Critical Incident Management

Who's in Charge Here, Anyway?

Emergency Management Team

The emergency management team is structured according to the organization's needs and culture, having overall responsibility to coordinate the activities of all the other recovery teams. This team's roles and responsibilities should be defined in the disaster recovery plan. This is a team that must function with the idea that upper-level managers are not going to be available during a disaster. In fact, they assign functions to specific members of subordinate teams. Following is a proposed structure of recovery-function teams following generic business functions.

Transportation Sub-Team

This team is responsible for coordinating the transportation of critical personnel to the emergency recovery site. Their duties may include informing employees of their new work locations, scheduling transportation, and arranging food and lodging.

Emergency Operations Sub-Team

This team should consist of shift operators and at least one supervisor who will activate a systems recovery site and manage operations there during the disaster recovery and business resumption stages. These are the employees who arrive first on the scene, activate all the facilities and activate other sub-teams.

Communications Sub-Team

This team travels to the recovery site and establishes a user/system network. They will be responsible for restoring critical communications assets such as telephone service, ISP services, value-added network services, LAN services, and last-mile connections.

Data Recovery Sub-Team

The data recovery sub-team may have the responsibility of retrieving critical data assets from storage. Members visit the data storage facilities and collect the data necessary to resume operations, or they coordinate with the software and communications sub-teams downloading pertinent data to the recovery site.

Facilities Sub-Team

These team members are going to install, test, and make critical systems operational. They set up the offsite facilities with everything the critical employees need to conduct critical business functions. After installations are completed, they will act as the help desk, and monitor performance, addressing problems as they arise.

Administrative Support and Supplies Sub-Team

These team members assume the responsibility of seeing that all the administrative support required by the critical assets is delivered to the site on a timely basis. Items such as payroll, benefits, insurance, leave accounting, official and unofficial emergencies, office supplies, morale boosters, and equipment replacements are their responsibilities.

Press Relations

More than one organization has committed serious mistakes while attempting to deal with members of the press. The most effective tool in dealing with the press is timely information. Businesses have been credited with taking appropriate action during critical times, by the way they dealt with the press. Here are a few general observations:

• Have a plan and a structure to handle press inquiries.

• Do not lie or misrepresent the facts. Credibility is everything.

• Never insult or derogate anyone, for any reason.

• Sarcasm or press-critical remarks are best never expressed.

• If you do not have something to say, do not ramble.

• All microphones and cameras, manned or not, are live.

• All reporters record conversations.

• You are never "off the record."

• Never say anything that has more than one definition or interpretation.

• Never act cute or funny.

• Sincerity counts. If you cannot be sincere, find someone who can.

• Speak plainly, and on about a 12th-grade level. Avoid all jargon and technical speech.

• If you do not know, do not speculate. If you are asked for an estimate, estimate very carefully.

• If you promise anything, do it! Press people have long memories.

• Make opening remarks and distribute written copies of these remarks to the press before speaking.

• Depending on the situation, it is strongly suggested that you designate a knowledgeable and experienced employee as the spokesperson.

Key Press Items

Following are press-related leadership items that must be in place before a crisis situation:

• Business plan. This information provides the media person with the "big picture" information. This plan describes (in plain language not business-speak) the organization's values, goals, and business strategies.

• Public relations policy and procedures. Statement mandating press relations, company press policies, and actions.

• Designated spokesperson. This person is part of the emergency response plan. Arrange for the spokesperson to have experience addressing the press corps before an emergency. Consider filling this position with someone from the local area who is knowledgeable about language, culture, and local customs.

• Media contact log. Keep a journal of every journalist and story. Know who contacted the organization, when, topics, their contact information, what you promised, any delegated items, and when you are due to get back to them. If you do not provide accurate and timely information, it will be likely the press will quote someone less qualified as their source.

Original Documentation

Recovering business operations after a critical incident often requires the use of original documents and critical records not stored as backed-up electronic data. Business recovery plans should include steps for the consolidation and storage of original and critical documents in a secure location. Storing critical documents away from the business will preserve them in the event of total physical destruction of the organization. Critical documents include contracts, service agreements, corporate papers, insurance policies, and personnel and financial records.

Test the Plan

Contingency plans are dynamic documents designed to adapt to business changes as they occur, including changes in personnel, data, and physical facilities. A mock critical incident test should be staged at least once annually, with only a minimum number of employees advised of the date and the test scenario. The point of this exercise is to test the plan, training, people, and equipment. Have a test reflecting likely emergency scenarios.

Using possible critical incidents will determine if the plan works or not. Do not announce when the test is going to take place, nor should you broadcast possible scenarios. It should be a surprise, just like an actual emergency. If too many employees are aware of the exercise, the test results will not reflect behavior during actual emergencies. After the exercise, schedule a time for debriefing and postmortem critique. Gather all appropriate employees together and scrutinize responsibilities, behaviors, and results in an organized and constructive way. Remember to document the plan, the exercise, and the critique. The auditors and other examiners will ask to see these documents.