Emergency planning for

communication professionals

Eirik Lian

Senior adviser and team leader, marketing

Communication Division

Norwegian University of Science and Technology

NTNU key figures (2012)

49 departments in 7 faculties

NTNU University Library

NTNU University Museum

22 000 students

5000 employees

EUR 714 mill. budget

585 000 m2 of owned

and rented premises

INTRO

7

What can happen?

NTNU has prepared for 9 different scenarios:

1. Injury / death of a student, employee or visitor

2. Fire, explosion and evacuation

3. Threats, violence, terrorism or hostage-taking

4. Criminal action performed by student / employee

5. Spread of infection and/or outbreak of infectious disease / pandemic

6. Loss of critical infrastructure and resources

7. Events with special requirements for information management

8. Events with negative consequences for the environment

9. Radiation-related accidents, incidents and abnormal events

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9

Communication Divison roles

• 5.1 Communication director (central emergency team)

• 5.2 “Shadow” for the communication director

• 5.3 Coordinator

• 5.4 Log

• 5.5 Social media

• 5.6 Text production, research, media surveillance

• 5.7 First line services

• 5.8 Contact with media

• 5.9 Representative on the scene of the accident/incident

• 5.10 Pictures/video/graphics

• 5.11 Communication adviser for the unit in need

• 5.12 Technical and administrative support

• 5.13 Press conference

• 5.14 Information coordinator at next-of-kin/evacuation centre

• 5.15 Assistant external resource from faculty or division

In addition we operate with “shadows” for some roles.

Action cardsOne for each roleOverview of your

role and responisibillities

13

What happens in the Communication Division

during an emergency?

• We mobilize the division in our operations room

• Our main tasks:– Monitor media and social media

– Communicate with the central emergency team

• Make sure they have a good and updated situation description

– Communicate internally and externally

Everybody has a designated role and knows what to do.

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15

Goals for information and communication preparedness

in critical situations

• Communicate that the university has clear, confident and responsible crisis management in place.

• Clarify “ownership” of the crisis.

• Set standards for the media and other people's perception of the situation.

• Help the public, students and staff with the information they need and are entitled to.

• Provide as accurate a picture of the situation as possible.

• Ensure good information exchange within the organization

• Provide good, updated and verified information to our central emergency team.

• Show that we have control of the situation.

• Point to solutions.

• Communicate "business-as-usual" if the situation allows it

• Aim to interact directly with key groups/stakeholders if possible.

16

Important lessons learned

• Fast reaction

• Importance of coming up to speed quickly internally and externally to show that NTNU is:

– 1) aware of the situation;

– 2) doing everything we can to solve it, and;

– 3) provide information about where to find information. We have a standard message and our own “emergency box” on our Intranet and external web (ntnu.no/nb)

• Clear structure of command. Distinct roles. Fast flow of information.

• We have our own radios (walkie talkies) for communication if we should need them.

How does the media think when a

crisis occurs?

18

Rocknes accident in 2004

TV2 set new standards as to what was permitted in covering a crisis.

Reporters conducted a live interview with people in the “death trap”.

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The media war

• For the media, it's about winning a media war

when a crisis occurs

• The media have their own contingency plans that

will come into effect immediately when they are

notified of major accidents, terrorist acts or other

serious events.

• They want photos and live video as soon as

possible.

• They use social media to contact people in or

around the event.

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Things happen fast on social media…