Creating a Crisis Communication Plan

Use this hypothetical scenario to write a brief crisis communication plan description of approximately one to two pages that addresses four key elements.

Scenario: You have recently been hired to be the public relations director for QAMB Inc., a new digital communications company with 300 employees, at the company's headquarters in Charles, NC. You report directly to the vice president of communications. The company creates smart information boards and routes laser high-speed digital signals. The company also has regional office locations in California, Florida, New York, and Oregon, with an additional 100 employees. The headquarters is located on the top five floors of a new high-rise office building in downtown Charles; a bank occupies the lower floors. Two of your largest partners, a major university and a motor speedway, are north of town. A large client, an international airport, is south of town. Your company has an alternate headquarters building located 3 miles away that is wired and furnished for emergency use.

Your first assignment is to prepare a crisis communication plan and to share the plan with company employees, external partners, and agencies, including the bank and appropriate city officials. You have called a meeting with key officials in QAMB to discuss your outline and proposal. Attending the meeting are the following headquarters employees: chief executive officer, chief financial officer, vice president for operations, human resources director, company attorney, headquarters building manager, IT director, and your immediate boss. Two PR specialists from your office are also helping you with the meeting. Because your offices are located on the top floors, you must be prepared for a major fire that would require you to evacuate and relocate to an alternate site.

Instructions: Using this subunit as a guide, write a one- to two-page communication plan description for the evacuation and relocation of QAMB headquarters. As you develop the plan, make sure to focus on answering the questions of who, what, and where. Your plan should include the following four key elements:

1. Crisis communication team members with contact information
2. Designated spokesperson
3. Meeting place/location
4. Media plan with procedures