Jordan School District Crisis Communications Plan Prepared by the Office of Communications
Jordan School District Crisis Communications Plan I. Purpose A crisis communication plan provides policies and procedures for the coordination of communications within the District, and between the District, the media and the public in the event of an emergency or controversial issue. Emergencies may include fires, bomb threats, natural disasters, or major crimes. Controversial issues may include police investigations, protests or other situations that demand a public response. THIS PLAN IS NOT INTENDED TO CHANGE THE WAY EMERGENCIES ARE INITIALLY REPORTED. ALL EMERGENCIES ON SCHOOL CAMPUSES SHOULD BE REPORTED IMMEDIATELY TO LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENTS. This plan not only addresses media relations and communications issues, but also includes procedures for the rapid identification of situations potentially harmful to the District s reputation and the methods for responding to these situations quickly and effectively. It is the goal of this crisis communications plan to establish guidelines for dealing with a variety of situations and to ensure that District officials are familiar with those procedures and their roles in the event of a crisis. The plan is designed to be used in conjunction with the normal decision-making hierarchy of the District and does not supplant that decisionmaking process. II. Objectives of the Plan 1. To factually assess the situation and determine whether a communications response is warranted. 2. To assemble a Crisis Communication Team that will make recommendations on appropriate responses. 3. To implement immediate action to: o Identify constituencies that should be informed about the situation. o Communicate facts about the crisis. o Minimize rumors. o Restore order and/or confidence. o Safeguard the reputation of the District. III. Procedures Assessment The individual who encounters the potential crisis should immediately contact their supervisor and consult the Executive Director responsible for the area or department. If the Executive Director is not available, the appropriate Deputy Superintendent should be contacted directly. These individuals will immediately notify the District Superintendent of Schools and the Director of Communications. The Superintendent or designee will determine whether to convene a Crisis Communication Team. 1 Rev. 12/2006
Assembling a Crisis Communications Team Composition of the crisis team will include at a minimum: Superintendent of Schools Deputy Superintendents Executive Director in the affected area or department Director of Communications Assistant Director of Communications See Appendix A for a current Crisis Communications Team roster. Other personnel may be added at the time of the crisis. Those added could include the executive director for Human Resources (in the event of a personnel matter), executive director for Auxiliary Services, other executive directors, principals, other directors or general counsel, depending on the situation. IV. Response The Crisis Communication Team, after assessing the nature and scope of the situation, should develop a plan of action including some, or all, of the following: 1. Designate a spokesperson. In most cases the spokesperson should be the person possessing the most direct knowledge of the crisis (for example: the school principal in the event of a school incident). In cases of a significant crisis, the Superintendent or designee shall take the lead in conveying the administration's response to the crisis using points from the fact sheet (see #2 below). The goal of the spokesperson is to show that the District has control of the situation, calm public concern and set an example for the District. Public information spokespersons (those dealing most directly with day-to-day media inquiries) may also include the Director of Communications and Assistant Director of Communications. Communications spokesperson(s) from specific areas may also be designated (i.e., Transportation, Human Resources, Nutrition Services, etc.). 2. Draft and distribute a fact sheet. The fact sheet should contain a summary statement of the situation including all known details to be released to the media and key media talking points. This fact sheet should be analyzed with respect to the public's right to know and concerns for privacy and security in consultation with general counsel. The fact sheet should be distributed to all key District officials. The Communication Team should decide whether or not to make the fact sheet available to the media or simply used by spokespersons as talking points. 3. Notify key constituencies. Determine key constituencies that need to be informed of the crisis. It is important to keep administration, faculty, staff and students informed of appropriate details and actions taken by the District during an emergency. Effective communications will help quell rumors, maintain morale and ensure continued orderly operations of the District. Among the groups that should be considered for communication in a crisis situation are: o Board of Education o Law enforcement agencies o Administration, faculty and staff o Students o Parents of students o Local community o Local and national media o Foundation Board of Directors o o State Office of Education and other government entities JCPA, JEA, PTA, school community councils, booster clubs, or other associations/organizations 2 Rev. 12/2006
4. Assign Crisis Communications Team members to communicate the facts (contained in the fact sheet). Among those that may be notified, depending on the situation, are: o Board of Education May be reached via telephone or e-mail. Phone lists are maintained through the superintendent s office. The secretary to the superintendent should coordinate any correspondence with board members. o Law enforcement agencies if not notified during the first response, law enforcement agencies should be notified by an Auxiliary Services representative. o Administration, faculty and staff The Office of Communications will provide information to administrators other than those selected to serve on the Crisis Team via e-mail, telephone and/or fax. The Office of Communications can deliver broadcast e-mail messages to other District employees. o Students Principals can communicate with students through flyers/notices, school intercom systems and/or school assemblies, as needed. o Parents of students A rumor-control hotline or a dedicated line with taped updates on the situation can be established by the Office of Communications. Direct mail is also an option in an ongoing situation. The Office of Communications will also post all necessary information on the District Web site. o Local community If the situation has an impact on local residents, fliers can be distributed through schools. If appropriate, meetings can be arranged in neighborhood schools. The area executive director in the area where meetings are held will work with local school administrators to coordinate these meetings. The Office of Communications will also post all necessary information on the District Web site. o Media The Office of Communications may prepare news releases for distribution to local and/or national media. All media inquiries should be directed to the Office of Communications. The Office of Communications will keep a log of all media inquires and make the log available to Crisis Communications Team members. o Other organizations If the Foundation Board of Directors, State Office of Education, Government entities, associations, unions or other organizations need to be informed, the appropriate contact person and method should be determined by the Crisis Communications Team. 5. Establish a Crisis Command Center. Determine whether the magnitude of the crisis merits establishing a Crisis Command Center (for police and District officials) and/or a Media Briefing Center (for larger gatherings of the media for briefings or press conferences). See Appendix B for potential media briefing center sites. See Appendix C for equipment and supply contacts. 6. Alert the media. Determine whether a news conference and or news release is an appropriate means of conveying information to faculty, staff, students, the news media and the public. The Director of Communications, in consultation with the Superintendent or designee, will determine logistics of the news conference including when, where and how the media will be contacted, which media will be contacted, who will supervise the news conference, who will appear, etc. (See Appendix D for news conference guidelines.) 7. Determine photography needs. Decide the need to assign videographers and photographers to take pictures of the scene. This may prove helpful in responding to media inquiries, to possible later litigation, as well as documenting events. Determine need to supply video footage from files. Decide whether to provide TV footage for immediate distribution. (See Appendix C for videographers/ photographers and support staff.) Determine whether it is appropriate to allow location shooting by TV and newspaper photographers. Determine when, where and who will accompany the media. 8. Develop radio responses. Discuss the need to produce taped response for radio, or individuals available for radio sound bytes. 3 Rev. 12/2006
9. Designate other spokespersons. Identify any other individuals who may serve as spokespersons or who might be made available to the news media. Discuss with that individual the key media talking points and counsel the spokesperson on appropriate ways to deal with the media. (See Appendix E.) 10. Establish internal communications. Determine an internal communications strategy to be used if the crisis affects District students and/or employees, working closely with the Human Resources Department and the Office of Communications. The Office of Communications can set up specialized broadcast e-mail messages to District employees. 11. Discuss alternative communications. Discuss alternative or additional means of conveying information including letters to parents of students or selected constituencies of the District, letters to newspaper editors, consultation with editorial boards, etc. 12. Provide means for handling incoming calls. The main switchboard in the District Office (567-8100), the main office in an affected school and any other office that may expect an increase in calls should be notified regarding the key facts of the crisis (fact sheet) and where to refer calls pertaining to the crisis. Determine if additional staffing is required to handle incoming calls. 13. Control Rumors. Consider establishing a rumor-control hotline and/or a dedicated call-in line for media use. The dedicated line could be used for taped telephone updates. Contact Information Systems (567-8315) to arrange for recorded message or use of the District's back-up telephone lines. 14. Collect media clippings. Consider contracting with a news clipping service to scan daily newspapers and video reports for stories related to the situation. (See Appendix C.) 15. Determine the necessity of outside help. In the event of a major crisis with national media attention, the Crisis Communications Team may consider bringing in assistance from the National School Public Relations Association, other districts or an outside public relations agency. 16. Determine meeting schedule. Determine a meeting schedule for the Crisis Communications Team for the duration of the crisis. V. Ongoing Procedures During Crisis 1. Set up information files on the crisis to be maintained in the Office of Communications. Material related to the crisis, including clippings, statements, letters, memos and any other documents, should be forwarded to the Office of Communications and filed in chronological order. 2. Monitor the situation daily, and frequently update staff and appropriate administrators. 3. Take notes during the crisis to be reviewed and used to improve future crisis response. 4. Follow a regular, established meeting schedule for the Crisis Communications Team. VI. Crisis Aftermath Following any crisis, appropriate action must take place to ensure that members of the District community, and others as necessary, receive needed information and assistance to bring closure to the crisis as well as relief from the effects of the event. Attention should be placed on identifying and implementing measures to improve the action plan used during the crisis. In the event of a major crisis, a meeting should be scheduled and coordinated by the Office of Communications to communicate details of the incident and events to all interested members of the District. The timeliness of this meeting is critical and every effort should be made to see that it occurs within three working days from the close of the crisis. Representatives from the District Administration, 4 Rev. 12/2006
Auxiliary Services and the affected school or department should attend and be prepared to answer questions and share pertinent information. Depending on the situation, the meeting may also include representatives from Student Services, Human Resources, the Employee Assistance Program, Student Intervention Services, Curriculum, Information Systems or Transportation. Specific departments and/or individuals also may be requested to attend and participate depending on the nature of the crisis. It is not unreasonable to expect that rumors would follow a crisis, further creating an atmosphere of anxiety. One means of combating rumors would be to take full advantage of e-mail, rumor-control hotlines, the District Web site, public meetings, etc. and report facts as appropriate. Voice mail broadcasts to faculty/staff, students and others with voice mail accounts can also be arranged. Depending upon the nature of the crisis, services and assistance may have been rendered by agencies, companies and/or individuals from outside the District. The Office of Communications should ensure that applicable follow-up information, as well as thank-you letters, are forwarded to appropriate persons. The Crisis Communications Team should meet within 10 days following a crisis and review all actions taken as a result of the crisis. Any needed changes or updates to this plan will be noted. VII. Updates This plan will be updated at least annually. The District Crisis Communications Team should be assembled periodically to discuss the plan and any updates, including a table-top exercise. The Director of Communications will serve as team leader and convene these meetings. Results of the meetings and revisions of the plan are to be documented. Copies of this plan should be addressed to all employees listed in the plan and any other personnel who might play a role in the event of a crisis. 5 Rev. 12/2006
Appendix A: Crisis Communications Team Members The crisis team will include, at a minimum: Title Team Member Work Cell Home Superintendent of Schools Barry Newbold 567-8323 706-6448 572-6820 Deputy Superintendent Sherry Wasden 567-8326 209-8601 943-7784 Deputy Superintendent Burke Jolley 567-8335 509-2820 649-9211 Executive Director for Aux. Services John Taylor 567-8751 381-2739 255-6534 Executive Director in the area affected Compliance and Special Programs Cal Evans 567-8363 599-3200 571-3068 Curriculum and Staff Development Dana Bickmore 567-8362 509-1347 563-7221 Alta Area Anthony Godfrey 567-8316 599-5822 553-0489 Bingham Area Kerrie Naylor 567-8169 910-4136 274-8054 Brighton Area Tom Hicks 567-8274 509-1357 572-1698 Copper Hills Area Frank Shaw 567-8342 635-5217 571-8260 Hillcrest Area June LeMaster 567-8282 509-1350 944-5145 Jordan Area Theresa Gotay 567-8268 205-6314 856-1339 Riverton Area David Stoddard 567-8167 706-6428 280-8800 West Jordan Area Bevan Wasden 567-8232 913-9850 282-6074 Human Resources Moya Kessig 567-8223 205-0153 571-9803 Director of Communications Melinda Colton 567-8290 631-7770 255-0479 Asst. Director of Communications Michael Kelley 567-8337 699-1452 254-7749 Other personnel may be added to the team at the time of the crisis. Those added could include other executive directors, principals, other directors or general counsel, depending on the situation. 6 Rev. 12/2006
Appendix B: Command Center and Media Briefing Sites District Meeting Rooms Areas available for meetings/news briefings/conferences: Small Conference Rooms (Capacity 10-20) Location Room Contact District Office Executive Conference Room Pauli Killian, 567-8156 Auxiliary Services #351 Conference Room Rhonda Wentz, 567-8730 Large Conference Rooms (Capacity 20-40) Location Room Contact District Office Board Rooms A/B Pauli Killian, 567-8156 Auxiliary Services Auditorium Rhonda Wentz, 567-8730 Alta High Media Center Ken Spurlock, 256-5016 Bingham High Alumni Room Mike Anderson, 256-5115 Brighton High Media Center Tom Gatten, 256-5214 Copper Hills High Tech Atrium John Vincent, 256-5316 Hillcrest High Little Theater David Breen, 256-5412 Jordan High Tech Atrium Amy Cowin, 256-5511 Riverton High Tech Atrium Rufine Einzinger, 256-5819 West Jordan High Tech Atrium David Tilby, 256-5615 Public Meeting Rooms (Capacity more than 100) Location Room Contact District Office Board Rooms A/B Pauli Killian, 567-8156 Auxiliary Services Auditorium Rhonda Wentz, 567-8730 Alta High Auditorium Ken Spurlock, 256-5016 Bingham High Auditorium Mike Anderson, 256-5115 Brighton High Auditorium Tom Gatten, 256-5214 Copper Hills High Auditorium John Vincent, 256-5316 Hillcrest High Auditorium David Breen, 256-5412 Jordan High Auditorium Amy Cowin, 256-5511 Riverton High Auditorium Rufine Einzinger, 256-5819 West Jordan High Auditorium David Tilby, 256-5615 Off-site Locations Areas available for news briefings Conference Rooms (Capacity 10-50) Location Contact Draper City Hall Linda Mandet, 576-6500 Midvale City Hall LuDonna Paxman, 256-2500 Riverton City Hall Belva Sommer, 208-3101 Sandy City Hall Dave Goldhardt, Facilities Operations Supervisor, 568-7249 South Jordan City Hall Dan Starks, Public Information Officer, 254-4708 West Jordan City Hall Gary Cox, Public Information Officer, 256-2000 7 Rev. 12/2006
Appendix C: Equipment, Supplies and Services Contacts Audio-Visual Equipment Contacts Audio-visual equipment, portable sound systems for gatherings of up to 100 people, podiums, projectors, bullhorns, etc. are available from the Instructional Media Center, 567-8298. News Clipping Services Local print and broadcast media clips are available (prior notification may be required) from Utah News Clips, 463-0101. Portable Sanitation Facilities In the event of a large crisis, media may congregate and require sanitation facilities. Rental equipment is available from a contracted supplier. Contact the Director of Purchasing, 567-8710. Radios/Communications Equipment Rental communications equipment is available from a contracted supplier. Contact the Director of Purchasing, 567-8710. Sign Production Sign production services are available from a contracted supplier. Contact the Director of Purchasing, 567-8710. Transportation and Parking The Jordan District Transportation Department director, 567-8821, will have the responsibility for coordinating emergency transportation arrangements. Video/Photography Video and photography services are available from a contracted supplier. Contact the Director of Purchasing, 567-8710. 8 Rev. 12/2006
Appendix D: News Conference Reminders 1. Contact the Office of Communications, 567-8290, to set up a news conference. 2. When notifying the media of news conferences/availabilities, be sure to define what kind of event you are having. News conferences are held to announce something for the first time. Press availabilities are held simply to make individuals available to answer questions or demonstrate something. 3. Tell media in advance some details of what will be announced at the news conference. 4. Gauge the size of the crowd carefully when reserving a room make sure there is plenty of space. Set up microphones, chairs, lighting and water at least 30 minutes prior to the event. 5. Determine who will maintain control at the news conference, who will decide where cameras are set up, who sits where, etc. 6. Determine the format in advance who will introduce speakers, who decides when question/answer period ends, and other details. 7. Determine in advance whether handouts are needed. If the speaker is giving a talk for which there is a text, it may be best to wait and hand out material after the talk so media will stay and listen. If this is done, it is advisable to tell the media a text of the speech will be provided. 8. Check to see what else is happening at schools or in the community before scheduling a press conference. 9. Consider whether other organizations or agencies should know you are having a news conference. Invite others to attend or participate in the event, if appropriate. 10. Plan the length of the news conference, but be flexible. 11. Consider the time of the news conference. TV and radio news crews will need time to travel and edit tape prior to the primary newscast times of noon, 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. 12. If there will be restrictions on an event such as limited photo access, put the restrictions in writing and communicate them to the media in advance. 13. Post all key information on the District Web site. 9 Rev. 12/2006
Appendix E: Media Relations Reminders 1. Always return media calls. The more cooperative, the better. Questions don t always need to be answered immediately. If more information is needed, just say so and call them back. 2. Stick to talking points. Always prepare three to four talking points and stick to them. Use the fact sheet prepared by the Crisis Communications Team. 3. Be aware of deadlines. Find out what their deadlines are and respond appropriately. 4. Communicate with the media. Listen to the media as well as talk to them. During crisis time, it may be possible to learn a great deal from the media that can be useful in dealing with the crisis. 5. Avoid antagonizing the media. A short tone at a press conference, during a phone call, or elsewhere can affect future relationships with an individual or other media who may hear the conversation. 6. Establish a dedicated call-in line. Consider establishing a dedicated call-in phone line that will offer information to media or others. Information on news conferences, rumor control information, newly acquired information, can be placed on a tape that can be updated. This is particularly useful when regular phone lines are tied up with calls. 7. Consider implications on others. Consider how information released to media may affect other agencies, businesses or individuals. If the information may result in media calling other agencies, call those agencies first to warn them of impending calls. 8. Give credit where it s due. When talking to the media, be sure to give credit to other agencies, groups or individuals working on the crisis, including District staff. 9. Be proactive with new information. Even though things may be frantic, reach out to the media if there is new information regarding the crisis. 10 Rev. 12/2006