Crisis Management— 20 Rules
features
STRATEGY AND TACTICS
Sound and sensible guidelines are a good basis for preplanning emergency operations—especially major disasters.
In May 1978, a tornado struck the High Point Elementary School in Pinellas County, FL, during lunch hour. One wing was completely demolished, four children were killed, and many others were injured.
In May 1979, severe storms crossed Pinellas County, FL, resulting in tornadoes and floods. Three people died, scores were left homeless, and emergency services were stretched to the limit.
In January 1980, the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Blackthorn (outbound from Tampa Bay, FL) was hit, sunk, and dragged by the incoming tanker Capricorn. Twenty-three Coast Guardsmen lost their lives and the logistics of dealing with this type disaster again taxed emergency services to their limits.
In May 1980, the freighter Summit Venture, inbound for Tampa Bay during a storm, struck the Skyway Bridge and collapsed 1,000 feet of the bridge 150 feet into the water. Thirty-one people were killed, including 23 on a Greyhound bus that fell with the bridge.
What do each of these events have in common? Each was a major crisis that had to be dealt with by a variety of emergency services and each required special types of command and leadership personnel. Each was the type of situation that taxed the capabilities of all involved emergency agencies and required extraordinary measures to deal with.
No community in the world is immune from a crisis that could demand more from emergency leaders than they may be prepared to give. Out of the many critiques that followed these particular crises came some hardlearned lessons. These lessons were converted into 20 rules for use by people who might find themselves in leadership roles during such a situation.
Wide World Photo
RULE #1: DON’T MAKE IT WORSE
It would be nice if the arrival of emergency personnel spelled immediate relief, but we all know that’s not always the case. Take time to do a proper size-up and decide on a sensible course of action before “flying” into it.
RULE #2: NEVER BROADCAST A GENERAL CALL FOR HELP
It’s a good indicator of leadership panic. Calls like “send everything,” “the world’s on fire,” do not lend themselves to good command and control. Perform good size-up and call what you need. Don’t initiate organizational panic with indiscriminate calls for aid.
RULE #3: CAPTURE CONTROL OF THE INFORMATION FLOW
Tremendous amounts of information will be generated and must be managed in a crisis. Useful information must be sorted out and channeled to the people in positions to use it. Ineffectual information must be discarded quickly to prevent it from confusing decision makers. People act irrationally in an informational vacuum. Keep involved personnel well informed.
RULE #4: REALIZE YOU CAN’T DO EVERYTHING
Crisis leadership is a heavy burden to carry. Prioritization and delegation are keys to success. Develop and use command and support structures. Recognize that some things must be “let go” to concentrate on the important things.
RULE #5: REFUSE TO BE DRAWN INTO TRIVIA
If you stick to Rules #3 and #4, Rule # 5 will be easy. Many people will delve into trivia to avoid dealing with the real situation. Divorce yourself from this type activity and focus on the key matters at hand.
continued on page 28
RULE #6: SILLY PEOPLE WILL CONTINUE TO BE SILLY
Recognize that, as with trivia, ridiculousness is a defense mechanism. Keep individuals who are so inclined away from your decision makers. Give them assignments that remove them from the command structure or assign them away from your crisis operations.
RULE #7: INSIST THAT INVOLVED PERSONNEL GET REST
This is especially important in longterm operations such as the condominium structure collapse in Vero Beach, FL, where the rescue operations took several days. Fatigue among emergency service personnel leads to poor decision making, high injury potential, and damaging stress. Even command personnel need rest. Don’t hesitate to relinquish command in order to rest. Set up rotational schedules for all personnel to allow for rest and decompression time.
RULE #8: BRING KEY ORGANIZATIONS AND PEOPLE TOGETHER
Operations will depend on cooperation and coordination of effort. Agencies must have contact with each other in order to cement the cooperation. Decision makers must have contact with other decision makers. Potential problems will not become problems if key personnel can interact across the command structure.
RULE #9: RETURN TO NORMAL OPERATIONS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE
Continued maintenance of high levels of alert will result in damaging, organizational stress. The sooner your agency can “wind down,” the shorter the long-term effects on your organization. The other thing that is to be considered is that the community watches its emergency services and will reflect any posture of stress or alert. The community will relax only after it sees the emergency service agencies return to normal.
RULE #10: KEEP YOUR BOSS WELL INFORMED
Whoever you answer to, be it a commissioner, mayor, manager, or administrator, he has a right to be informed. Keeping him informed will be to your benefit, because chances are he will provide access to the resources you’ll need and he can serve well as the representative to the community. You’ll also need his support in the aftermath of the incident for reasons that will become evident.
RULE #11: INSURE THAT SOMEONE IS IN CHARGE OF ROUTINE
Whatever regular service your agency provides must be continued during the crisis. Make certain that someone is seeing to this responsibility. Regular service operations may have to be delegated to another agency.
RULE #12: MAKE DECISIONS THAT ALLOW THE MOST OPTIONS
Operations must remain flexible and be able to change directions. Decision makers must keep this in mind when weighing choices. Don’t make “dead-end” decisions. Always allow for an alternative.
RULE #13: THE LAWYERS WILL GET INTO IT
This is a fact of life in emergency decision making, so, don’t be intimidated by it. Everything that is done will be second guessed by “three-piece suiters.” Have someone assigned to document your decisions and actions and, if possible, the rationale used for these decisions. Your office secretary can do this well if you can have him brought to your command location.
RULE #14: DON’T LET OTHERS DUCK RESPONSIBILITY
. . . And you had better believe some will. Make sure that the assignments you give are in fact being accomplished. Have some type of follow-up to your decision making. Hold people accountable for their actions and functions.
RULE #15: ANTICIPATE THE PLAYERS AND TEAMS PRIOR TO THE CRISIS
You have to know whom you will work with before a situation arises since the incident demands that you have full confidence in them. Hold periodic meetings between agencies that will give decision makers a chance to interact and learn each others’ capabilities.
RULE #16: KNOW THE RESOURCES YOU MUST DEPEND ON
Don’t wait until you are neck deep in a crisis to assess your resources. Develop contingency resource lists that afford you ready reference during a crisis.
RULE #17: ESTABLISH A PROFESSIONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH THE MEDIA
Public perception of your agency will be directly affected by your relationship with the media. The media will go through phases that determine their approach to you and the crisis. Phase one is of sympathy, shock, and cooperation with emergency agencies. Phase two is the “story behind the scenes” approach with the human interest element. Phase three is the “who screwed up?” questions along with the “why are you covering up?” and “who are you covering up for?” questions.
RULE #18: AS CRISIS WINDS DOWN, EXPECT DELAYED STRESS REACTIONS
Especially around your own emergency service personnel. Symptoms can include depression, irritability, physical ailment complaints, personality disorders, and irrational outbursts. Leaders should arrange debriefings for personnel with medical directors, psychologists or department chaplains. This open approach to decompression of emergency stress can ease your organizational return to normalcy.
RULE #19: SURVIVORS WILL GO THROUGH PREDICTABLE PHASES
Emergency service personnel should receive training that will prepare them to deal with survivors. The phases that survivors pass through often follow a pattern:
- emotional shock
- helplessness, isolation
- survival guilt
- self blame
- anxiety
Personnel should be able to recognize each phase and respond with the appropriate behavior.
RULE #20: ALWAYS HOLD MULTI-AGENCY CRITIQUE SESSIONS
These sessions are extremely valuable in planning for future incidents. Problems must be identified so that lessons can be learned and training developed. Successes must be emphasized so that good operations will be remembered and used again. Positive critique sessions can also serve to draw organizations and agencies closer together.
Use these simple rules as a guide when operating at or pre-planning a disaster/crisis. Keep them in mind if you are faced with a crisis. Remember that these rules were forged from the experiences and mistakes of others. Make past mistakes become a learning process.
