Case Study: After it Hits the Fan
This real-life example illustrates the first big mistake companies make in a crisis: not having a plan and a foolproof internal notification system.
“It was nine o’clock on Christmas Eve and I was waiting for the kids to drift off to sleep so Santa could visit, when my phone rang. It was a reporter.
“Is it true they’re going to evacuate Bridgeport?” he asked. The North Texas city was the location of my company’s largest moneymaking asset, a natural gas processing plant.
“I beg your pardon?”
“Your gas plant is on fire and the rumor is, they’re going to evacuate the entire city,” the reporter explained.
A good plan should not try to anticipate every possible crisis that may befall an organization but should, at a minimum:
- Establish a mandatory internal notification system and telephone contact list
- Identify the people and disciplines within your company that need to be included on a crisis management committee
- Develop a contact list of the appropriate government, regulatory and public safety agencies, as well as any news organizations that may need to be notified
- Identify and gather details on company facilities where a mishap could have public safety implications (and ensure that evacuation plans are in place for those locations, as well as for nearby residences and businesses)
- Provide for training of key personnel and tabletop exercises to test the plan periodically.
Bad things can happen to good organizations. The trick is to respond immediately and proactively in a direct and honest manner. That sounds easy, but when you are up to your neck in alligators, you might not be thinking clearly. That is why you need to have a plan, test it regularly and follow it.
The other important thing to remember after any crisis is to investigate the causes thoroughly and then correct what caused the problem in the first place. The more serious the crisis, the more important it is for you to determine the contributing factors and fix them so a similar event never happens again.
See After it Hits the Fan, by Anthony R. Lentini, Jr.
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An unexercised contingency plan could be worse than no plan at all!
Be sure to read Disaster Recovery Testing: Exercising Your Contingency Plan, Philip Jan Rothstein, FBCI, Editor – the only book on this subject – for valuable tips, techniques and insights.
