Recent tragedies have highlighted the acute need for businesses of all types to have a crisis communications plan, Firestorm Solutions CEO Harry Rhulen told members of the Rocky Mountain Coal Mining Institute.
Speaking Thursday at the RMCMI's Tri-State Meeting in Sheridan, Rhulen detailed some of the practices Firestorm (www.firestorm.com) has utilized in helping organizations through a crisis, including at Virginia Tech, where Firestorm was retained in the wake of April's mass shootings to assist in the initial phase of recovery.
“The media's trend toward saturation coverage of tragedies, accidents and disasters has exacerbated the need for crisis communications expertise in all phases of industry, including traditional manufacturing and production," said Rhulen, who was on site with Firestorm's Crisis Response Team at the Blacksburg, Va., campus hours after the tragic event. “When a crisis of this magnitude occurs, it is important to have expert assistance immediately. Without the proper crisis messaging, media management and grief assistance, your response can become the second crisis."
To meet this need, Rhulen unveiled the Firestorm Crisis Response Program, which allows businesses, schools and other institutions access to the nation's premier crisis consultants on an affordable retainer basis.
In the event of a crisis, members can contact 24/7 a Firestorm principal, who will provide incident response support, initiate a vulnerability analysis, identify crisis communications messages and stakeholders, activate the Firestorm response team, and establish a control and logistics plan. Upon arrival, the team will meet with senior client leadership, evaluate conditions and assume an active support role in handling incoming media and making appropriate company statements.
Working with client leadership, Firestorm and its Expert Council - made up of former Secret Service agents, lawyers, doctors (including two former U.S. Surgeons General), technology and human resource professionals - will implement a plan specific to the situation.
“Although coal mining has made recent headlines and been a target of media scrutiny, other types of mining, energy, manufacturing or production companies have similar risks of accidents or tragedies and need to be equally prepared when their crisis occurs," Rhulen said.
Contact Rhulen at 1-800-321-2219, ext. 112, or hrhulen@firestorm.com. Media inquiries can be made to Mike Pennetti at mpennetti@firestorm.com or 678-557-9243.
Firestorm is a strategic consulting firm which focuses on vulnerability analysis, threat assessment and mitigation, and crisis communications and management.
