business communications during a crisis

© Copyright 2010 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. 1

BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS DURING A CRISIS

How private sector businesses communicate both internally and

externally

Presenter: Bob Litchfield, MBCP HP Continuity ServicesWednesday April 25, 2012


TOPICSInternal Crisis CommunicationsExternal Crisis CommunicationsSocial Media Use During a CrisisThe Origination of the AlertWhere the Big Gaps AreQuestions?


CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS


INTERNAL CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS– In managing any disaster event – clear, precise

and timely Communications is the single MOSTimportant factor

– Most private sector companies of any size havesome kind of Business Continuity Program

– Most BC programs consist of a strategy for emergency notification to all employees• Printed or online call tree lists that are manually executed – slow but not dependant on technology

• Automated notification systems – very fast but depends on technology being available and cost more

– Emergency notification strategies tested as part of normal BC/DR testing program


INTERNAL CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS

– MissionMode– RapidReach– xMatters– Send Word Now– RapidReach– VoiceShot– Varolii– NotiFind– One Call Now

– Everbridge– Amerilert– SchoolMessenger– E2campus– Athoc– Omnilert– HostedVoice– Callfire– Most Major Phone

Service Carriers

Some of the currently available Automated Notification Systems:


EXTERNAL CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS– Most BC programs consist of a strategy

for emergency notification to external entities• HR’s BC program should include contacting employee’s families

• Sales team’s BC program should include contacting clients

• Vendor Management’s (or whoever) BC plan should include contacting vendors & suppliers

• Facilities Management’s BC program should include contacting service providers

• Public Relations should have extensive Crisis Communications as part of their BC plan including pre-written or canned statements, and who is allowed to talk to the press

– Emergency notification strategies tested as part of normal BC/DR testing program


SOCIAL MEDIA USE DURING A CRISIS


SOCIAL MEDIA USE DURING A CRISIS Facebook


SOCIAL MEDIA USE DURING A CRISIS Facebook & Twitter– Currently there are over 500 Emergency

Management Agencies using Facebook– Facebook pages can be used as tools to get

a widespread message out to anyone who follows– Additionally Facebook allows for feedback and

communication with the public– Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recalled salmonella

tainted pistachio products – 3000 people found out through the agency’s Twitter feed

– Red River cresting at record flood levels in ND and MN – 2600 people were getting updates delivered on the FEMA Twitter feed


In private businesses, the original alert notification usually comes from one or more of the following sources:

– Employee on-site– Facilities Management staff– Network Operations Center (NOC) or Command Center– Senior Management– IT Technical Staff

In most cases it originates internally. But it could come from:

– Police or Fire Department– Utility Company

THE ORIGINATION OF THE ALERT


WHERE THE BIG GAPS ARE…So how do you find out about the disaster event

that is happening just around the block from your company?

– You cannot see it from your business– You cannot hear anything– You don’t know anything

What if it quickly turns into an event that could affect your…

– Business– Employees– Clients– Building– Even be life threatening


WHERE THE BIG GAPS ARE…Most companies have strategies and tools to

communicate internally and to their external dependencies. But the big gap is finding out from external sources what is going on in the community.

BC planners should reach out to external sources, but what is available?

– Weather Service Alerts via email?– Traffic Alerts via radio?– Emergency Email Alerts from local City or

County EMS– Social Media (Facebook, Twitter, etc…)?– Police Scanner?– Police or Fire Department at your front door?

Are companies setup to monitor these different sources?


BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS DURING A CRISIS

Questions?Questions?Questions?Questions?Questions?Questions?Questions?Questions?Questions?Questions?

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business communications during a crisis

Documents

crisis copyright

crisis facebook copyright

bc plan

business communications

followsadditionally

disaster event clear

record flood levels

drug administration