b'This requires intentional focus, commitment, humility, networking, advocacy, and grit.aligned our disaster response planning withappropriately assign response roles, FEMA. This is not because FEMA is perfect resources, and communication accountabil-it is notbut because this is our system as aity. Additionally, it will help identify who to nation. The goal of this alignment is to ensureinvest in with training and mentorship. our emergency response language is consistentFrontline staff instruction: This section with FEMA, easing the communication of ourhelps senior leadership plan and guide our needs, ensuring a clear understanding, and settingfrontline staff in responding, communicat-everyone up for efficient support. ing, and directing information. Its essential Let us follow Noahs example and commit toto keep this section simple, clear, and con-starting our demanding work toward solid disastercise. Areas to define for your frontline response planning. We will cover four core areas:staff include initial media contact, media the crisis communication plan, emergency responselocation, incoming phone call responses, and management plan, continuity of operationsand the emergency response phone tree.plan (COOP), and Break It (tabletop exercises). Detailed crisis communication plan: This Crisis communication plansection requires a bit more grit work. You T his plan aims to effectively manage com- are outlining your plan to address internal munication in a simple, clear, and concisepreparations, safety, crisis communication manner. The priority is mitigating crisestree, situational assessment, developing key or serious negative repercussions for the ministry.messages, staff notification, board and lead-It identifies clear lanes of communicationership notification, media releases, partner responsibility for specific focuses toward victims,and key group notification, recordkeeping, stakeholders, and the media in a timely way whilemedia and message evaluation, communica-maintaining the reputation of leadership and trans- tion updates, post-crisis evaluation, and parency on vital issues. Leadership buy-in andpost-crisis cleanup.respect for the plan are the keys to avoiding chaos.Communication checklist: This section is our Defining terms: The communication planopportunity to think proactively and map helps you respond appropriately to what isout our guidelines for the flow of communi-coming at you. Each of our missions willcation during a crisis. The key concept to have differing terms based on our geogra- remember here is guidelines. The guidelines phy. For example, we define the differencemay or may not be appropriate for the crisis, between a crisis, emergency, disaster, threat,but they will have been created when our and incident. Each definition helps uslogical brains were engaged and will make it \x02 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2025 WWW.CITYGATENETWORK.ORG 9'