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Communication is a critical part of crisis management. School staff members and students must be told what is happening and what to do. Parents of students and families of staff members must be informed about the situation, including the status of their child or family member. Timely contact with law enforcement and other emergency services is necessary for effective response. School Board members must be kept informed and updated information must be transmitted to central office and to other affected schools. The presentations must be informed and kept updated. Additionally, groups which are a part of the school community (PTA, advisory councils, etc.) and can assist with getting accurate information into the community are important. This chapter focuses on communication  within the school and school division, with parents and the community, and with the media.

Communications Basics

When a school crisis event occurs, the key communication tasks involve:

§ notifying faculty and staff of known facts of the event and what first steps they are to take;

§ keeping faculty and staff informed as additional information becomes available and response plans evolve;

§ engage appropriate community resources to assist in restoring equilibrium and recovery;

§ providing students with accurate information, countering rumors and mis- information;

§ providing parents with accurate information about the event, the school's response, and suggestions and resources for appropriate response; and

§ as appropriate, provide media with accurate information about the event and the school's response.

When a critical incident occurs, key communication tasks may become far more complex. First, key information should have already been assembled for use by

emergency responders. See Section IV for a critical incident information inventory. In major crisis events a wide range of communications tasks must be undertaken. Crisis Communications Team tasks identified in the National Education Association Crisis Communications Guide and Toolkit are described below. Note that all the functions may be carried out by a single individual, particularly in smaller school divisions.

Spokesperson - Serves as the official source of all official school division information. This person addresses reporters at all scheduled press briefings; provides all official comments for press attribution; manages strategic message development; and counsels top administrators.

Media Coordinator - Manages media queries, including prioritizing requests according to deadlines, type of request, and whether or not it is from a local or national outlet. Local should get first priority as they are often part of the school community and will be covering the event long after the national media leave. This person identifies

opportunities to promote the school message and anticipates the direction media queries will take so the district can prepare and respond.

Information-Communications Coordinator - Manages information flow. This person seeks out and organizes information updates, such as the time and place for community meetings, hotline phone numbers, instructions for donations, and press briefing schedules and channels it to internal and external audiences. Internal channels include district staff e-mail groups, listservers, blast faxes, and school voicemail. External channels include the media, parents, and the broader public. This person also develops and maintains the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document - a recording of questions fielded by phone bank volunteers and their answers. He or she also maintains the master schedule - a document containing all scheduled meetings and events for the day. The schedule is usually blown up to poster size and placed prominently for phone bank volunteers to reference. The information-communications coordinator also updates and compiles the daily fact sheet - a listing of all significant messages for the day and the source of information on a broad array of topics and provides sign off for distribution.

Media Monitor and Research Director - Monitors media coverage and seeks to correct inaccuracies. The media monitor provides summaries of coverage for all outlets for the spokesperson. The media monitor and research director is also responsible for

maintaining research files.

Clerical and Systems Operations Coordinator - Oversees all distribution systems, including e-mail and fax for external and internal audiences. This person establishes a routine procedure for ensuring appropriate proofreading, signoff and quick delivery of information products. He or she is responsible for systems operation including

programming fax machines, assigning and coordinating copy jobs, and distributing fact sheets to media and other external and internal audiences.

Liaison to Law Enforcement Agencies' Public Information Officers - Ensures that law enforcement representatives receive all communication products produced by the division office and attends briefings for updated information on anticipated press briefings and announcements. He or she provides regular updates and reports for spokespersons. The information obtained from law enforcement may influence school division

victims' families receive all communication products from the school division

communications office. He or she also obtains information on the concerns and needs of the victims and provides regular updates and reports to the spokesperson. The

information obtained from the victims' liaison plays a major role in shaping the division's communication direction and message development.

Computer Systems, Web Page Technician - Oversees maintenance and operation of the communication operation's computer network; backs up files at the end of the day; and posts all new and approved communication products for the web page. He or she creates an avenue for answering e- mail queries and facilitates bulletin boards or chat rooms. Volunteer Coordinator - Oversees all volunteer activity, including recruiting, training and scheduling volunteers to staff media query phone bank, coordinate special events,

undertake writing projects, and act as a media escort. He or she prepares briefing folders for new volunteers, including daily fact sheets, key messages, telephone numbers, and web site addresses.

Liaison to Elected Officials and Manager of Special Events - Ensures that elected officials and community group leaders are informed of all division communication activity. Also coordinates elected officials' roles in memorial services, creating memorials, and other special events and provides a communication channel between elected leaders and district administration. This liaison is sensitive to the perceptions and reality of action that could potentially be considered political and advocates on behalf of school community needs.

Donations Coordinator - Implements systems to collect and distribute donations and woks with the information coordinator to communicate needs and educate the public about how donations are being used. This is usually someone with business and political connections who can quickly marshal resources, such as storage space or equipment.

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Related Reading

Crisis Communications Guide and Toolkit, National Education Association Washington, DC Access at www.nea.org/crisis/