Crisis Communications:

Having a plan to deal

with the unimaginable!

1. Introductions

2. Review of session goals

3. What is a Crisis?

4. DH media story – Oct 2013

5. Principles of a Crisis Communications Strategy

6. Working with the media

7. Case Studies

8. Q & A

Agenda

Two basic forms:

Smoldering – an issue has been forming for awhile

and the organization is aware of it. This crisis can be

exacerbated by lack of action prior to the information

being made public.

Explosive – a crisis that catches everyone by surprise.

Three is not time to prepare for this crisis and it can

feel chaotic.

What is a Crisis?

“Crisis at DH”

Media coverage

GLOBAL TV

http://globalnews.ca/news/879344/delta-hospital-forces-90-year-old-woman-to-take-taxi-in-middle-of-the-

night/

CBC

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/90-year-old-s-delta-hospital-discharge-details-disputed-

1.1932035

Huffington Post

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/10/02/90-year-old-discharged-without-shoes_n_4033740.html

The Vancouver Sun

http://www.vancouversun.com/health/Blind+year+sent+home+from+Delta+Hospital+taxi+middle+night/8990230/story.html

http://www.vancouversun.com/health/Fraser+Health+defends+decision+send+senior+away+from+Delta+Hospital+middle+night/90

18778/story.html

News 1130

http://www.news1130.com/2013/10/02/senior-apparently-forced-out-of-delta-er-in-middle-of-night/

How Delta Hospital

Foundation responded

• Briefing notes prepared for staff and Board

• Letter to community sent to our contacts

• Letter to community was posted on social media and website

• Continued to promote the positive feedback and stories we

receive daily on our social media pages as always

• Prepared a positive news story that was pitched to local media

before our impending capital campaign launch

• Postponement of face-to-face and tele-fundraising

How the public

responded

• The Foundation received both positive

and negative emails and phone calls

Basic Principles of

a Crisis Strategy

1. The majority of work in successfully dealing with a crisis

occurs prior to a major event.

2. Honesty, Transparency, Integrity

3. Maintain control of messaging

• Who speaks, and when?

• What media channels should you use?

• Keep staff and key volunteers informed

When Crisis hits...

Plan, Plan and Plan some

more...

4. Before anyone speaks or reacts, hold a

strategy session

• Identify key stakeholders

• Prioritize issues

• Set tasks (and approval mechanism)

5. When the strategy session is over, the

team must have a united response

Working with media

• The media have a job to do

• Do not fight with them, but do maintain

control

• One point of contact for media outlets –

under no circumstances should anyone

but the approved board members or

staff engage with the media

• Remember: nothing is “off the record”

Preparing a media

statement

Two components to the media

statement:

1. Media Primer

2. Media release

1. Describe in less than three sentences the issue you are

being interviewed on.

2. Clarify the objective of the interview: what key message

are you delivering?

3. Who is the audience?

4. Identify 5 key points you would like to address in the

interview.

5. Isolate positive key words from speaking points above.

6. Create three 5-10 second statements for use during the

interview

Media Primer

Template

Preparing a media

release

Media release

• Key information

• Clear messaging

• Answer the five Ws: Who, What,

Where, When, Why

Media Release

• Will inform the public and give the media a

sense of the story

• Timing of the release can be important in a crisis

situation

• Recognize and respect media deadlines

• Keep simple and to one page if possible

Social Media

• Develop a SM presence as apart of the general

communications strategy. Do not attempt to use a new social

media channel in the wake of a crisis.

• Use SM to get your message across in it’s entirety (not edited

by a journalist)

• If a SM user is highly critical or inflammatory of the Foundation,

acknowledge this on-line, but deal with it off-line. DO NOT get

into a fight on social media with a user.

• Abuse, harassment and foul language should not be tolerated.

• No two scenarios are the same

• Commonalities in the approach

• Every situation will have learning moments

• Debriefs are integral to improving

Scenarios

Scenario A:

A train derailment has occurred in the city and a

massive explosion has engulfed close to five

acres of a local industrial park in flames. A local

State of Emergency has been declared by the

city and the hospital has activated it’s

Emergency Operations Centre. Mass casualties

are inevitable and all regional hospitals are

preparing to accept the injured.

Scenario B

Your organization is the most supported not-for-profit in the

city. Over the course of it’s existence it has raised millions of

dollars to enhance and support core health services for the

residents, businesses and travellers through the community.

An annual audit raised some red flags about donor funds. It

seems there are some anomalies in the financial statements

and upon first glance, approximately $150,000 has gone

missing. This allegation has yet to be proven by a forensic

audit, but this is a small community and there is a rumour

around town that the executive director is skimming donations

from the Foundation.

Scenario C:

Dr. John Smith has been working in surgical day care at your

hospital since 2008. He has a wonderful reputation in the

community as a caring and kind surgeon. He participates in

events with the Foundation because he believes in the hospital

and is a city resident himself. The College of Physicians has just

announced that Dr. Smith was under investigation for writing

illegal narcotic prescriptions for profit. The result of the

investigation found him guilty of writing fraudulent prescriptions.

The story broke yesterday afternoon, and now foundation donors

are calling the foundation office wondering what is happening with

their beloved Dr. Smith and if these allegations are true.

The health authority has taken the media lead on this issue,

however, local media is calling the Foundation asking for an

interview.

Scenario D:

Bob Jones has been on your Board for three years. He has

made generous annual donations to the Foundation, which

has helped establish his philanthropic reputation in the

community.

A recent police investigation has resulted in charges

approved against Bob in relation to money laundering and

organized crime activity. He was formally charged

yesterday with Embezzlement and Fraud Over $5,000, and

released on bail.

Bob’s donations to the Foundation are considered

Proceeds of Crime, and while the police do not have

forensic evidence to seize the funds, the reputation of the

Foundation is under attack.

Your hospital is an aging facility that is in need of

infrastructure improvements. Hospital administration

has known for at least five years about some issues,

however there has been little investment into those

areas. This morning, a sewage pipe burst in the long

term care facility on site, flooding part of the building. All

residents have been evacuated to temporary

accommodation. HAZMAT is on the scene and other

hospital departments are on evacuation standby.

There has been extensive news coverage throughout

the day and as a result people are calling the Foundation wondering what is happening

Scenario E

Recap:

1. The majority of work in successfully dealing

with a crisis occurs prior to a major event.

2. Honesty, Transparency, Integrity

3. Maintain control of messaging

Recap:

4. Before anyone speaks or reacts, hold a

strategy session

5. When the strategy session is over, the

team must have a united response

Thank You

Lisa Hoglund lisa.hoglund@dhfoundation.ca

Veronica Carroll veronica.carroll@dhfoundation.ca