Being on the Frontlines – Why Me?

Stan TurbevilleDirector of

Marketing & Public Information

Guilford Technical Community College

Introduction and the Job

I never thought in a million years I would be doing this type of work.

I came from a corporate background…we had other people to do corporate communications!

Just want to do marketing!Not the GQ news anchor

type – Not Ron Burgundy.Less than 5% of my job but

becomes 100% of my job when an event occurs.

Three Worst Words in Community College

Administration

InterimVolunteerCommittee

The Typical Community College Campus

Generally open with no gates; no check-in

Commuter-only campusesNot just students, but family and friends

who are not associated with the collegeFew public safety staffNo metal detectorsMost faculty, staff and students do not

carry identification visibly

We are a real security risk!

What is Crisis Communications?

What is Crisis Communications?http

://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vP9bMvQKwRs

Should You Be Scared – You Bet!

Lone Star Community College Shooting

Lone Star Community College Stabbing

Go to google.com and enter “shootings on community college campuses.” You will be surprised at the number of entries.

Real Incidents at GTCC• Gang violence• Bomb threat with complete evacuation of all four campuses• Alleged rapes• Possible shooter on campus• Bomb threat on bathroom wall• Gas leak• Students hit crossing the street• Student killed by mother• Multiple power outages

Table-top Exercise (Carried out by an Emergency Management Consultant Company)The scenario: Overturned 18-wheeler carrying hazardous materials; students and instructors killed with a gas cloud moving towards the Greensboro campus.

Has your college ever held a table-top exercise?

Where Can You Find Training?http://

www.training.fema.gov/IS/NIMS.aspx

All of these training sessions are free and offered by the Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA).

These courses help you to learn their language.

Become Educated Through National Incident Management System Courses (NIMS)

ICS 100: Introduction to the Incident Command Center (online)

ICS 200: ICS for Single Resource and Initial Action Incidents (online)

ICS – 300: Intermediate ICS for Expanding Incidents

ICS – 400: Advanced ICS – Command and General Staff: Complex Incidents

G290 – Basic Public Information Officer Training

E388 – Advanced Public Information Officer

The Go-BoxDevelop a file box with all of the

information you would need in an emergency◦Campus Map◦College Phone List◦Crisis Communications Manual◦Media Contact List◦Building Floor Plans

How to ManageFirst, have a back-up for Crisis Communications,

even on individual campuses as needed.Make sure you have relationships with your

county Emergency Management Team and systems and other first-responders.

Do you have walkie-talkies or cell phones to communicate with college personnel?

Be prepared with the go-box.Does your college have a crisis communications

team?Do you have building captains?Learn to manage yourself and to manage others.Stay calm (while you’re a nervous wreck within).

Information Dissemination

The most important things one must do in any “crisis” situation are:

Disseminate accurate information as quickly as possible.

Respond to incorrect information that may be circulating.

Activate appropriate mechanisms to keep the public, media and stakeholders informed on an ongoing basis.

It’s vital that initial information be kept simple, so the message for both the public and media is as clear as possible. Once the initial crisis phase has passed, providing more detailed background information for the media is also often important.

Ten Tips for Handling a Crisis Situation

Here are ten tips for effectively handling a crisis situation:

Don’t wait until crisis hits to put a crisis management plan together. Respond in a timely manner – The more you wait, the more damage can be

done. Be quick, but be factual. Select a primary spokesperson to represent the organization throughout the

crisis process. All communications (press releases/statements) should go through one

channel – you don’t want the media going to other sources for information. Assign a designated back-up spokesperson to step in should the primary

spokesperson be unavailable. Never say “No comment” (it implies guilt) or speak “off the record” (there is

no such thing). Discuss whether the crisis calls for a video response by the primary

spokesperson to give it a more human touch. Express empathy and concern when victims are involved – you don’t want to

deflect blame and come off as insensitive and uncaring. Don’t bury bad news – It will get out eventually. Make sure you debrief with the administration after the event is

over!

The News Conference• Dedicate a specific place for

the news agencies to gather, park their vehicles, set-up, etc.

• Address all of them at the same time.

• Give regular updates.• Tell them you don’t know but

you will get back to them.• Be honest and frank.• Have someone attend to

their needs (coffee, internet connection, etc.).

• Disseminate written press packets, if needed.

• Prepare for the backlash (acted too slowly, acted too soon, students get out of their cars to walk away, etc.).

Comments & Questions

If you just need to talk or you would like a copy of these

presentation, please feel free to contact me.

Stan Turbeville336-3348-4822, extension 50543

spturbeville@gtcc.edu