2. • Peter Brown
Speaker
• Vice President of Public Affairs at Brigham & Women’s
Hospital and
• Chief of Staff, Office of the CEO, Partners Healcare
Participants
• John McFadden • Deputy Chief Gerry Mahoney
– Director of Business Continuity – Cambridge Fire Department
and Crisis Management, • Ini Tomeu
Genzyme Corporation – Public Information Officer, City
• Alan Snow of Cambridge
– Director, Safety and Security, • Dave Degou
Boston Properties) – Superintendant, Cambridge
• John Juliano Police Department, retired
– Former Director of Security, • Paul Ames
Royal Sonesta – Deputy Superintendant,
Cambrige Police Department
2
3. Exercise layout
• Situation recap of our Q1 Exercise
• Tabletop role playing exercise will be continuous throughout
the presentation.
• We ask for group & audience participation
• We will speak to tools & techniques on how to prepare for
and respond to the media during an event.
• We will look at the impact of other emerging outlets, i.e.
YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, etc.
• Discuss how critical the first few moments and statements
can be during an event.
3
4. Company profile
FreshPond Water Company
FreshPond Water Company distributes 11 Million gallons
Daily of domestic water to the community. The privately
owned 15 acre campus is a state of the art complex
maintained by 115 employees.
4
5. Situation Report
Don Haverty:
•Terminated employee after 15 years
•Recently separated from his wife due to financial
stress
•Has begun sending emails and leaving voicemails
with non-specific threat.
•Lost an unemployment hearing last week
6. Situation Report 10:00 10:04 am
am
10:06 am
• Suspect entered main door
and approached receptionist.
He asked to see former
manager.
• When denied he became
aggressive and refused to be
delayed.
• Left after making some
poorly veiled threats.
7. Situation Report 10:12 am
10:13 am
10:14 am
• Suspect returns shortly
after and produces a shotgun
• Suspect demands to
speak with manager and
shoots receptionist.
• Suspect enters facility
unopposed.
8. Situation Report 10:15 am
10:16 am
• Plant worker comes
out to investigate
sounds of the shot.
• Suspect encounters
plant worker and
wounds him at the top of
the stairs.
• Suspect lets himself
into office complex and
continues his spree.
Due media has picked up radio transmission
The toFirst Calls Receivedactivity the
ECC- consistent scanner
media has mobilized and is now for
and has Sectorplacing calls to CPD
Police- begun Cars En Route
covering the incident.
comment.
CFD- Medics En Route
10. What Are Your Concerns?
What is the media doing right now?
1. Calling CPD/CFD/PRO
2. Calling the company
3. Calling area companies and residences
4. Going to company websites
11. Situation Report 10:17 am
10:30 am
• Suspect Enters Office
Area
• Begins Searching For
Target
•Suspect Shoots 2
Employees in Interior
Hallway
ECC- Multiple Calls Received
Police- First Units On-Scene
CFD- Medics En Route
12. Situation Report 10:30 am
10:32 am
• First Units Arrive and
Enter
• Suspect Engages
Police
• Enters Control Room
ECC- Multiple Calls Received
Police- First Units On-Scene
CFD- Medics En Route
13. Situation Report 10:33 am am
10:35
10:50 am
• Suspect takes a
hostage and becomes
barricaded
• Responding Units
Isolate Suspect
• SRT Arrives On
Scene
ECC- Multiple Calls Received
Police- First Units On-Scene
SRT On-Scene
CFD- Medics On-Scene
ICP- Established
14. Emergency Services are securing the area.
Road Closures are impacting the area.
News crews are looking for bystanders
Road Closures
and Staging
areas are being
implemented
15. News Team Releases this Video
• EMPLOYEE ESCAPING FROM
BUILDING TALKING TO REPORTER
15
16. What Are Your Concerns?
What are you doing to interact with
the Media?
17. Situation Report11:00 am am
11:15 11:40 am
• Tact Medics Embed
With SRT at ICP
• SRT and Tact Medics
Triage and Treat
Wounded
• SRT Relieve Initial
response Officers and
Isolate Suspect
ECC- Managing Calls for Service
Police- First Units Relieved
SRT On-Scene
CFD- Medics On-Scene
Tact Medics On-Scene
ICP- Operational
18. What Are Your Concerns?
• Situation within the building is coming to a
close, BUT the event is still on going
• Police have spoken to the media once with a
limited briefing
• We are approaching the 12pm news casts
for TV
• What opportunities are there to inform the
public
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19. What are you going to do and how are you
managing the information?
• The Media
• REPORTER TALKING has picked up
ABOUT WATER on a lead that
CONTAMINATION has not been
answered at
this time
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20. 11:45
12:00
12:03
• Suspect Detonates
Device
• Negotiator Convinces
Suspect to Surrender
• Suspect is Arrested
ECC- Managing Calls for Service
Police- SRT On-Scene
Negotiators On-Scene
CFD- Medics On-Scene
Tact Medics On-Scene
ICP- Operational
22. What Are Your Concerns?
What are you doing to interact with
the Media?
23. 12:15 pm
• Family members and
friends are arriving onsite
after seeing footage on the
news
•News teams are capturing
grieving family members
• What are you going to do with family and friends that are
arriving at the scene
• How are you managing the families attempting to contact
the Company via phone.
24. What Are Your Concerns?
• What and how are you going to do to communicate to your
employees?
• What if possible can employees release for information?
– Can you control the information release?
• Are you prepared to offer Grievance counseling?
• What HR involvement options do you have?
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28. Internet Search Engines
• Once it hits
the web it is in
the hands of
anyone who
will listen
28
29. So what are your next steps
• When are you prepared to deliver a news
conference?
• Who will participate from the Company on
this briefing?
• What is being released for information?
29
30. Your Public Statement
News organizations want:
• A rapid response
• Updated info
• Easy access to interviews
• To meet deadlines
30
31. Your Public Statement
Written or verbal?
It all depends …
• Written statement
avoids Q & A
• Verbal statement
promotes Q & A
Trained professional
must give statement
31
32. Your Public Statement
• Press conference – be
certain you have
information to share
• Bad press conference
cannot answer questions
• If you appear evasive, a
negative public
perception is likely
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33. Your Public Statement
• Do not change your
message once you
agree on what to say
• The media loves
inconsistency
33
34. Your Public Statement
• Youcan build on your
message, but don’t back
away from it
• That’s why you start with
the basics – Who? What?
When? Where?
34
35. Your Public Statement
• What happened? (only detail you want
to share)
• When?
• Who was involved?
• Where did it happen?
• How? – maybe?
• Why? – be very careful
35
36. Media & You
• Rehearse your plan – with the media,
if possible
• Know the benefits of establishing a
positive relationship with the media
• Identify the different types of media
and their particular needs
• Learn the best techniques to get your
story to the public 36
37. Who Is Your Media?
• Do you have a media contact list?
(Updated every 2 months)
• Have you pitched any positive stories
to the media?
• Help the media fill the ‘news hole’
37
38. Media & You
• Before you talk to the media
• Make certain everyone who
will speak knows what to say
• Your PIO is the keeper of these
public remarks
38
39. Media & You
The ‘Dos’ to Remember
• Stay on message
• Be assertive and positive
• Offer context
Think before you speak –
a pause is OK
39
40. Media & You
The ‘Don’ts’
• Don’t talk down to the reporter – your job is
to educate/inform/engage
• Don’t use jargon or acronyms
• Don’t give too much detail (otherwise known
as rambling)
40
41. Media & You
The ‘Don’ts’
• Don’t speak for anyone else
• Don’t speculate (a trap)
• Don’t debate the reporter
• Don’t be defensive
41
42. Media & You
The Don’ts
• Don’t blame reporter for someone
else’s poor treatment of you
• Don’t let falsehoods stand
• Don’t ask reporter to suppress data
42
43. Media & You
Please do not
conduct an interview
until you are ready …
43
44. Media & You
Why the Message Matters
• Messages keep you focused and
disciplined
• Messages help you break through clutter
of rumors, false reporting
• Message repetition is important
44
45. Media & You
Reporter’s Advantages
• Starts with preconceived story angle
• Asks the questions
• Controls the elements (including
other interviews)
• Writes the story/controls editing
45
46. Media & You
Your Advantages
• Think like a reporter
• What questions would you ask if you were
the
reporter?
• Regular practice sessions to keep your
skills fresh
46
47. Media & You
Yes or No Questions
Question: ‘Yes or no: Is the father of the murder
victim guilty of this crime?’
Answer: ‘The investigation is underway and we
have reached no conclusion’
Take control of the answer
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48. Media & You
To Avoid a Question You Simply
Don’t Want to Answer …
‘That’s a good question.
I would like to think
about that and get
back to you …’
Limit use of
this response
48
49. Media & You
Any Interview
Never say:
‘No comment’
‘No comment’ =
you have
something
to hide
49
50. Media
Rules of
Engagement
• ‘Off the record’, ‘not for attribution’
and ‘deep background’ are
dangerous terms for the novice
Keep everything on the record
• Off the record and other terms – work with
your PIO
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51. Media & You
The Ground Rules
The interview begins the moment you say
hello
• Take care until you or reporter is gone and out
of range
• Danger lurks when you think someone cannot
hear you
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52. Media & You
At the End
• Takeopportunity to repeat your
message one more time
• Provide follow-up, if you’ve promised
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