Church Public Relations 

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Risk/Crisis Response Team        Visit the Church PR page here.             

Recently, the church I attend became an evacuation center for Hurricane victims from the Gulf coast. We had just weeks before began preparing an emergency response plan to help organize our congregation for just such an event. This planning helped us minister to over 400 people that called our church building home for a couple of days.

Your Risk and Crisis Response Team can be a great public relations tool. Not only do the people that are directly affected by the crisis receive ministry from your church, the community sees your church as a place that not only attends to the soul, but attends to the physical needs of people in need. Notice I have combined risk assessment and crisis management in the same team. The team should meet on a regular basis to assess risks such as building problems, security during regular church events and preschool area protocols for examples. As for Crisis Management, the Team should have plans to handle a variety of situations that can be activated at a moments notice. Don't forget to interact with your community Emergency Management Team. Most likely, your team will be invited to participate in required emergency drills. This can help evaluate your team's response.

Start now to prepare your team before they are needed. The following are some suggestions on getting started:

Building Your Team

      To build your crisis risk/crisis management team, you will select members, provide the authority, resources, and funding they will need to act, and then the team will need to determine their strategies.

Select Team Members

An ideal risk/crisis management team will include between three and eight members and may include necessary subcommittees, depending primarily on the size of the church and the type of ministries in which the church is involved. Members may include those who are current or former:

• Construction contractors

• Facilities managers

• Law enforcement officers

• Medical professionals

• Personnel directors

• Public relations personnel

• Others who have a desire to be involved

Suggested sub teams can include:

• Medical Response - Develop team of medically trained personnel. Nurses, doctors, EMS trained and other medical personnel.

• Media Response - this team will handle media inquiries and facilitate any interview requests in respect to the privacy of the persons involved.

• Security - Develop a team of people preferably with law enforcement background to provide security for facilities, individuals and parking area.

• Administration - This team will make calls to members for needs, handle calls and facilitate check-in and checkout of individuals involved when providing shelter.

• Counseling- Provide Biblical encouragement to those involved, including those involved in the crisis and the church and community workers providing services.

• Food Services- Arrange for snacks and meals for evacuees and/or workers.

• Construction/Maintenance- this team will provide building maintenance such as trash detail and cleanup, plumbing, chairs and tables and electrical provisions. This team can also provide assistance to governmental agencies for home recovery assistance and/or help in clearing roads and trees.

• Accommodations- this team will arrange for cots, blankets, toiletries and will assist in meeting the physical needs of evacuees and workers.

Provide Authority, Resources, and Funding

The church administrative body should officially affirm the formation of the team, and give it the authority to act. It is important that the team also be provided with the necessary resources (equipment, funds, support staff) to carry out their ministry. Most teams can be formed with minimal costs, sometimes as little as $500 to $1,000. These costs might include funds for training and an initial resource library. The risk/crisis management team will also need the funds necessary to make any physical changes the church feels are needed to adequately protect the members, visitors, and property. These costs can range from minimal to quite extensive, depending on the size and commitment of the congregation and leadership, and will be determined over a period of time as the team develops a comprehensive plan.

Determine Team Strategies

Once selected, the team should be concerned with the following general strategies:

• Identifying risks and potential crisis

• Analyzing the impact and scope of the risks and crisis

• Selecting the best risk and crisis management techniques

• Implementing appropriate techniques and responses

• Evaluating and gathering feedback

      More specifically, once the team is selected, they should set out to accomplish the following:

• Become informed

• Establish Protocols and Safety Inspection forms

• Establish and maintain a regular inspection schedule

• Recruit inspectors

• Review insurance coverage

• Motivate the congregational members

• Provide feedback to leaders

• Develop crisis management contingency plans

 Key Components of a Church Risk Management Policy

      The following areas should be covered in an initial church risk management policy. Other areas should be added as needed.

• Financial safeguards

• Hiring employees and selecting volunteers

• Property safety and security

• Transportation

• Youth and children's ministry

• Crisis Management

Procedures for an Incident

• Immediately notify the appropriate emergency response agency if appropriate. (Call 911)

• Notify Staff beginning with the appointed staff liaison.

• Engage Crisis Management Team.

• Follow plan for specific action

• Emergency sheltering

•  Interact with organization requesting shelter. (i.e. Red Cross, City, local school, nursing home or industrial facility.) Provide church representative that is knowledgeable of church capabilities at EOC (Emergency Operations Center) control.

• Assist in transportation and parking of evacuees.

• Keep an accurate list of evacuees that include where they are from and future destination upon leaving facility. Collect contact numbers for individuals and closest relative contact information.

• Provide church number and contact information for individuals for families and friends. Provide outbound calling phone area. Provide long distance calling cards for evacuees use.

• Assign members for snacks and food for evacuees.

• Arrange for bedding and toiletries if an overnight stay is required.

• Assign a "Staff Person in charge" for shifts.

• Assign members for security of facilities and parking area during crisis.

• Assign media contact person for crisis.

• Assign medical person on premise for all shifts.

The following is information that I use in developing Crisis Communications Plans for ministry clients. Use these as notes for your Public Relations Sub-Team

Rules of Crisis Management

• Have a media plan

• Build a relationship with the media before a crisis

• Train staff in crisis communications

• Maintain the relation after the crisis

Possible Crisis

As usual, it is impossible to anticipate what crisis could occur. I have found that being prepared keeps them away!

• Natural or man-made disaster

• Terrorist

• Environmental

• An incident involving a church member

• An incident with a staff person

• An incident with a church sponsored trip or event

• Legislative or court actions

• An outside incident that enacts the church's emergency management plan.

Objectives

• Identify personnel and entities that need to be notified

• Release accurate information as soon as it is available internally and externally.

• Counter inaccurate and rumored information

• Provide one voice for distribution of all information

• Protect privacy of those involved while providing media access to information

Procedures

• Selected staff person or member will handle all media and crisis communications.

• Determine what and when information should be disbursed to the media.

• Keep detailed records of media inquiries, names, organizations and information requested and given out.

• Handle all media inquiries as promptly as possible. Treat the local and national media with the same respect.

• Arrange media interviews with appropriate staff person or church member. Be sure person is fully briefed and prepared.

• Provide media with information and fact sheets, media kits, statistics and detailed written updates.

• Provide escorts for media representatives.

Basic information that the news media will want to know includes the following:

• What happened?

• Who was involved?

• How many deaths/injuries occurred?

• How did it happen?

• When did it occur?

• What are you doing about the incident?

• What is the extent of property damage?

      What do you say when you have nothing to say?

      First, never say "No Comment." The media associates guilt or that you are hiding something.

      Opening statement examples . . .

      I'm John Doe, National spokesperson . . . We are saddened by the incident today. We are working with local officials at this time to determine what took place and how such a tragedy could happen. We'll make more information available as soon as possible.

      I'm John Doe, National spokesperson . . .We're looking into the situation and will have further comments as soon as I am able to review all the information.

      I'm John Doe, National spokesperson . . . We will investigate thoroughly the alleged incident and will cooperate fully with proper authorities that are investigating the incident.

      I'm John Doe, National spokesperson . . . We will ensure that any staff person accused of improper actions will be afforded their due-process legal rights.

      We will do whatever is necessary and prudent to ensure that a similar incident does not occur again.

       Remember to use the word "alleged" when referring to an incident when someone has been accused. Also, protect the identity of the accused, staff and family when possible.  

      Develop Contact List

• Newspapers (dailies, weeklies, monthlies, college/university papers, and community newsletters)

• City and Regional Magazines

• Local Trade and Business Publications

• State Bureaus of National Wire Services, such as the Associated Press (AP), Reuters, and United Press Internationa l(UPI)

• Local Radio and Television Stations (including college/university networks)

• Local Cable Stations

• Public Broadcasting Stations (which may have community affairs programming)

• Public Information Officers at military bases, if applicable (many military) housing areas have broadcast stations and newsletters that may reach the entire families of service members)         

Regardless of the medium, for the most part your media list will consist of the following types of reporters:

• Metro Desk/City Reporters--interested in news "around town"

• Public Affairs Reporters--interested in civic and legislative issues

• Business Reporters--interested in hard news involving regional business, local economy, and economic/community growth (e.g., impact on sales, environment, address changes)

• News Assignment Editors

• Public Service Announcement Director

Media Guidelines: When working with reporters, try your best to:

Correct inaccuracies, otherwise they will be accepted as fact.

Pair use of statistics with stories or case studies that bring them to life.

Repeat important information to reinforce key message points.

Know your community objectives and the goals of the church and its ministries. Be prepared to provide information and answer questions in depth. Don't use statements like: "We're here to save people from hell." Yes, we want to see people come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, but the media loves to turn well meaning phrases into something controversial. Maybe say it like this: "We're interested in helping the physical needs of our community as we do with the spiritual side . . ."

Stay out of other people's business. If a reporter asks you about the emergency fire rescue unit, for example, reply, "Let me get a firefighter to answer that," or "From what I've seen, the firefighters have done a wonderful job of responding to the situation."

Always be honest. If you don't know an answer to a question say so and offer to find the answer or refer the reporter to someone who can.

      FEMA - http://www.fema.gov/library/bizindst.pdf

      Media Relations

• In an emergency, the media are the most important link to the public. Try to develop and maintain positive relations with media outlets in your area.

• Determine their particular needs and interests. Explain your plan for protecting personnel and preventing emergencies.

• Determine how you would communicate important public information through the media in an emergency. Designate a trained spokesperson and an alternate spokesperson. Set up a media briefing area. Establish security procedures. Establish procedures for ensuring that information is complete, accurate and approved for public release. Determine an appropriate and useful way of communicating technical information.

• Prepare background information about your facility. i.e.: How many people can you shelter? How many volunteers are assisting? etc.

• When providing information to the media during an emergency:

      Do's

• Give all media equal access to information.

• When appropriate, conduct press briefings and interviews. Give local and national media equal time.

• Try to observe media deadlines.

• Escort media representatives to ensure safety.

• Keep records of information released.

• Provide press releases when possible.

      Don'ts

• Do not speculate about the incident.

• Do not permit unauthorized personnel to release information.

• Do not cover up facts or mislead the media.

• Do not place blame for the incident.

      SIDE BAR

Press releases about facility-generated emergencies should describe who is involved in the incident and what happened, including when, where, why and how.

      Another strategy for ensuring effective media relations during a critical incident is to develop media kits ahead of time. The media kits should be maintained in the emergency operations center and immediately distributed to designated personnel when a crisis situation occurs. However, it should be noted that without realistic, periodic practice (at least once a year), even the best crisis media relations plan will fall short.

 Please share these ideas with others so we can reach more people for Christ through good PR. If you have other ideas, or would like to see an article on a particular subject, let me know at lmiller@msget.com. 

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