csulb: emer548 – redscope initial group project landon phillips, dawn essenmacher, chris kurtz,...

CSULB: EMER548 – REDSCOPe Initial Group ProjectCSULB: EMER548 – REDSCOPe Initial Group ProjectLandon Phillips, Dawn Essenmacher, Chris Kurtz, Andy Tran, Tim NordquistLandon Phillips, Dawn Essenmacher, Chris Kurtz, Andy Tran, Tim Nordquist

Emergency Communication PlanEmergency Communication PlanLong Beach TowersLong Beach Towers


To keep our tenants safe. . .To keep our tenants safe. . .. . .to keep our tenants informed. . .to keep our tenants informed

LocationLocation

Downtown Long Beach ¼ Mile from the HarborDowntown Long Beach ¼ Mile from the HarborBuilding is at sea levelBuilding is at sea level

Statistical InformationStatistical Information• Year Built: 1970Year Built: 1970

• Cement with class window wallsCement with class window walls• Decks for each unitDecks for each unit

• 28 Stories28 Stories 5 levels of underground parking5 levels of underground parking

• 400 Units400 Units• 4 fire exits4 fire exits• 4 elevators4 elevators• Large swimming pool, recreation area and meeting Large swimming pool, recreation area and meeting

roomroom• 1500 Residents1500 Residents• Full-Time Employees: 12 (M-F)Full-Time Employees: 12 (M-F)

Potential HazardsPotential HazardsNaturalNatural

• EarthquakeEarthquake• TsunamiTsunami• HurricaneHurricane• TornadoTornado• ThunderstormsThunderstorms• FloodingFlooding• Extreme HeatExtreme Heat

Potential HazardsPotential HazardsCriminal/TerroristCriminal/Terrorist

• Building fire - ArsonBuilding fire - Arson• Nuclear, Biological, Chemical AttackNuclear, Biological, Chemical Attack• Vehicle/Truck bombVehicle/Truck bomb• Active ShooterActive Shooter• Multiple-Active Shooter Multiple-Active Shooter • Place/Helicopter CrashPlace/Helicopter Crash• Power OutagePower Outage

Potential HazardsPotential HazardsAccidentalAccidental

• Hazardous Material AccidentHazardous Material Accident• Plane/Helicopter CrashPlane/Helicopter Crash• Building FireBuilding Fire• Power OutagePower Outage


Plan Contents:Plan Contents:

Endorsements/Agreements:

•Signed endorsement from the President of the Homeowner’s Association•Written agreements for information release authorizations

Long Beach TowersEmergency Operations/Communications Center

•LOCATION: Building Meeting Room•ALTERNATE LOCATION: Security Office•STAFFING: Emergency Response Team•COMMUNICATIONS: Phone/Internet/TV lines pre-installed•FUNDING: HOA Emergency Fund•EQUIPMENT: Computers/Printers from HOA Office•SUPPLIES: Paper, pens, etc. from HOA Office•FOOD/WATER: Pre-Stored Emergency Supply in HOA Office

Long Beach TowersEmergency Response Team Line Responsibilities

HOA President: Communications Director (Designated Spokesperson)

HOA Vice President: Director of Emergency Operations (Incident Commander)

HOA Secretary:Liaison Officer (Coordinates with response entities)

Building Security Director:Assistant Director of Emergency OperationsSecurity Officer (Responsible for Security Operations)

Emergency Response TeamContact List:

•President of the Homeowner’s Association•562-xxx-xxxx

•Vice-President of the Homeowner’s Association•562-xxx-xxxx

•Secretary of the Homeowner’s Association•562-xxx-xxxx

•Security Director•562-xxx-xxxx

•Maintenance Director•562-xxx-xxxx

•Staff Contact List•562-xxx-xxxx

Emergency Response Partners Contact List:

•Mayor’s Office•562-xxx-xxxx

•Long Beach Fire Department/EMS•562-xxx-xxxx

•Long Beach Police Department•562-xxx-xxxx

•Port Police•562-xxx-xxxx

•Coast Guard•562-xxx-xxxx

•Public Works Department•562-xxx-xxxx

•Red Cross•562-xxx-xxxx

•Other Non-Governmental Entities•562-xxx-xxxx

Vehicles of Communication

•Media Press Releases•Television•Radio•Newspapers

•Long Beach Towers’ Closed Circuit Television System•Viewable by all tenants

•Email system•All tenants have building supplied internet and must provide their email address for the purpose of emergency communication

•Tenant Newsletters/Brochures/Flyers/Posters

Regional and Local MediaContact List:

•Television stations•562-xxx-xxxx

•Radio stations•562-xxx-xxxx

•Newspapers•562-xxx-xxxx

Internal Information Verificationand Clearance/Approval Procedures

Prior to release, all information shall be verified and approved for release by all three of the following persons:

1.Director of Emergency Operations (HOA President)2.Assistant Director of Emergency Ops (HOA Vice-Pres)3.Liaison Officer (HOA Secretary)

*NOTE: All three shall meet jointly prior to press releases to review, edit, verify, and approve all information.


Pre-Crisis PhasePre-Crisis Phase

Education and Training

• Residents– Inform of possible hazards and why preparedness

is important– Educate on how as a community we can prepare

and explanations of each way– Explain leaders’ positions and their responsibilities

during a disaster

Education and Training• Residents (cont…)– Regularly inform of updates pertaining to disaster

preparedness and safety at Long Beach Towers, such as new codes, procedures, and precautions

– Regularly inform of local trainings, such as Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) or American Red Cross trainings

– Provide any information in multiple languages when possible


• Residents (cont…)– May be able to use experts occasionally to give

presentations to residents on certain subject areas and hazards

– Educate residents about specific considerations and procedures for special populations in Long Beach Towers, such as the elderly or disabled.


• Home Owners Association, Leaders, and Employees– Educate on leadership roles and responsibilities– Provide training for these expected leadership roles, such

as training for the President and Vice-President of the Home Owners Association on being spokespersons

– Attempt to provide training or presentations from local responding agencies in Long Beach

– Educate about specific considerations and procedures for special populations in Long Beach Towers, such as the elderly or disabled.

Involvement

• The Long Beach Towers community– Include the residents, employees, and Home Owners

Association in the planning process to make sure their concerns and ideas are considered

– Constantly have open lines of communication with the community and determine the best ways to communicate, such as the closed circuit television channel

– Test predetermined messages and anticipated questions on an audience of residents and take feedback

Involvement

• The Long Beach Towers community (cont…)– Have regular drills and exercises that include the

community and get their feedback after each one to make any needed adjustments

– Promote the “neighbor helping neighbor” concept within the community, especially for at risk populations

Involvement

• Outside community and agencies– Form partnerships and lines of communication

with outside agencies and groups, such as local response agencies, CERT, and the American Red Cross.

– Create a continually updated master contact list of these agencies and groups for the Long Beach Towers leaders, employees, and Home Owners Association

Involvement

• Outside community and agencies (cont…)– Involve these outside agencies and groups in the

regular drills and exercises– Attempt to set up pre-crisis agreements with the

outside community for psychological, financial, and other support programs for the residents of Long Beach Towers


Initial PhaseInitial Phase

Initial PhaseGoals and Objectives

• Acknowledge the crisis• Appoint a spokesperson and quickly establish

credibility• Explain and inform the residents of the risks• Provide the residents with an emergency

course of action and where to get additional information

• Give the residents our commitment to continued communication

Spokesperson• Designated spokesperson: President of the Home Owners

Association– Backup spokesperson: Vice President of the HOA

• Primary duties for the spokesperson:– Immediately coordinate with security, maintenance, and

grounds personnel to get a basic assessment of the situation– Contact and coordinate with local emergency responders such

as Long Beach Fire Department, Long Beach Police Department, State and Federal emergency response personnel

– Contact media partners using the established contacts list to arrange for a media release

– Establish contact with experts such as a medical advisor if dealing with a disease outbreak

Spokesperson dutiescontinued

• As soon as practical issue a press release and broadcast an informative speech which addresses the needs of the residents

• The speech will also be broadcast through the Long Beach Towers closed circuit channel which is viewable by all residents

• The closed circuit channel will loop the message until new information and/or updates are received

SpeechItems to cover

• Empathetically acknowledge the crisis and related tragedies

• Explain the risks and how residents can protect themselves – utilize experts where necessary to establish credibility

• Briefly explain the emergency response plan that is in place and being utilized

• Advise residents of a list of action items such as evacuation, shelter in place, or seeking medical care

SpeechContinued

• Inform residents where they can receive more information such as a telephone hotline or website

• Advise residents that they will be updated through the closed circuit channel as new information becomes available

Other considerations

• Don’t over-reassure the residents• Acknowledge any uncertainties• Don’t ally panic• Be open and empathetic with the residents

Local Emergency Services

During the initial phase any combination of the following agencies will be coordinated with

• Long Beach Fire Department• Long Beach Police Department• LA Port Police• LA Port Fireboats• LAPD Harbor Division• Coast Guard• American Red Cross• Long Beach Public Works Department

Emergency Communication PlanEmergency Communication PlanLong Beach TowersLong Beach TowersMaintenance PhaseMaintenance Phase

Maintenance PhaseCommunication Plan

•The spokesperson selected for the initial phase shall continue to be the spokesperson for the early stages of the maintenance phase

•Gradually phase in an alternate spokesperson to relieve the primary spokesperson

•Continue daily press briefings as long as demanded by media interest

•As demand decreases, adjust frequency of press briefings•Continue daily press briefings on the building’s Closed Circuit Television Channel viewable by all tenants


•In addition to press briefings, recorded messages with further detailed and updated information shall be replayed on the building’s Closed Circuit Television System viewable by all tenants

•Provide updated risk assessments•Provide additional recommendations for tasks to reduce risks•Provide support and rationale for maintenance phase activities•Provide coping information to deal with the psychological stresses caused by the crisis•Provide support to reduce fear and anxiety


•The Emergency Management Team shall conduct daily staff meetings with all building employees

•All building employees shall be provided with the most up to date and accurate information at the beginning of their work shift so they can accurately respond to questions from tenants throughout the day.

•The Emergency Management Team shall conduct daily meetings with the floor captains

•Two-Way communication•Listen for feedback and assess needs accordingly

Maintenance PhaseGoals and Objectives of the Communication Plan

•Provide information to the tenants that will assist them to accurately understand the risks they are facing.

•Provide background and encompassing information:•How did this happen?•How has this same crisis been handled by others?•How can it be prevented in the future?•Will we be all right eventually and will we recover?

Reynolds, B. (2002). Crisis and emergency risk communication. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, p. 9.

Maintenance PhaseGoals and Objectives of the Communication Plan

•Provide information that will help the tenants understand and support the response and recovery plans.

•Listen to feedback from the tenants and correct any misinformation.

•Explain the recommendations for courses of action.

•Provide information that will enable the tenants to make decisions on courses of action based on the risk vs. benefits.


Maintenance PhaseWhat the Communication Plan Must Anticipate

•Sustained interest by the media and the tenants•Unexpected developments•Rumors and misinformation•Scrutiny and criticism

•Including analysis by experts who may contradict your messages and response plan

•Ongoing assessment of the event and allocation of resources


Maintenance PhasePsychological Reactions to Consider in Communicating

Early Stages of the Maintenance Phase:•Many will feel a sense of relief, despite the destruction and losses around them, simply because they survived.

As the Maintenance Phase is Prolonged:•Once basic survival needs are met, emotional needs begin to re-emerge.•The longer it takes to return to normal, the more psychological stress the tenants will experience.

Reynolds, B. (2002). Crisis and emergency risk communication. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, pp. 27-29.

Maintenance PhasePsychological Reactions to Consider in Communicating

Advanced Stages of the Maintenance Phase:•The tenants may experience:


Maintenance PhaseRisk Communication Principles to Incorporate

•Acknowledge that it’s normal to be fearful•Express wishes such as, “I wish we knew more.”•Recommend courses of action and things to do•Acknowledge the shared misery•Let tenants know what to expect even if it’s bad news•Be willing to address “what if” questions with aid of experts•Be a role model of appropriate response

•Not a false sense of security but a willingness to endure


Emergency Communication PlanEmergency Communication PlanLong Beach TowersLong Beach TowersResolution PhaseResolution Phase

Long Beach Towers

• Where we are now and what we know– An evaluation of where in the crisis we have

transitioned to– A briefing of the situation with the Home Owners’

Association – An increased understanding of the crisis as the

complete recovery plans are implemented– Reinforcement of any public health messages to

be conducted during this phase while the incident is still fresh

Floor Captains’ Post Incident Meeting

• It will be beneficial to sit down with floor captains and analyze their experience– What went well for them– What went wrong or needs to be improved upon– Is there anything that can be prepared for or stocked-up

prior to the next incident– It is important to conduct these meetings with the Home

Owners’ Association present so everyone feels involved and is supportive of the plan

City, State, Federal Response• City

– Police, Fire, EMS, Port Authority, and Public Works

• State– Relief efforts, financial support, and mental health recovery efforts

• The Red Cross encourages their workers to debrief the critical incident with a mental health counselor (Reynolds, 2002).

• Federal– Response will be dictated by the type of disaster experienced.

Declaration of Disaster Areas will also dictate Federal response and assistance

– In the case of a terrorist attack the Federal Government will take over the command and control of the incident

What went right and what can be done better

• Response to incident was judged on its organizational efforts

• Implementation of pre-planned response efforts were immediately conducted

• Obstacles encountered were x,y, and z• Obstacles were overcome and mitigated by 1,2,and 3• Improvements for future incident responses will be

adjusted and implemented

Where we go from here and future ideas

• Monthly or quarterly drills• Introduction to new tenants by Home Owners’

Association and Floor Captains• Identification of needed resources– Health equipment sustainment for elderly or

special needs patients• i.e. oxygen, respirators, and wheelchairs

Post Incident Media

• Analysis of incident – Information flow to media from: • Press assistants and Media Information Officers• Prior to press conference have a frequently asked

questions document released with the most predicted questions answered • Designate a spokesperson, usually the Home Owners’

Association President– Correction of inaccuracies in prior reports– Location of Conference held at the Emergency

Operations Center (EOC)

Questions

• Open forum for questions concerning the incident will be handled at this time.

*Reynolds (2007)

Goals

• Improve appropriate public response in future similar incidents through education

• Honestly examine what happened (good and bad) and then reinforce what worked through the recovery efforts

• Persuade the public to support public policy and resource allocation to the problem

• Promote the activities and capabilities of the organization, externally and internally.

Emergency Communication PlanEmergency Communication PlanLong Beach TowersLong Beach TowersEvaluation PhaseEvaluation Phase

Evaluation PhaseGoals and Objectives

• When a crisis is over the following should be reviewed with the President of the Homeowners association and all leaders involved:

• Evaluate communication plan performance • Document, formalize, and communicate lessons

learned• Determine specific actions to improve crisis

systems or the crisis plan.• Determine specific actions to improve crisis

communication and crisis response capability

Evaluation Phase (continued)

• Evaluate the effectiveness of risk messages and communication channels.

• Emphasize action to monitor, manage, and reduce risk.

• Plan carefully and evaluate efforts.


• Add an evaluation component into risk communication strategy.

• Test the clarity and understanding of the message with a representative segment of the target audience.

• Integrate risk communication with risk assessment and risk management activities in order to increase the effectiveness of risk analysis and ensure proper utilization of resources.


• Educate and train risk assessors and risk managers in the principles and uses of risk communication.

• Be aware that effective risk communication can break through traditional boundaries within government sectors, between governmental and non-governmental organizations and between the public and private sectors.

Post Crisis Review

• 1. Secure loose ends such as verifying information

• 2. Recognition of key personnel involved in responding

• 3. Crisis communication review• 4. Media coverage assessment to make sure that

the media has accurate and factual information• 5. File and update information as appropriate to

be ready for the next possible incident

Recovery Planning Tools

• After the incident, recovery planning tools should be reviewed.

• Example of recovery planning tools use post incident is the devastating 1993 Midwest Floods that occurred again in 1995, this had a minimal impact, because of buyouts and relocation programs that were undertaken after the 1993 flood.

Recovery Planning Tools(continued)

• Available recovery planning tools that should be considered post incident: – Land use planning techniques include acquisition, easements,

annexation, storm water management, environmental reviews.– Zoning recovery planning tools include special use permits, historic

preservation, setbacks, density controls, wetlands protection, floodplain and coastal zone management.

– Building codes in recovery planning include design controls, design review, height and type, special study areas( soil stability ratings).

– Financial recovery planning involves: special districts, tax exemptions, special bonds, development rights, property transfer or use change fees.

– Information and Oversight recovery planning includes: public awareness and education, regional approaches and agreements, GIS systems, town hall meetings and public hearings.

Consider the Psychology of a CrisisPost incident

• Positive responses following a disaster should be acknowledged to those involved in the incident and may include:– Resilience and coping– Altruism– Relief and elation at surviving the disaster– Sense of excitement– Greater self-worth– Changes in the way the future is viewed, and feelings

of strength and growth from the experience.

Psychology of a CrisisPost incident (continued)

• Negative responses following a crisis may be addressed by mental health professionals and could include: – The development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)– PTSD is a mental disorder resulting from exposure to an

extreme traumatic stressor. – PTSD features include the following:– Exposure to a traumatic stressor– Re-experiencing symptoms– Avoidance and numbing symptoms– Symptoms of increased arousal– Duration of at least one month


• Additional negative responses that may need to be addressed by mental health professionals and could occur after an incident include:– Bereavement may occur and is understood to be a normal,

natural experience, although it is traumatic and emotionally disruptive.

– Grief may occur which will should involve mourning in order to honor the victims involved.

– Anticipatory grief may occur, which is an experience that occurs before the expected death of a loved one and is a projection of emotional pain and the life change that the loss will bring. Growth should be the outcome of the grief process. The individual and the context of the death will affect the grief process.


• The tasks of grief work include:– Acceptance of the reality of the loss– Experiencing the pain of grief– Adjusting to an environment without the

deceased– Withdrawing emotional energy for the

relationship with the deceased and investing it in new or existing relationships.

Seven cardinal rules for the practice of Risk Communication

• Following the seven cardinal rules of risk communication after a crisis situation should help build a stronger relationship with the community.

1) Accept and involve the public as a legitimate partner.2) Plan carefully and evaluate your efforts.3) Listen to the public's specific concerns.4) Be honest, frank, and open.5) Coordinate and collaborate with other credible sources.6) Meet the needs of the media.7) Speak clearly and with compassion


To keep our tenants safe. . .To keep our tenants safe. . .. . .to keep our tenants informed. . .to keep our tenants informed

References Reynolds, B., Galdo, J. H., & Sokler, L. (2002). Crisis and emergency risk communication. Atlanta:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Reynolds, B., Crawford, S., Deitch, S., DeFrancis, S., Garland, D., Hall, W., et al. (2007). Crisis and emergency risk communication: Pandemic influenza. Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

csulb: emer548 – redscope initial group project landon phillips, dawn essenmacher, chris kurtz,...

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