By Daryl Lee Spiewak, CEM, TEM, Lead Trainer for the CEM® Commission

Last month we discussed the second and third sections of the Implementation standards – Prevention and Mitigation. This month we will describe the fourth and fifth sections of the Implementation standards – Crisis Communications and Public Information, and Warning, Notifications and Communications.

Defining the Standards

The NFPA® 1600 version 2013 does not specifically define the two standards of Crisis Communications and Public Information and Warning, Notifications and Communications, However, the NFPA 1600 Implementation Guidance defines various aspects separately. They are:

• Crisis communications is how an entity conveys information to those with a need to know during a crisis situation. It is different from routine communications. The guidance goes on to state, “The goal of crisis communications is to communicate with key audiences in a manner that addresses the concerns of each stakeholder group and at the same time supports the entity’s objective of positively influencing the outcome of the crisis.”
• Public information is information conveyed to all of the different external stakeholders, including the media.
• Alerting and notification are procedures to contact emergency response and business continuity teams as well as emergency service responders.
• Warning involves procedures to communicate information to people potentially impacted by an actual or impending emergency.
• Communications is defined as the actual information being conveyed, as well as the systems, protocols and procedures to convey that information to those with a need to know.

The Standard – Crisis Communications and Public Information

The NFPA® 1600 version 2013 describes two parts to the Crisis Communications and Public Information requirements. They are:

• The entity shall develop a plan and procedures to disseminate information to and respond to requests for information from the following audiences before, during and after an incident:
  • Internal audiences, including employees; and
  • External audiences, including the media, functional needs populations, and other stakeholders.
• The entity shall establish and maintain a crisis communications or public information capability that includes the following:
  • Central contact facility or communications hub;
  • Physical or virtual information center;
  • System for gathering, monitoring, and disseminating information;
  • Procedures for developing and delivering coordinated messages; and
  • Protocol to clear information for release.

In the United States, these are usually covered by the Public Information Officer and the Joint Information Center, but may also be handled by the Incident Commander and/or the Emergency Operations Center.

The Standard – Warning, Notifications and Communications

The NFPA® 1600 version 2013 describes four parts to the Warning, Notifications and Communications requirements. They are:

• The entity shall determine its warning, notification, and communications needs.
• Warning, notification and communications systems shall be reliable, redundant and interoperable.
• Emergency warning, notification and communications protocols and procedures shall be developed, tested, and used to alert stakeholders potentially at risk from an actual or impending incident.
• Procedures shall include issuing warnings through authorized agencies if required by law as well as the use of pre-scripted information bulletins or templates.

Notice that this standard does not define what types of systems should be used. It leaves the decision up to the local entity to decide what works best to meet local needs and laws. Also know that the communications part must be effective for all stakeholders. That means that messages will have to tailored for each audience and that emergency managers need to know the techniques for effective communications overall.

References

For information and discussion on Implementation (4) Crisis Communications and Public Information and Warning, Notifications and Communications Requirements, refer to the recommended FEMA Independent Study courses and other related references mentioned below.

Do not confuse these general resource requirements with the specific procedures found within your organization. While an emergency manager needs to understand and know local procedures to be effective in the position, those procedures could easily differ from the general procedures discussed in the study references and are not found on the certification exam.

The applicable FEMA Independent Study (IS) courses candidates should review when studying the Implementation Requirements are:

• IS-1a – Emergency Manager: An Orientation to the Position
• IS-230d – Fundamentals of Emergency Management
• IS-242b – Effective Communication
• IS-802 – Emergency Support Functions (ESF) #2 – Communications

For those taking the U.S. version of the exam, review the following additional references:

• IS-247a – Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS)
• IS-248 – Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) for the American Public
• IS-250a – Emergency Support Function 15 (ESF15) External Affairs: A New Approach to Emergency Communication and Information Distribution
• IS-251 – Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) for Alerting Authorities
• IS-700a – National Incident Management System (NIMS): An Introduction
• IS-702a – National Incident Management System (NIMS): Public Information Systems
• IS-704 – NIMS Communications and Information Management

Next Month in the CEM^® Corner

Next month we will describe the Operational Procedures and Incident Management sections of the Implementation standard. We will also provide a recommended list of FEMA Independent Study courses and/or other references to study.

IAEM Bulletin, August 2014

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