INTEGRATE 2016 - Krista Farley Raines

Communicating in a Crisis: How to Prepare, Respond & Recover

Krista Farley Raines

Regional Communications Officer

Session Overview:

This session will demonstrate communication, public affairs and

marketing practices employed by the American Red Cross. When

disaster strikes, America relies on the American Red Cross, and

the Red Cross relies on its communicators to tell the story of the

important work down the street, across the country and around

the world. During times of disaster, public affairs ensures all of

our constituents — clients, donors, partners, workers and the

public — are fully informed about Red Cross activities and clients

and victims need to know where and how they can get help. Using

a combination of proactive, reactive and interactive tactics public

affairs provides guidance, messaging, training, tools and real-time

support to staff and volunteers throughout West Virginia.

Key Takeaways

How to use social media to prepare, respond and recover from a crisis.Utilize communication tools to promote Red Cross down the street, across the country and around the world. Ensure consumers are equipped with information to ensure their safety and wellbeing.

International Federation

of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

To improve the lives

of vulnerable people

by mobilizing

the power of humanity





A Global Agenda for the International Federation

Goal 1: Reduce the number of deaths, injuries and impact from disasters.

Goal 2: Reduce the number of deaths, illnesses and impact from diseases and public health emergencies.

Goal 3: Increase the capacity of local community, civil society and Red Cross Red Crescent to address the most urgent situations of vulnerability.

Goal 4: Promote respect for diversity and human dignity, and reduce intolerance, discrimination and social exclusion.

365 days a year

in your community and

around the world…

8 | American Red Cross Partnership Opportunity

The American Red Cross is there.

Seven Fundamental Principles

• Humanity

• Impartiality

• Neutrality

• Independence

• Voluntary Service

• Unity

• Universality

Vision

The American Red Cross, through its strong network of

volunteers, donors and partners, is always there in times of

need. We aspire to turn compassion into action so that...

...all people affected by disaster across the country and

around the world receive care, shelter and hope;

...our communities are ready and prepared for disasters;

...everyone in our country has access to safe, lifesaving

blood and blood products;

...all members of our armed services and their families find

support and comfort whenever needed; and

...in an emergency, there are always trained individuals

nearby, ready to use their Red Cross skills to save lives.

Sources of Governing Authority

International Committee of the Red Cross & Red Crescent

(ICRC)

International Federation of the Red Cross & Red Crescent

Societies

National Societies (More Than 175)

International Red Cross and Red Crescent

Movement

The American National

Red Cross

Board of Governors

(BoG)

Geneva

Conventions

7 Fundamental

Principles

U.S. Congress Congressional

Charter

Corporate

Bylaws

Our Brand is Trusted and

Respected

• More trustworthy than 99% of brands

in the study, including nonprofit and profit.

• More socially responsible, straightforward, helpful

and friendly than 95% of brands

in the study, including nonprofit and profit.

• More brand stature than any major charity,

in terms of knowledge and esteem.

The Young & Rubicam BrandAsset Valuator (BAV) is the world’s longest-running and most

extensive study of brands, covering 35,000 brands and dating back to 1993. The U.S. panel

includes 15,600 nationally representative adults, with data collected quarterly. Base: BAV

June 2012.

The Power of the Red Cross BrandThe Red Cross has the most brand stature, reflecting the public’s strong

esteem and respect of the brand. These attributes drive loyalty and awareness.

2.16x 1.96x

1.85x1.65x 1.56x 1.33x

1.18x 1.17x0.64x

Multiples show how each

charity compares to the

average charity in

brand stature.

(Source: BrandAsset® Consulting; Base: BAV June 2012)

Our Efficiency

An average of

91 cents of every dollar the Red Cross spends is invested

in humanitarian services & programs.

Disaster

Relief

Our Services

Down the Street. Across the Country. Around the World.

Biomedical

Preparedness

Health &

Safety

Services

InternationalService to the

Armed Forces

Providing Immediate Assistance Following Disasters

…when a family’s home catches fire

and they lose everything.

…when a house is flooded and a

family is left with nowhere to go.

…when loved ones are separated

during a disaster and need to be

reunited.

Securing the Nation’s Largest Supply of Blood and Blood Products…when there is a catastrophic

accident and an 18-year-old boy

needs 36 blood transfusions, 13

plasma treatments and 14

operations to save his life.

…when a newborn needs blood

transfusions every 3–4 weeks just to

survive the first few months of life.

Teaching Lifesaving First Aid, CPR, Swimming and Lifeguarding Skills

…when your friend suddenly chokes

on food.

…when your family member

suddenly goes into cardiac arrest.

…when you want to prepare your

child for summer fun in the water.

Saving Lives in the World’s Most Vulnerable Places

…when a devastating earthquake

occurs half way around the world.

…when a child needs a measles

vaccine to save his or her life.

Supporting Military Members, Veterans and Their Families

…when a member of the Armed

Forces needs to be urgently

connected with his family back home.

…when a military veteran needs

additional support.

…when a wounded service member

needs care during his or her

rehabilitation.

Disasters on the RiseReported disasters have increased globally

by nearly 60 percent over the last 20 years.

Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters, 2013

More People AffectedEach DecadeNearly 21 million U.S. adults were affected by

disasters between 2004 and 2013. That’s more

than four times more than in the prior decade.

20,894,963 People Reported

Affected 2004-2013

4,787,883People Reported

Affected 1994-2003

World Disaster Report, 2014

Red Cross is the Premier Emergency Relief OrganizationIn FY14, we responded to more than 63,000

disasters, including…

57,851 Fires

728 Floods

6,248Other storms and

disasters

102 Tornadoes

404Explosions/hazardous

materials/transportation

accidents

81 Blizzards/snow storms

4 Hurricanes/tropical

storms/typhoons

60 seconds

63people are assisted

by the American

Red Cross.

Every 390,000times a day a child

receives a measles

vaccination from the

Red Cross and our partners.

30,000times a day a person

receives lifesaving Red

Cross health, safety and

preparedness training.

380times a day we

provide emergency

assistance to

military members

and

their families.

190times a day Red Cross

volunteers help a family

affected by a house fire

or disaster.

Our Work Impacts Lives Every Day

Red Cross by the Numbers

2.6 million Supporters reached via

email monthly

32,000National employees

50,000Unique daily visitors

to redcross.org

1 million+Followers

530,000+Followers

12,000+Subscribers

526Red Cross chapters

As of July 2, 2013

Disaster Cycle Services

WV Responses in 2015

In 2015, the American Red Cross in

West Virginia assisted 1,117

households and supported 3,254

people who were impacted by a

disaster, most commonly home fires.

Larger scale local disasters included:

In February, the Train Derailment

In March, Winter Storm Thor

In April, Easter Flooding

In July, Flooding

In December, Christmas Flooding

Red Cross Priorities During a Response

• Provide initial sheltering

• Conduct fixed and mobile feeding operations

• Staff local government Emergency Operations Centers and coordinate with local government and partner relief agencies

• Assess the impact of the disaster

• Conduct Public Affairs

• Begin Disaster Fundraising

The American Red Cross, through its strong network of volunteers, donors and

partners, is always there in times of need. We aspire to turn compassion into

action so that all people affected by disaster across the country and around the

world receive care, shelter and hope and our communities are ready and

prepared for disasters. Cheryl serves as a Disaster Action Team captain on call

24-hour and ready to respond at any time. She teaches 3rd through 5th graders

how to prepare for and respond to a disaster through the Pillowcase Project.

She also helps install free smoke alarms and provides safety education as part

of the Home Fire Campaign.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBPCveb9gIw

Disaster Services – Our Clients

Our services span the entire disaster cycle, are predictable and repeatable

and are applied consistently across the country to ensure the community

knows what to expect from us.

Services and programs are designed based first on the needs and

expectations of clients and community consistent with the mission.

The Red Cross will align with government and work to enable the entire

community to participate in all phases of the disaster cycle.

A single integrated approach to building personal and community resilience

encompasses services delivered through a single comprehensive disaster

management process (whole cycle) which integrates and unifies programs

and activities across the entire enterprise.

Our organization and culture continually innovate in response to client and

constituent needs.

The speed and accessibility of our services meets the urgent needs of our

clients.

Disaster Services – Our Workers

Design programs and work efforts around the

features of a primarily volunteer workforce and

where volunteers are encompassed and integrated

as part of (and not an extension of) the workforce.

Systems/processes are designed to include a

mechanism that ensures the employee and

volunteer executing them are appropriately trained,

skilled and supported by the organization.

Effective stewardship of time, talent and dollars.

Disaster Services – Our Systems

One operating model (a collection of tools and processes) that

scales from a single, local event to multiple very large

disasters.

A system that preserves and builds on existing local

commitments, capabilities and relationships.

Ensure effective and efficient decision making closest to the

client.

Need to be able to measure impact.

Systems/processes and technologies need to operate both

during steady-state as well as major response periods.

Leverage current technology for efficient service delivery.

Crisis Management

• The American Red Cross is adept at responding and managing a crisis.

• Planning for crisis management is the key to our success and any leaders’ successful navigation of a crisis situation.

• While no disaster or crisis is identical in scope and need, we plan for leadership models in both “blue skies” and “gray skies.”

Disaster Services

Leadership Perspective

The Clients (victims, first responders)

Volunteers (DAT, CW, HS, MH)

DPMs and DPSs

Regional staff (RDPO, COO, CDO)

CEO/Div Support

The Client is most important and Clients come first.The nearer someone is to the Client, the more support that person needs.

Enable the person above you.

Soliciting Donations

Using consistent language across all disaster solicitations ensures uniformity and clarity, which nurtures the trust between donors and the Red Cross through all channels including:

– A-Spots

– Case Statements

– Cause Marketing with Partners

– Celebrity Engagement

– Direct Mail

– Donor Bulletin

– E-Gram

– Major Gift Solicitation Materials

– Microsites

– Text

Helping people impacted by disasters big and small.

Crisis Communication

• When an emergency or disaster happens you must be able to respond to target audiences:

– Promptly (or Timely)

– Accurately

– Appropriately

– Confidently

Crisis Communication Plan Components

• Create a Crisis Communication Team• Identify Your Target Audience(s)• Define Potential Risk or Scenarios• Prioritize the Communication Methods• Prepare Multiple Message/Scalability Templates• Develop a Communication Plan & Backup Plan• Select a Spokesperson(s)• Activate a Plan• Encourage Coordination and Collaboration• Evaluate, Reassess and Improve

Audiences

• Clients/Customers

• Impacted Individuals and Their Families

• Employees and Their Families

• Community

• Donors

• Sponsors

• Partners

• Government Officials

Content

• Proactive– Press Releases

– Pitching Stories

– Press Conferences

• Interactive– Social Engagement

– Community Outreach

• Reactive– Responding to Media

– Protecting Reputation

Content Planning Worksheet

• You should develop a plan before a disaster happens for how content will be produced and how that content will be posted.

• You should answer are a few questions to focus planning efforts.– Who are the leaders involved with creating the

public affairs and social engagement strategies during a disaster?

– What role do they fill in developing the strategy?

– Who fills in for those people when they are unavailable?

One Voice is Essential

www.redcrosswv.org

Red Cross Media Interview Policy

• Every Red Cross worker should feel empowered to talk to the media when approached and tell our disaster relief story.

• Every Red Crosser can safely talk about two things:

– What you do (job in the operation, how its helping, why you became a Red Crosser)?

– What you know (what you can see around you, how is the Red Cross helping, what do you know firsthand)?

Deliver Your Message

• Tell a story

• Show emotion and convey hope by expressing empathy, concern and compassion

• Highlight services and people

• Plan for the future

• Avoid jargon

• Give a call to action

• Keep comments positive but realistic and truthful

Promote on Social Media

• New standard for all communication

– Immediate and direct connection

• One on one interaction

– Transparency and personality

• No longer faceless

• Not closed to scrutiny

– Community

• The strength of engagement relies

on employees, volunteers, citizens, partners...

Nepal Earthquake

• On April 25, 2015 a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Nepal

killing over 8,000 people and injuring more than 21,000.

• Red Cross teams provided food, water, emergency shelter

materials, healthcare, water and sanitation to people. As

winter approached, the American Red Cross and the global

Red Cross network distributed cash grants to approximately

50,000 families so they could buy shelter materials, warm

clothes, blankets, insulation or other supplies.

• The American Red Cross also deployed 40 disaster specialist

to Nepal.

• Red Cross teams continue to help survivors rebuild their lives

through activities like restoring access to water, teaching safe

construction skills and helping people regain their sources of

income.

• Red Cross is helping building water tanks and taps in

communities that lost steady access to water, constructed a

potato seed storage facility for a community of farmers whose

warehouse collapsed during the quake.

• All the work is in conjunction with the Neal Red Cross.

Boston Marathon Bombings

• The bombings at the Boston Marathon on April 15, 2013 turned a setting of athletic triumph into a scene of tragedy. The American Red Cross supported the Family Assistance Center and events such as the Memorial Service for Officer Sean Collier, as well as provided emotional support to people struggling to cope in the community.

• The American Red Cross has been part of the Boston Marathon for decades, offering first aid and encouragement to the athletes on the sidelines.

• After the bombing the Red Cross response to the Boston Marathon included taking a central role in Disaster Mental Health, aid to the families of the injured and deceased, and a role in helping the community heal.

Winter Storm Jonas

• Beginning on Friday, January 22nd, Winter Storm Jonas impacted West Virginia with two West Virginia communities receiving the largest snowfall totals of the storm, Glengary with 42” and Shepherdstown with 40.5”.

• The Red Cross provided messaging before, during and after the storm through press releases, social media post, volunteer notices, talking points and donor appeals to providing residents with critical information.

• Thirty-five Red Cross Volunteers and twenty-one Red Cross Staff responded throughout West Virginia with another eighty-one volunteers available if needed.

• During and after the storm, several people spent the night in Red Cross operated or supported shelters in Barbour, Berkeley, Boone, Jackson, Jefferson, Putnam and Randolph Counties with thirty-three other shelters on standby, if needed.

• Messaging included:

• Get an emergency kit with 3 days of supplies

• Download the Red Cross Emergency App

• Cold safety tips

• Winter driving

• Power outage/generator safety

• Space heater safety to prevent home fires

• Emergency need for blood and platelet donors

• Plea for financial contributions

Social Media Helps Share Our Work

WV Water Crisis Response

January 2014

13 Emergency Response Vehicles

Over 90 volunteers

600,000 bottles

Be A Hero – Volunteer Today

• Communication & Marketing – Help public affairs raise awareness of the mission of the Red Cross and how it is met through our five lines of service.

• Disaster Response – Help people affected by disasters ranging from home fires to hurricanes by providing food, shelter, essential relief supplies and comfort and hope.

• Preparedness Education – Teach families, people in classrooms, organizations and corporations how to be Red Cross Ready for disasters and emergencies.

• Service to the Armed Forces – Connect families and veterans with resources to emergencies, train military families in coping and resiliency skills, and supply recreational and therapeutic support in military and VA health care facilities.

• Leadership – Serve on a Red Cross board or decision-making committee, manage a program, or chair an activity.

A few hours, every day, once a week, once a month –

whatever time you have can make a difference.

113 Lakeview DriveCharleston, WV 25313Main: (304) 340-3650Direct: (304) 759-6320Cell: (304) 417-0207

[email protected]

Facebook: RedCrossWVTwitter: @ARCWV

Mason

Boone

Webster

Gilmer

Lincoln

Clay

CalhounUpshur

Roane

Monongalia

Marshall

Jackson

Barbour

Jefferson

Putnam

Raleigh

Wayne

Pocahontas

Berkeley

Braxton

Morgan

Ritchie

Taylor

Logan

Doddridge

PleasantsPrestonTyler

Randolph

Mingo

Lewis

Mineral

SummersMonroe

Hampshire

Nicholas

Fayette

Wirt

Greenbrier

Kanawha

Grant

Wyoming

Brooke

Hardy

Harrison

Wood

Cabell

McDowellMercer

Pendleton

Wetzel

Tucker

Ohio

Hancock

Marion

Chapter OfficesSatellite Offices

Wheeling Office193 29th StreetWheeling, WV 26003(304) 232-0711

Morgantown Office1299 Pineview Drive, Suite 300Morgantown, WV 26505(304) 598-9500

Parkersburg Office220 8th StreetParkersburg, WV 26101(304) 485-7311

Charleston Office113 Lakeview DriveCharleston, WV 25313(304) 340-3650

Beckley Office200 Industrial DriveBeckley, WV 25801(304) 255-1508

Ronceverte Office722 Ronceverte AvenueRonceverte, WV 24970(304) 922-8565

Kearneysville Office1948 Wiltshire Road, Suite 2Kearneysville, WV 25430(304) 725-5015

Elkins Office4 Randolph StreetElkins, WV 26241(304) 415-6944

Bluefield Office261 Mercer Mall RoadBluefield, WV 24701(304) 327-5017

The American Red Cross of Northwest West Virginia The American Red Cross of

Northeast West Virginia

The American Red Cross of Southeast West VirginiaThe American

Red Cross of Southwest West Virginia

Huntington Office1111 Veterans Memorial BlvdHuntington, WV 25701(304) 526-2900

www.redcrosswv.org

There cannot be a crisis next week.

My schedule is already full.

Henry A. Kissinger

Thank You!

For more information visit redcrosswv.org.