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Crisis Communication: The
Role of PIO During Disaster
Emily Sikes
Marketing and Referral Services
Saint Francis Medical Center

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What is a crisis?
 A significant threat to operations that can have negative consequences if
not handled properly. Threat is potential damage to:
 An organization
 Its stakeholders
 An industry
 A crisis creates three types of threats:
 Public Safety
 Injury
 Death
 Financial Loss
 Operations disruption
 Loss of market share
 Lawsuits
 Reputation Loss

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What sparks a crisis?
 Natural disasters/environment
 Technology/systems failures
 Confrontations (boycotts, strikes)
 Violence or terrorism
 Criminal misconduct
 Accidents
 Managerial mistakes

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Phases of a crisis
Crisis
• Prevention Response • Follow-up
• Preparation • Quick • Preparation
• Accurate
• Consistent
Pre-crisis Post-crisis

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Pre-crisis phase: Risk
management
 Create a crisis management plan
 Guideline/reference
 Document response
 Select and train crisis management team
 Public relations
 Legal
 Security
 Operations
 Finance
 Human resources
 Pre-draft crisis messages
 Statement templates
 Website content

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Crisis response phase
 Initial response
 Be quick
 Be accurate
 Be consistent
 Instruct
 Inform
 Express concern

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Post-crisis phase
 Goal: Return to business as usual
 Deliver information to stakeholders as soon as it is known
 Crisis no longer focus
 Reputation repair
 Follow-up communication
 Keep stakeholders updated on recovery progress
 Analyze and evaluate crisis management effort
 What worked
 What didn’t

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PR crisis vs. emergency/disaster
incident crisis
 During a disaster, many community organizations – including
hospitals – may become part of a Joint Information System
(JIS) and Joint Information Center (JIC) within the NIMS
(National Incident Management System) multiagency
coordination system
 Under the Incident Command Center (ICS) model, the Public
Information Officer (PIO) is a key member of the command staff
 Once a JIS/JIC is activated, the PIO has specific
responsibilities in the local emergency operations plan and
emergency management systems

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What is a PIO?
 In emergencies, public information officers (PIOs) are
responsible for keeping the public informed of any emergency
situation in which it might be involved
 Responsible to:
 Public
 Internal
 External
 Media
 PIO’s agency or organization
 Emergency response agencies

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What is a PIO?
 The PIO serves as the advisor
to the Incident Commander on
Public Information
Officer public information implications
of the incident and the
response/recovery effort
Liaison Officer
 The PIO also looks for
Incident
Commander opportunities to advance
leadership’s goals
Safety Officer
 Setting up media interviews
 Preparing talking points for
Medical/Technical Incident Commander
Specialist

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Qualities of a good PIO
Good working
Knows the
relationship with the
organization
organization
PIO
Trusted advisor,
Aggressive
strategist

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Necessary skills
 Community relations
 Aware of demographics
 Aware of community organizations and how they work and interact
 Fosters innovative ideas and programs
 Media relations
 Has developed credibility with the news media
 Provides information and access to newsmakers
 Knows media needs and operations
 Knows and respects reporters’ deadlines
 Maintains continuing, open dialogue

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Necessary skills
 Writing
 Organizes clear thoughts on paper
 Knows proper use of grammar, spelling
 Knows formats, writing styles
 Produces quality documents
 Miscellaneous
 Public speaking
 Audio/visual presentation
 Emergency Management Agency fundamentals
 Political savvy

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What is public information?
 Used by people to make decisions and take actions to:
 Save lives
 Reduce injury and harm
 Protect property
 Stabilize the incident
 Can be used to:
 Call people to action
 Educate and inform
 Change behavior or attitudes
 Create positive impressions of your organization

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PIO constituencies
 The public  PIO’s agency/organization
 Largest audience  Promote employees,
 Be aware of demographics programs and successes
 Know best channels  Issues management role
 The media  Responding agencies
 Relationship is very important  Must have working
relationship to avoid
 Know the reporters
conflicting messages
 Groups are interdependent
and interrelated, but with
different priorities

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Role of the PIO
Gather Verify Coordinate Publish

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Information gathering
 Research and development of all written, print, photographic,
audio, video and web-based materials used by the JIC
 Sources:
 Documentation (situation reports)
 Response partners
 Media monitoring
 Analysis should be:
 Strategic
 Proactive

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Creating the message
 Research and writing:  Coordination/approval
 News releases, fact sheets,  Coordinate for accuracy
talking points, web stories,  Keep partners informed
etc.
 Know protocol/processes for
 Graphic support approval
 Audio/visual
 Broadcast operations
 Photo/video

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Information dissemination
 Providing written and oral communication to the news media,
public and other organizations
 Proactive:
 Media distribution (news releases, media advisories)
 News briefings or conferences
 Media/public distribution (web stories, social media)
 Responsive:
 Media relations/news desk
 Public inquiry centers
 Internal (briefings, media monitoring reports)

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Why work with the media?
 The First Amendment (freedom of speech)
 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and local Sunshine Laws
 Cultural cohesiveness
 Perception

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Why work with the media?
 Benefits of working with local media:
 Understand what local reporters need
 Help them see you as a “person”
 Help them understand the issues
 Contact them before an emergency
 Call or meet with media representatives/reporters
 Send news releases
 Provide briefings/media advisories

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Media’s role in emergency
management
 Use the media to send information:
 That will reduce the public panic
 About action the public should take
 To alert/warn the public

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Types of news interviews
 Print vs. Broadcast
 General vs. Investigative
 Ambush vs. Prearranged
 Office vs. On-site

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During the interview
 Remain calm and in control
 Respond honestly
 The welcome sets the tone
 Review expectations
 Work in key points before you begin
 Be ready with overview statement
 Choose words carefully
 Expect follow-up questions

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During the interview
 Start with conclusion
 Most important facts first
 Provide 5W + H
 Work in key messages
 Answer/acknowledge the reporter
 Bridge from point to point
 Use “quotable quotes” at least three times
 Jump in and be responsive
 Don’t go “off-the-record”
 Don’t lose composure
 Keep answers clear and concise

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During the interview
 Use familiar language – not jargon
 Explain technical terms and acronyms you must use
 When you don’t know:
 It’s OK to say “I don’t know”
 Offer to find answer and follow up
 Never use as a way to avoid answer
 Look out for “What if …?”
 Avoid request for opinion or speculation
 Return to facts or key talking points
 Never say “No comment”!

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Plan in practice: A hospital
scenario
 Pre-disaster: The hospital is notified by law enforcement that a
gunman is at large at the university. There are casualties and
injuries, but no word yet how many.
 The hospital’s disaster plan is activated, anticipating an influx of
patients, family members and the media.
 The Command Center is set up and key staff, including PIO,
report for duty.

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Plan in practice: A hospital
scenario
 Other PR staff, under direction of PIO, are assigned to:
 Staged Press/Media area (away from ER and other designated areas)
 Man telephones
 Prepare and distribute media badges
 Prepare register/log for media
 Release information as available/approved
 Distribute press releases with public information
 Family/Information area
 Maintain roster of family members entering/leaving area
 Maintain file on each victim
 Provide comfort and support
 Maintain crowd control
 Labor Pool (as available) for other assignments

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Plan in practice: A hospital
scenario
 Primary responsibility is to patients, families and employees
 HIPAA privacy laws still in effect for releasing PHI (private health
information)
 Secondary responsibility to general public
 Media is channel for information

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Summary
 In an emergency, a PIO needs to get out:
 Accurate, timely information on the scope and nature of the
emergency
 Life-threatening and live-saving information
 Actions being taken by responding agencies
 The best vehicle for the message is the media
 Using multiple media channels reaches a larger audience
 Being proactive takes planning

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Questions?

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Learn more:
 Joplin tornado case study: Communicating after a disaster.
http://www.slideshare.net/bdherrick/joplin-case-study-social-
media-and-crisis-management

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Sources
 Coombs, W. T. (Oct. 30, 2007). “Crisis Management and
Communication.” Institute for Public Relations.
http://www.instituteforpr.org/topics/crisis-management-and-
communications/
 Emergency Management Institute. (Oct. 2003). “SM-290 Basic
Public Information Officer Course.” Federal Emergency
Management Agency.
 Federal Emergency Management Agency. (Oct. 2009). “G291
JIS/JIC Planning for Tribal, State and Local PIOs.”
 National Disaster Education Coalition. (2004). “Talking About
Disaster: Guide for Standard Messaging.”

34. Responsibilities:
+ 
 Represent service lines within the Medical
Center in varied aspects of
communications: writing, media relations
and special events.
 Oversee production of monthly employee
newsletter
 Coordinate general employee communications
(audience = 2,600)
 Write/distribute news releases and generate
positive news and feature stories with local,
regional and national media
 Write speeches and prepare presentations for
About Me the CEO, other executives and members of
leadership
Account Services Coordinator at Saint  Coordinate special events and activities
Francis Medical Center  Serve as public information
officer/spokesperson to the media
http://linkedin.com/in/emilysikes
 Education:
 Master of Arts in Journalism/Strategic
Communication (2014, expected) –
University of Memphis
 Bachelor of Science in Mass
Communication/Public Relations (2006) –
Southeast Missouri State University