reaches the “followers”

of the Twitter, Instagram and Facebook pages. Many followers are media outlets, so they can

share and retweet the ARC posting with their followers. Through the sharing and retweeting, the

information reaches more people.

Levels of Social Media Use

The use of Social Media levels is high and the regional communications director of the ARC is

responsible for monitoring the social media pages. They should be checking the various social

media pages every day. In the time of a crisis, they should be checking the pages a few times a

day every day.

Social Media Platforms

Twitter, Facebook and Instagram

Social Media Platforms and Planned Use of Those Platforms

Platforms include hashtags that should be established by the person in charge of the crisis. The

ARC would need to work closely with the organization that is the main media contact. ARC

American Red Cross Colorado & Wyoming Region | Final Crisis Communications Plan | 17
would never want to intestinally overstep their boundaries since the ARC is a partner

organization in a crisis.

ARC’s Crisis Messaging Strategies are taught to their volunteers through workshops and videos.

The ARC has created a video (link below): “ARC: How to use social media to stop a PR crisis.”

The ARC embraces a social engagement philosophy that emphasizes three things (prdaily.com):

 Empower social communities to execute the organization's mission to prepare for,

prevent, and respond to emergencies by providing valuable user-focused news and tools;

 Grow a network of passionate supporters by listening, engaging, and acting on public

conversations to improve services, enhance reputation, and build trust;

 Strive to make social engagement part of the operational DNA of the Red Cross. All

employees and volunteers must know how to advocate for the organization.

You Tube Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5H1yKH6HUpI

Who is Responsible for Communications?

Each chapter has a Communications team that includes a Communications Specialist (paid staff)

and several Public Relations volunteers and interns. They are several trainings that are available

to the Communications team to learn how to work with the media.

Social Media Drawback

The information on Social Media can be incorrect. Wrong information can be retweeted and

shared just as fast as the correct information and if the social media monitor is not aware they

may have a hard time getting the correct information to the public in a timely manner.

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 Media Relations Assets
It is suggested to use local media to relay the information since they are a friendly face to the

audience that watches them. In a national disaster always remember your local media comes

first. They are a part of the community because they live here. National media will leave as

soon as the new disaster happens, so please respect our local media.

Below is a contact sheet of southern Colorado media:

Channel News Team website link Phone Fax Email

KOAA aka http://www.koaa.com/cate (719) 630-
NBC gory/291182/news-5-team 3930
Channel 5
KKTV aka http://www.kktv.com/stati (719) 578- (719) 634-3741 news@kktv.com
CBS on/meettheteam 0000
Channel 11
KRDO aka http://www.krdo.com/ 719-575-6285 krdonews@krdo.com
ABC
Channel 13
+ Telemundo
+ Radio
FOX21News http://fox21news.com/ne (719) 955- (719) 591-4180
Channel 21 ws-team/ 3021
Gazette http://gazette.com/contact 719-632-5511 citydesk@gazette.com
Newspaper /newsroom
AM Radio http://www.kvor.com/stati Programming - Bobby Irwin
KVOR on-information/ Bobby.Irwin@cumulus.com

Finding Ways to Honor the Heroes of a Crisis

Each chapter honors their “Home Town Heros” in an annual dinner to celebrate their

accomplishments for the year and to shine light on their good deeds.

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Additional Resources

ARC Code of Ethics and Contact

file:///C:/Users/crmas/AppData/Local/Temp/m4240155_Red_Cross_Code_of_Business_Ethics_

and_Contact.pdf

Red Cross Offers Key Lessons in Crisis Communications

https://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/Red_Cross_offers_key_lessons_in_crisis_communicati_

15887.aspx

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