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I. Policy
Intent and Definition of Crisis Management
Intent - Crisis
Management is a central component of comprehensive Individual Safety. The
most important consideration in both Crisis Management efforts is the physical,
mental, spiritual and financial health, safety and welfare of an
individual. A comprehensive Individual or organizational Safe Plan places a
strong emphasis on prevention using strategies which range from building design
to discipline policies and programs which improve an individual environment in
the home, office or any other place.
Definition - Crisis Management is preventing crisis to an individual's or
organizational physical, mental, spiritual and financial well-being. Crisis
Management focuses more on a time-limited, problem-focused intervention to
identify, confront and resolve the crisis, restore equilibrium, and support
appropriate adaptive responses through the uses of Counterintelligence efforts.
General Policy Statement - The business structure operates within the
framework of the United States of America policy.
Crisis Management Planning
A. Definitions
- "Crises" shall include natural crisis, corporate crisis,
political, terrorist, criminal inspired acts, spiritual crisis, physical
crisis and mental crisis. The principals shall have the authority to
determine what is a crisis incident and to convene the Crisis Management
Team.
- "Critical incidents" shall include situations involving
threats of harm to individual, personnel, or facilities. Critical
incidents include but are not limited to natural disasters, fire, use of
weapons/explosives, and the taking of hostages. Such incidents require an
interagency response involving law enforcement and/or emergency services
agencies.
- The "Crisis Management Plan" shall be a written plan with
explicit intent to protect and sustain life, reduce emotional trauma,
assist in physical, spiritual, emotional and financial recovery from
trauma, and minimize personal injury and/or damage to the facility and
individual.
B. Establishment of Crisis Management Team (to meet the demands of
crisis incidents)
- Membership
: The crisis team shall consist of an immediately
accessible core group who have the knowledge and skills to act in any
emergency and shall include expertise in management, human resources, law,
finances, security, communications and public/media relations, counseling,
nursing, psychology and recording events/minutes of meetings. Additionally,
depending upon the nature of the Crisis, a government liaison will be
established with Law Enforcement, Special Security Forces, Mental Health
Services, Fire Department, and etc..
- Purposes
: The Crisis Team shall implement and adapt appropriate
action from the Crisis Management Plan to address the specific events of the
crisis. Roles and responsibilities of team members and consultants will be
established in the written Crisis Management Plan.
C. Crisis Management Plan
Each Crisis Management Plan will include provisions for Pre-planning,
Intervention/Response, and Post-emergency activities, including the
establishment or designation of the following:
1. Explicit procedures for each crisis incident.
2. Crisis headquarters and command post outside the site in the event
evacuation is necessary.
3. Chain of command in the event a key authority is not available.
4. Spokesperson to the media. This designated person is
responsible for gathering and confirming all pertinent information about the
incident, for informing public information officer prior to any media
release and organizing a media reception area when deemed appropriate.
5. Network of key communicators. It is the responsibility of these
key individuals to convey approved information to others. The network may
include phone trees to notify staff of a crisis and special meetings and
various counselors designated to support groups and individuals.
6. Communication plan. The plan must provide for the excellent
communication with the crisis personnel. When appropriate, well-informed
representatives should be ready to go into action. Avoid giving news via
assembly or public address systems as results can be unpredictable when
giving shocking news to large groups. To ensure accuracy and avoid rumor,
information must come directly from internal memoranda or statements written
specifically for that purpose and approved by the Chairman. Address
Questions from individuals from pre-approved fact sheet.
7. Critical Incident Management. Critical incident response will
be in accordance with Corporate Policy, Federal, State and Local laws and
policies.
8. Arrangement for support services. A designated person from the
Crisis Management Team will contact the necessary federal, state and local
agencies and resources. A team member will contact additional elected
officials, law enforcement personnel, psychologists, spiritual task force,
social workers, and other guidance counselors as needed. Arrangements should
include the designation of meeting spaces, provisions to request on-call
services to meet unexpected demand, and provision of long term follow-up.
9. Bring closure to the crisis. This activity will vary depending
on the crisis. But it is imperative to recognize officially the end of the
crisis and the beginning of the healing process.
10. Evaluation of the crisis plan. Response to each crisis
incident will be reviewed and evaluated at the conclusion of each crisis.
Crisis Management Team annually will evaluate the plan and its effectiveness
and make modifications as needed.
D. Crisis Management Inservice
The Crisis Management Plan shall be reviewed annually with the full
management and shared with all representatives and leaders.
II. Crisis Management Plan
Overview and rational
Overview
The organization has developed procedures for dealing with existing and
potential crisis. The Comprehensive Crisis Management plan includes Intervention
Procedures, Crisis Response Procedures, and Critical Incident Procedures. An
important component of the Plan is a set of interagency agreements with various
Federal, State and local agencies to aid timely communication and help
coordinate services between the agencies and individual or the organization.
Intervention Procedures provide a systematic process for identifying,
referring, and assessing persons who may be suicidal or represent a potential
threat to others. In addition, a team member will politely help the individual
and present information that would aid in the healing process of the troubled
individual quickly and efficiently without threats of any kind. Crisis teams
will provide immediate intervention with referred individuals. The Crisis Team
will provide protection from any unseen physical, mental, spiritual and
financial threats of any kind. The team gathers information from other sources,
chooses a team member to interview the person, develops a plan, directs the
person to appropriate help, appoints a case manager, and provides follow-up.
Additionally, inservice training will be provided to team about recognizing
people crisis, protection of individuals and on referral procedures.
Crisis Response Procedures guide team in responding to more
frequently occurring crises. These procedures are intended to be time-limited,
problem-focused interventions designed to identify and resolve the crisis,
restore equilibrium, and support productive responses. The crisis team uses
crisis response procedures to help administrators:
gather information;
establish communication and disseminate accurate information to
everyone;
intervene directly with the individual most likely to be affected;
increase the available supportive counseling and access to needed law
enforcement agencies.
guide in helpful ways to aid in physical, mental, spiritual healings.
Critical Incident Procedures help team members to handle potentially
dangerous events such as an armed intruder in a school and other
life-threatening events. Implementing a special warning plan to warn everybody
of potential dangers such as a "Code
Blue" is recommended.
Interagency Agreements
The organization has notified various Federal, State and local governmental
agencies, including mental health, police, and fire departments. Due to the
nature, agreements do not exist due to unresolved politics.
Rationale
The organization Crisis Management Plan procedures provide a well-organized,
systematic method for helping or intervening. Crisis Team members operate within
specific guidelines to make collaborative decisions, sharing the responsibility
for these often difficult, stressful situations. Organizations that have not
established crisis management procedures have been found liable for their
absence. While no set of policies will prevent the potential for legal problems,
establishing guidelines on the best professional practices provides a margin of
protection against liability. The interagency agreements have fostered stronger
collaborative relationships and have led to improved communication to everybody
involved.
Crisis Management Center Planning and Response Team
Assigned Roles for Team Members
Chairman of the CMT
Direct all operations of the division in the management of the emergency.
Gather information and makes appropriate decisions about the management
of the emergency.
Assess the emergency situation and assign tasks to manage the
emergency.
Direct all operations and Crisis Team Members in the management of the
emergency.
Stay in contact with the designated officials of the emergency service
and law enforcement agencies.
Authorize the release of information to the public.
Keep key people of the emergency status.
The Assistant Chairman will assist the Chairman and serve in the
absence of the person.
Executive Assistant to the Chairman
Establish and maintain lines of communication between the command
center and the emergency site;
Manage the professional and non-professional members from the command
center.
Assign resources (persons and materials) to various sites for specific
needs.
Communicate with other agencies during the emergency period.
Arrange for the delivery of outside services and materials needed for
the management of the emergency.
Assistant Chairman, Instruction
Collect and disseminate information to the media. Be aware of deadlines,
the need for information accuracy, and other issues related to the media and the
performance of their jobs.
Plan and coordinate press interviews to help the news media meet
deadlines.
Create and disseminate press releases.
Respond to rumors through the dissemination of accurate information.
Organize a network of key people (police, fire, health) within the
community through which accurate information can be disseminated.
Be aware of the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and
provide all appropriate information based on those requirements.
Plan and coordinate the use of the Divisions cable television channel
for live and taped presentations. Press conferences can go out live; updates for
the public can be taped and aired as needed.
Coordinate information to be shared with personnel during and after the
crisis.
Act as a liaison between the media and division personnel whose attention
must be focused on the immediate problems of managing the crisis without
constant interruption.
Arrange interviews for the media with key people who are involved in the
emergency or who act as spokespersons for the Chairman..
Establish and maintain a clearinghouse for calls and requests from
schools, the community, parents, and the media and refer those to the
appropriate person or place.
Team Leader
Team Crisis
Be familiar with command center and support available to Team Leaders
Make crisis plan, crisis management handbook, and emergency management
kit readily available to appropriate key people.
Annual Start-Up Procedures
1. Confirm membership of the crisis team. Send a list of team members to
the Public Relations Office.
2. Decide on a coordinator and substitute for synchronizing suicide
intervention, critical incident, and postvention procedures.
3. Plan at least two crisis team meetings to review procedures and
policies, especially critical incidents, and check equipment such as crisis
boxes.
4. Inform everyone of crisis members. Print intervention, crisis response
and critical incident procedures in the corporate handbook.
5. Review critical incident communication codes with key personnel.
6. Update phone tree.
7. The team needs review procedures annually and but should practice drills
for at least two scenarios using the Postvention Steps form. Preparation
for the crisis is the key success.
8. Meet with new team members annually to inform them of intervention,
crisis response critical incident procedures, emphasizing the referral process
for crisis intervention. Hold a general member inservice on intervention,
crisis response and critical incident procedures every several years.
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