#IRMAGERD a Hurricane Ate My Blog

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In my first blog post, I shared a few blog goals. Immediately, life – specifically Hurricane Irma – got in the way of these goals.

As a public information officer in the technological age, communication to key stakeholders and the public was done with more than a press release. Rather than sharing the blog I had for last week, I thought I’d share a few tips for crisis management and technology.

• Get ahead: Life is full of mini-crises and events. You might not be able to predict them all, but you can pre-plan communications.
• Go old school: Make your resources available online and offline, just in case you can’t access your network.
• Pre-write your messages: When a call comes in at 2 a.m., you’re not in a frame of mind to write crisis messages.
• Use a formula: Use a basic outline that includes what/where the crisis is, who is affected, and any action that must be taken by the reader. Consider the audience(s) and prepare multiple messages based on who will read it and where it will go.
• Set expectations: Determine when you will update and communicate with stakeholders. If it’s once in the morning and once in the afternoon, stick to that schedule.
• Say thanks: When the crisis is over, be sure to thank any parties who helped resolve it.

Though not a comprehensive list, these tips are a great starting point. Additionally, the Federal Emergency Management Agency offers free resources for public information officers and communicators. Check out the Independent Study online classes and register with your local EMA/FEMA to be notified when in-person training is available.

Cheers!

Jessica