Final Exam Essay Question Crisis Communication Plan

Crisis Communication Plan

The very first thing I would do is put a statement on our webpage letting people know about the tornado and that we are doing everything to make sure people visiting Fort Worth are safe. I would continue to update the page on whether or not we are open for business. There would only be one person dealing with the media. All employees would be clearly aware of our plan so there is no confusion. I would then start calling the area hotels, restaurants, conference areas and shops to assess the damage and determine if we should still hold meetings here or if we should try to reschedule.
If Fort Worth is closed for business I would call the next closest city that is able to hold conferences and see if they can help us and take in some of our guests. I would contact the businesses and groups in town and help them find places to stay if necessary. I would then call people due in town for the following week or month, depending on damage and cleanup time, and fill them in on what has happened and let them know their options of either coming in and staying or going somewhere else or rescheduling.
If Fort Worth remained open for business I would make sure everyone (the media, guests and people coming in) knew that we are open for business. I would show on my website areas that are damaged and have pictures of the places that aren’t. A map would be put up on the website and given to visitors when they arrive locating the streets that have the most damage. This will make their stay easier. After all is said and done, I would reevaluate my plan and see if there was anything else I could have done differently for the next time something like this was to happen. I would also see if maybe other cities would make a commitment to work with us when disaster strikes and vice versa. We would each step in and help each other by opening up conference rooms and hotels so the visitors didn’t have such a hassle. We would make sure we have a proactive plan for the future.