Page 26 - spaces4learning, Spring 2023

spaces4learning CAMPUS SAFETY
FIVE CONSIDERATIONS
FOR YOUR EMERGENCY
COMMUNICATIONS PLAN
By Lauris Friedenfelds
COMMUNICATION IS THE LIFEBLOOD OF ANY emergency response. Whatever events are happening and whatever your response is, the information must be communicated to the appropriate people. Therefore, each organization has a Duty of Care requirement, which is, in essence, an organization’s responsibility to provide a safe environment. And with the complex, hybrid workforces growing today, there is a need to look beyond the walls of the main facility. Communications are a part of that responsibility.
In this article, we will discuss not only the technology, but also the operational aspects of an effective Emergency Communications Plan.
The first challenge is developing and implementing a plan for the organization which will manage communications. Every Emergency Operations Plan should be a communications plan. The plan should include:
• When to initiate a message
• Who can initiate the message
• What the message includes
• Who is the recipient of each message
• How to initiate the message
When to Initiate a Message
To answer “When,” there is some good guidance in the form of higher education security requirements. Many know that in the higher education arena, the Clery Act not only requires an- nual crime reporting, but it also dictates the requirement for Emergency Notifications, as well as Timely Warnings. A good definition is provided on the Clery Center website:
“Institutions must immediately notify the campus community upon confirmation of a significant emergency or dangerous situation involving an immediate threat to the health or safety of students or employees occurring on campus. (Examples: Approaching forest fire, outbreak of meningitis, approaching tornado, earthquake, gas leak, terrorist incident, armed intruder, bomb threat, etc.)”
You will need to be able to satisfy the “need to know”
versus the “want to know” just because they are just curious. Ensure that the plan addresses the Immediate Threat definition. Later, the organization may choose to communicate additional information as desired, especially as required for Timely Warning of criminal incident patterns. Please refrain from using this as a tool for routine messaging. It is best that there is a bit of startlement when the message notification is received.
Who Can Initiate the Message
When planning who can initiate the message, the organiza- tion should identify a trusted communications person who is available during emergencies. This may include several people, covering all hours 24/7. To meet the need for the immediate notification, this should not be a cumbersome decision process or a committee decision. In past incidents, the criticism of failed communications during incidents usually focused on a process that took too long to authorize and execute.
What the Message Includes
It is recommended that messages be pre-populated with only the location or time, as the information that needs to be added to complete the message. Make the messages short and succinct. These messages should not be a re-iteration of existing emer- gency procedures. Some examples:
There is an Active Threat involving a weapon at ________. Follow your emergency active threat plan for your area. Additional information will follow.
There is a bomb threat at ______. Follow your Bomb
26 SPRING 2023 | spaces4learning.com