Crisis Management: Training And Drills

Plan. Prepare. Practice.

The fact that training and drills needs to happen is not a debate, but for governments, costs in an uncertain economy are an issue. As well, for many companies and government agencies, exercises are scripted plays of cut and past scenarios that are practiced over and over again.

Check out this April 2, 2010 article in The Washington Post, "National disaster exercises, called too costly and scripted, may be scaled back."

As a child, I learned to tuck and cover in tornado drills, how to stand in a door frame during an earthquake, and even way back then, we had a family plan of how to escape our two-story house and a specific location for our family to meet if we had a house fire. We practiced, and yes, we experienced them all for real, even a major house fire.

The measures our family put in place to plan, prepare and practice were small in comparison to larger state or national drills and training, but they saved us when it counted most! Whether a single family or a large agency, it is crucial to have drills and training. Scenarios should be as real as possible because they can save lives. Scenarios also should be goal oriented, measurable and practiced in a way that promotes communication, coordination and collaboration.

Having been involved in local, state and federal drills, some were for fluff, to receive a pat on the back for a “job well done” and only because they were mandatory. In one drill, I observed face-to-face communication and decision makers not being able to agree on next steps. I have been involved in training scenarios where if the situation were real, citizens may have been severely affected because people could not make decisions or made bad decisions.

During one particular training drill, upper management was not pleased with unsolicited feedback from those of us responsible for the ESF#15 function (comprised of county-wide communication folks) as we stood together (four of us at the desk during the exercise) to explain the potential ramifications of their directions and decisions. Fortunately, it was only a drill. After that particular drill, management decided to involve ESF#15 more closely in strategic planning, execution of drill exercises and asked for help in reviewing the entire operation for ways to tighten up. None of us should be afraid to make mistakes, and from our mistakes, learn from them the first time. After all, moms and coaches always say, “Practice makes perfect.”

Speaking as a communications professional, whether in public relations or public affairs, looking at all angles of a situation is ingrained in our thought process. As well, we are used to accountability when planning through objectives, strategy, goals, tactics and measurement. I believe it is our responsibility to encourage and work with management or government leaders to explain the rationale for implementing the same processes employed every day doing business should be used for crisis training and management. Most business and government people understand SWOT: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats. Those four things can be used to measure performance in training exercises or drills. We can only find the error of our ways, discover weaknesses and adjust when necessary if training exercises and drills are executed with thought, built-in realism and include a mechanism to capture and measure performance. If we don’t insist upon it, then as communication professionals, we are the ones left to clean up the mess!

Stepping back to be sure processes and procedures are in place is sometimes necessary to ensure effective crisis planning, preparedness or practice is in place for a family as well as at the federal government level. No matter the actual hard cost or methods used to practice and train (live or simulated), successfully having implemented those three steps are priceless in a real disaster because people’s lives are at stake.

Does your company or organization have a current crisis plan in place? Do you know if your crisis plan is workable? Have you practiced your plan? Confused about crisis planning and management? Contact me to learn more.