Crisis Management &

Emergency Response

Pennsylvania Bus Association

Ocean City, MD
June 12, 2007

Matthew Daecher, Daecher Consulting Group

Camp Hill, PA
 Before we start…

Entire slideshow available for download at:

www.safetyteam.com/general/pba2007.html

If you encounter problems:

matt@safetyteam.com
 Are You Prepared?
Well-managed companies have policies and
procedures that are followed in the event of an
accident. However, most accidents are not
catastrophes.
Catastrophes are situations involving injuries that
require hospitalization or fatalities, or major
environmental events
Because catastrophes are rare, many companies
are caught off-guard when such an accident
occurs.
 Are You Ready?
A crisis response plan needs to:
1. Consider your risks and vulnerabilities
2. Address various scenarios
3. Organize your response
4. Prepare your employees
 Crisis Response Plan
 Will provide well thought out direction and
response measures in a time of extreme
stress and confusion

 Will help avoid overlooking areas which

need to be addressed that may otherwise
be overlooked in the heat of the moment
and cause additional confusion and stress
 One Size Will Not Fit All

Different plans, protocols will be necessary

for different scenarios, but many scenarios
will have common themes/items which will
need to be addressed.
 Ultimately, create the scenarios; plan the
ideal response; think of what would be
needed to achieve the desired response;
and write it into a plan
 One Size Will Not Fit All

 Place yourself in real-world scenarios from

the past and consider everything you
see/know – consider response needs and
ways to achieve them
Plan Development & Implementation
 Assess threats/scenarios
 Assess vulnerability against threats
 Determine prioritized risk based on above
 Reduce risk where possible

 Prepare, stay prepared and alert

 Reassess risk on regular basis
 Most likely scenarios:
 Serious MVA/Bus incident
 Security threat on vehicle
 Emergency incident at your facility
 External incident which affects your
operation (terrorism, natural disaster)

 Security threat/incident at facility

 Major Components - Crisis
Plan:
1. Information gathering/reporting
2. Communication within company
3. Who is responsible for what?
4. Coordination with responders
5. Coordination with partners
6. Media response/Outside inquiries
 To Respond Effectively:
Need to know:

1. As much about incident as possible

2. What do you need internally (equipment)
to respond

3. Which parties will you be coordinating

with?
 To Respond Effectively:

4. Who is affected – who will want what

information?

5. What questions will likely be asked?

 What information should you research and
prepare?
 Response Team
 Lead person – directs others on team
according to plan

 Information gatherer – contact with driver,

on-scene liaisons, authorities, emergency
responders

 Response coordinator – employees,

insurance company, business partners,
transportation partners

 Spokesperson – public contact

 Information Gatherer –
Crisis Information
 Exact location, surrounding conditions
 Parties involved
 Victims/Injuries – how many?
 Weather and wind direction
 Witness statements
 Best/safest access route
 Information Gatherer –
Gathering Crisis Information
 Employees involved/on-site
 Associates on-site
 Emergency Responders/Authorities
 Media (witness, transport info)
 Hospitals/Care Clinics
 Response Coordinator
 Contact/dispatch necessary employees
and equipment

 Contact insurance company

 Contact business partners (tour
organizer/seller, school district, co-
transportation providers, etc)

 Contact transportation partners to assist

 Response Coordinator
 Proactive communication – emergency
contacts of individuals involved
Spokesperson - What questions
will likely be asked?
Questions regarding:

1. Driver
2. Vehicle
3. Injuries/fatalities
4. Company protocols
5. Company training
6. Company security measures
 Spokesperson – What
information should be gathered?
1. Driver employment history
 Any known previous history related to experience

2. Vehicle service & maintenance history

3. Confirmed Injury/fatality numbers

 Spokesperson – What
information should be gathered?
4. Company protocols – procedures
established to comply with regulatory
issues

5. Company training – training provided to

mitigate this specific risk associated with
incident
 Spokesperson – What
information should be gathered?

6. Company security measures –

procedures/actions taken to reduce risk
 Tips - Dealing with the Media
 You should have prepared/canned
responses available for various situations
which highlight the positives of your
company in various areas:
 Driver/employee Training
 Maintenance Program
 Safety Record and Ratings
 Investigation and Crisis
Management/Response Protocol
 Tips - Dealing with the Media
 Add to canned responses details and
facts gathered involving/concerning the
current situation/incident

 Never say “I don’t know”

 Never let a question go answered
without incorporating a positive
 Helpful Tips – Crisis Plan
 Checklists for each response team
position should be drafted to insure proper
information and response considerations
given (team leader review during crisis)

 Catastrophic/Crisis response is too much

for one person to handle
 Helpful Tips – Crisis Plan

 Information gathered, communications

should be documented in real time and
available to all team members

 If response team is not in single location,

dedicated communication lines for team
members should be available
Needed to Respond to any Crisis:

 Duplicate contact info for key

employees/response members available
to ell employees

 Updated contacts/phone lists for all

employees, including emergency contact
info
Needed to Respond to any Crisis:

 Emergency contacts for passengers

where possible

 Multiple contacts for key business partners

 Employee training – drivers/tour
guides/on-scene responders – what
information to gather
Needed to Respond to any Crisis:

 Training for dispatchers – who to

notify/where to begin to document info
(gatherer?)

 Business continuity considerations

 Proper Execution of a Crisis
Plan
 Requires training for key employees involved
 May be effective to go through mock
communications with responders

 Practice once/year
 Review threat matrix annually to determine if
additional plans should be developed
 How Do I Build It Into A Plan?
 Define roles and responsibilities for all
employees
 Identify key roles and responsibilities
 Detail practices and actions of Company
for Security and Emergency Preparedness
 Detail training and exercises to be
provided
 How Do I Build It Into A Plan?
 Detail public safety agencies which will be
contacted for emergency response and
coordination
 Detail other companies you will contact for help
in transporting employees, passengers, or
victims
 Define the process and time frame for evaluation
and modification of the Plan
 Detail response procedures for each type of
likely threat
 Detail procedures for business continuity /
recovery