Disaster Preparedness: Getting Personal

“Compared to other disasters, how does this one compare?”

I have been asked this interview question numerous times. My answer to reporters goes something like this: “Whether there is two inches of water your home or flooding covers a rooftop, disasters affect and impact individuals. The month before I graduated from college, my family's experienced a large house fire. I may work for FEMA, but believe me when I say that when disaster hits, it is personal, individual and comparison doesn't matter.”

No one was at home when our house fire started. A neighbor spotted smoke and called the fire department. My mom, on her way home for lunch, followed the fire trucks to our house already engulfed in flames. We were all in shock. In addition to the damage to the house, the fire ruined or burned many things. My great-great aunt’s antique crystal candlesticks melted. Mom’s wedding crystal and china burst into tiny pieces. Her beautiful handmade draperies burned. Paintings were ruined from water or smoke. My prom dresses were destroyed, my dolls turned brown from the heat, and smoke blackened the covers and pages of our books. My brother lost collectibles and the furniture in his room. Dad’s workshop burned to the ground as it was the first area struck by fire.

Fortunately, everyone, including our dog was safe. Our family had planned and practiced what to do in case of fire or tornadoes. My brother and I knew how to tie sheets together if we needed to climb out a second-story window. We knew which tree to stand under in order to account for everyone's safety. 

My parents had homeowners insurance. The insurance agent was onsite within hours and quickly hired a company to clean up the water and fire damage. The burned structural areas were reframed. Scorched living spaces were reconstructed. Insurance reimbursed my parents when they purchased new décor, furniture, clothes and replaced the molten appliances. Insurance funds covered a rental house during the months our home was being put back together.

In the midst of that situation, I would never have imagined how our house catching on fire might positively impact my future. I now know that fire was a pivital experience that helped prepare me for my work in emergency response and recovery.

I'm not very patient when driving on I-4 because I detest bumper-to-bumper traffic. Yet, as a disaster survivor shares their story, a heavenly amount of patience kicks in and my heart goes out to them. My ears are wide open to listen and between each deep breath, silent pauses and tears, I hear myself saying, "I've been there. I'm so sorry. I hear you. I understand. I'm here for you. People are here to help." I listen, encourage, share how they may recieve federal, state or local assistance, and occasionly we pray together.

Though I or the team aren't handing out money or fixing problems on the spot, once people learn help may soon be on its way negativity and tears become expressions of "Thank you," "You will be blessed you for what you do," and in the South, "God bless yall." I can say, this audible and visual feedback keeps me going the next day, sustains my faith and answers the call of my purpose.

Thanks to my mother, I learned how to plan (she's a big time list maker). I'm also strategic, creative, positive, an obsessed learner, and good at thinking on my feet - all valuable skills in the midst of a crisis. Extensive emergency management training and disaster field work are what I bring to government agencies, nonprofits and private industry when the time comes to plan, set up practice drills or manage crisis issues.

If you need help to create or update your plan, contact me at 407-341-9866 or at mmonte@hotmail.com.

Disaster Preparedness: Are you ready?

Disaster Preparedness Kit
produced for the Kentucky
Department of Emergency Management

Resolve To Be Ready

The Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) recently kicked off a national campaign to encourage all Americans to resolve to be Ready in 2011.

I work in the world of emergency response and recovery. Each time I return home from a deployment, I feel blessed to have been able to contribute and do my part to help people in need. It would be amazing if humankind could prevent emergencies and crisis issues. Since avoidance is a futile fancy, the best we can do is prepare.

Geologists have peeled back Earth’s topographic cloak and validated that Mother Nature’s wrath has existed on Earth since the beginning of time. Hurricanes, fires, floods, earthquakes, polar shifts and even giant meteors have scraped, scorched, covered, shifted and altered our planet. In recent years the media has played out numerous tragedies rooted in human calamity, carelessness or intention to harm that cannot be protected by borders on a map.

When disaster strikes, it affects individuals, families, businesses and communities. Though FEMA and the agency’s employees play a huge role in the nation's emergency management team, disasters begin and end on the local level. It is for this reason Americans should step up to get ready because in a disaster-related event, prepared individuals and businesses are a huge asset to critical response and long-term recovery.

You should be confident that your emergency plan is solid, flexible and be sure your emergency kit is fully stocked. Without adequate preparation, a future disaster could mean that you, your family and your business must compete with thousands of vulnerable residents for food, water and critical resources including medical treatment and shelter.

In addition to disaster response and recovery training and hands-on experience under FEMA and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, I’ve assisted businesses, municipalities and organizations develop and update crisis plans and train employees should they come face-to-face with a worse-case scenario.

Are you prepared for emergencies? If not, I can help you Get Ready in 2011. Contact me to learn more.

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.

Crisis PR: Preparedness Can Help Prevent Panic

To take a quote from FEMA...
"Are you ready?"



Watch this 1976 public service announcement that actually ran on national television.

How does it make you feel?
Does the message provoke or prevent panic?
Is it rational and real or reactionary?

Fast forward 33 years.

The swine flu emerges again.

Now as the swine flu, a.k.a. H1N1, swept across our globe, a country was shut down, stories about pigs consumed the 24-hour news cycle, and the panic played out on the world stage when the Vice President "gave his personal opinion" about the pandemic.

Yep...it is true that in the world of communications, if it bleeds, it leads. The media devoured the drama of his quote and then they went on and on about every aspect of the what if's, why not's and how come's of H1N1. Many reporters and media types hypothesized and proselytized and then repeated it again and again about the pandemic to the point of what I saw as fear mongering.

Anyone in a leadership position as well as the media are held to a high standard to tell the truth, share advice and also serve for comfort in a time of crisis. Certainly any representative of the White House should know more about dangerous situations or things that might hurt U.S. citizens. I can tell you thought with my background in crisis communications and issues management, I cringed when I heard the V.P. Biden's comments. He told the truth...or did he?

In retrospect, we now know there seemed to be a missing link called education about H1N1 (or even better a black hole) and it went all the way to the White House. That meant the creeping pandemic was allowed to become its own pandemic of speculation instead of known facts.

Maybe the CDC didn't have all the facts? Maybe the U.S. doesn't have a strong interoperable disaster plan with Mexico? Maybe this experience was a dress rehearsal for the U.S. and its health organizations and government agencies to get in gear before we are faced with a much stronger version of H1N1 or worse?

Fortunately, knowledge is power and someone at the Centers for Disease Control sat up and took notice. The CDC began pushing out news release after news release. As their public relations efforts kicked in and crisis management began to play out, most responsible media outlets and journalists began to consciously report the facts.

The Drs. dedicated a one-hour episode to the topic. CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta reported on the virus from Mexico City. And White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs issued an apology for Vice President Biden's comments that he wouldn't recommend taking a commercial flight or riding in a subway car because swine flu can spread in confirmed places. And the V.P. gaffed again on the Today Show as he tried to clarify his earlier comment. Once again, the White House put out a statement almost making it look like Matt Lauer set him up to answer the question to get a fear answer.

From all of this, know that when facing a crisis, the truth should always be primary. But with managing the message, the truth should be facts presented so that everyone understands them.

So are you ready? If not, you can get ready and get tips about preparing for any kind of disaster by checking out http://www.ready.gov/, http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/#stay_healthy, http://www.hhs.gov/ and http://www.fema.gov/plan/index.shtm.

As always, feel free to contact me with questions, to speak to your group or if you need a hand with your crisis plan or help handling any type of public relations issue. Hopefully you won't need the training, a plan or me, but it is always better to plan an escape route proactively than being in the middle of the street and using the "wish I may, wish I might form of crisis management" and hoping that the oncoming bus won't hit you...or at least not too hard.

PR Tips: Ten Tried And True Topics To Talk About

Not sure how to promote your organization to the media and in turn, help grow your business? These top ten can help maximize your chances of media coverage to get your message in front of decision makers.

1. Health. This topic is covered more than any other by the media. (except in a presidential election year or during a spiraling down economy ; - )
Do you have a fabulous spa that offers unique health benefits? Does your hotel cater to patients recuperating from plastic surgery? Do you offer "Low-Fat, Low Calorie, or Vegan" meals? Can employees to workout at work? Do you have weight-loss tips or have a staff expert who can be interviewed about getting healthy?

2. Children. Everyone loves children. (good children ; - )
Do you offer specials for children? Do you have a kid-friendly event? Has a child done something good/unique/kind/helpful/thoughtful? Is there a special children's menu?

3. Pets. People love reading about pets, almost as much if not more than children.

How about a new service at a doggie day care? Can employees bring their pets to work? Health care services for pets? What about unique pet services such as frequent flyer miles, doggie treats at the drive-in window, unique pet products, check-in goody bags, pet-friendly patio?

4. Holidays. The media is always looking for stories surrounding holidays.
Does a spa offer relaxation tips for the stressful season? What about a special rate or price for Mothers, Fathers, Grandparents or Friends Day? How about a restaurant offering a free beverage on tax day or a kick off summer special at a museum where an adult gets in free with paying child (yep...backwards!)?

5. Controversy. Opportunities can be a great fit with controversial current events.
Are you helping prevent or deter crime with a new service? If a movie star sports a certain negative, send them your positive product and also ask them to send you a photo of it with them or written note to promote it. Can you offer tips that combat controversy or serve as an expert on either side?

6. Celebrity. Everyone wants the scoop on celebrities.
Get a photo of a celebrity (athlete, actor, comedian) at your place of business and send it to the media? Is a celebrity part of your charity event? Is your CEO a celebrity in their own right? Is Brad Pitt at your house at 3 a.m.? (call TMZ, right then and there after you snap a photo using your cell phone)

7. Money. Money is always hot if it saves.
Do you offer unique ways to save money? Offering any new or increased perks or rewards ? Do you offer special discounts seniors, students or moms?

8. Current Trends. The media likes to tie stories to current trends.
Does your restaurant offer "South Beach Diet or Weight Watchers" selections? Has your business won a green award? Have you reduced your electric bill by changing light bulbs?

9. Charity. Heartwarming stories sell, especially Friday or weekend news.
Did you donate to a charity in need? Does your company sponsor or host a charitable event? Does your business offer free tickets to certain non-profit groups?

10. Interesting. Producers, editors, writers, reporters…want interesting!!
Is your product or service REALLY unique? Do you work in a cool location like a boat? Are you a former real estate agent now happily working for a nonprofit? Have you retired and then started a new career in a different kind of business?

These are just a few popular topics. "Ten Tried And True Topics" are definitely things to think about when writing a PR plan or if you are just looking for new story ideas. By targeting the pitch to topical ideas or issues, it will help increase the chances of coverage.

Need ideas? Contact me at mmonte@hotmail.com or 407-964-1557!

Measuring Public Relations: Quantifiable Picture

"1, 2, 3, say cheese."

In a public relations plan, goals must be measurable. There are plenty of things to measure that cannot specifically be quantified by a number such as the tone of a story (positive or negative), accuracy of the story (yes or no ;- ) and timing (pushed out by a pitch or release). The best way to get a picture of any long-term public relation effort is to assign quantifiable numbers to each story, reporter and media outlet.

By monitoring news clips and identifying measurables, efforts can be measured over the long-haul. The numbers can then be translated into charts or graphs to visually measure goals.

Measurement identifies trends and helps target specific tactics with reporters or outlets. The function ensures tactics meet goals. As well, trends in the report may flag a need for a change in messaging and tactics without waiting to the end of the year or the campaign to see if goals will be met.

Measuring is fairly easy though it takes commitment to monitor the media if a service is not contracted. So how do you do it?

• It can be as simple as creating an excel spreadsheet and setting benchmarks from 1-10 with 1 being low and 10 being high (or 1-5 or 1-100);
• Identify what the numbers mean as a teacher would when grading a test;
• Just as different teachers might assign grades a bit differently, for consistency, it is best for one person or team members to assign the quantifiable numbers;
• The spreadsheet should list the media outlets and the reporters and align them with the story, pitch or product; and
• As clips come in, assign quantifiable numbers to the different categories of measurement.

Even monitoring the length of a story, over time, you can see if a reporter or media outlet increases or decreases the length and which news releases resulted in what lenght of story. By monitoring and measuring, the reasearch accumulated can identify whether you are on target to meet goals, as well as serve as a flag if there is a need to alter the plan.

Yep, this is all a bit of a science. And, an art too. For sure though, numbers don't lie! Quantifiable measurements can certainly prove to be very valuable.

If you need someone to help set up a clip service, monitor or measure media, contact me at mmonte@hotmail.com or at 407-964-1667!

Measuring Public Relations: The Plan

The Plan. It is the map for your trip.

1. Plan your plan.
2. Write your plan.
3. Approve your plan.
4. Work your plan.
5. Measure your plan.

The "unspoken rule" is to get everyone to stick to the plan, but always keep in mind that is a work in progress and not a "critical path." There is always room for adjusting, ramping up or down, and when facing a round-about, allowing enough flexibility in the plan to try another road that may ultimately end up being a much grander adventure.

Public relations measurement enables an organization, business, government, marketing firm or public relations agency to determine the direct relationship between proactive publicity efforts and the output of those efforts to their "key publics".

For the purpose for this series of articles, it will relate to the media as the key public. (other key publics include employees, investors, board of directors, elected officials, vendors, existing customers, new customers, community leaders,

There are many ways to measure the effectiveness of public relations and they all vary depending on goals and can be as diverse as the differences of hundreds of different services and businesses.

There are five parts to a public relations plan. Below is an example using a "made-up" and very simple example of a plan.

1. Objective. The main thing or purpose. Keep it short and to one sentence if possible. It is the "overarching mission statement" for the plan.

Use our annual special event to solidify our business as a charitable community partner, helps our employees see us a fun place to work and our customers and vendors excited about doing business with us.

2. Strategies. Think of them as painting the broad brush strokes of the picture which always goes back to your meeting your objective.

• Work with a well-known local charity that needs funding.
• Have a local celebrity serve as our spokesperson on behalf of the charity.
• Include current vendors as sponsors.
• Involve employees in the event.
• Reach our customers.
• Get news coverage.

3. Goals. Measurable and specific. Also...be reasonable. Everyone wants national coverage, but is there a national news angle to your event?

• Get confirmation from the local celebrity by January 2o.
• By February 3, identify the charity.
• Raise $3,000 for the charity by using our annual event.
• Host the first task force meeting on January 2.
• Engage the employee participation by 10% over last year's event.
• Secure one major and two minor vendor sponsorships to pay for entertainment.
• Obtain pre-event media coverage to increase company web page traffic by 1,000 new users per week for six weeks.
• Book six media outlets to attend the event as working media.
• Increase business by 3% over same time last year.

4. Tactics. These are what helps you reach goals, they support the strategies and all of them must meet the objective. ANY tactic that does not implicitly focus on the ultimate objective, does not support strategies and cannot be used toward reaching a measurable goal, in most cases does not need to be a tactic in your plan!

• Host a news conference at the (mall, park, downtown, college...place where there will already be lots of people there) with the charity and local celebrity to announce the annual event and explain the details.
• Write and distribute a media alert about the news conference.
• To get a head start on raising money, get the local celebrity to sell and sign their new book and take photos at a certain location (ball game, concert, mall) and get them to donate half the proceeds to the charity.
• Write and distribute news release about $$$ raised by book signing.
• Pitch story ideas for the event.
• Do a media blitz to media outlets with the celebrity and company CEO. Book them for morning radio and noon talk shows.
• Work with celebrity's public relations manager to promote event on the celebrity's web site, communicate event in fan mail, and see if celebrity will mention event at media opportunities, including national book tour leading up to the event.
• Write and distribute media alert about the event a week before and day before the event.
• Do media calls the day before and day of the event.
• Determine needs and secure (food, beverages, tickets, signage, seating, lighting, AV, etc.)
• Monitor media.
• And so on and so forth...all of the things that need to be done to support the event from catering, music, permits, volunteers, pitching media, securing photographer, event post-mortem and so on.

5. Measurement. This proves your success! Go back and see if you met or exceeded your goals? Keep in mind that there can be short-term and longer-term measurements resulting from the event may continue long after the initial event.

• Confirmed local celebrity, hosted task force meetings and identified charity by goal dates.
• Raised $5,500 for the local charity.
• Increased employee participation at the event by 15% over their participation last year.
• Distributed employee survey six months before event as a benchmark. Two weeks after the event the company did a second employee survey. Employee satisfaction is up 15% over benchmark survey. There are no other measurables for the increase (such as raises, incentives, training or programs). Though not specifically attributed to increased employee involvement and the success of event, one consider that the event played some role in raising employee satisfaction. HR will add a question for next survey to determine influence up or down for employee satisfaction.
• Secured one major and eight minor vendor sponsorships which paid to book a very popular band for the event.
• The band provided a signed guitar for us to give away on our web site. Social media, news releases and client email campaign helped double the web site traffic goal.
• Increased business by 20% during the month of the event over last year, and business has remained at 2.9% over last year, even though there was a huge drop in the stock market two months after the event.

Applause. Applause. Applause.

Now, get started on a real plan! If you don't have a plan or need help writing one, you know who to contact !