Hardin Park Elementary School

Crisis Communication Plan

Emergency Response Operations to Fire and Food Poisoning

October 3, 2016

Table of Contents

Introduction: Hardin Park Elementary School’s Crisis Communication Plan 2

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Acknowledgments 3

Rehearsal Dates 4-5

Purposes and Objectives 5

List of Key Publics 6

Notifying Publics 7

Crisis Team 7

List of Emergency Personnel and Local Officials 8

Lists of Key Media 8

Spokesperson for Related Organizations 9

Crisis Communication Control Center 9-10

Equipment and Supplies 10-11

Pre-gathered Information 11-12

Key Messages 12-13

Website 13-14

Blogs and Social Media 14-15

Trick Question Responses 15-18

List of Prodromes 18

Other Related URL’s 19-21

Evaluation Form 21-22

Introduction: Hardin Park Elementary School’s Crisis Communications Plan

Purpose of the Plan

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The purpose of the Hardin Park Elementary School Emergency Operations Plan is to

identify and respond to incidents by outlining the roles and responsibilities of Hardin Park

Elementary School itself, its employees and its stakeholders. The development, maintenance, and

practice of the plan enables employees in an incident to respond quickly and accurately. Faculty,

staff, students and other stakeholders will be educated on their roles and responsibilities before,

during, and after an incident has occurred. This plan provides a reassurance to parents and

members of the community that Hardin Park Elementary School has established guidelines and

procedures to respond in an accurate manner for incidents that occur.

If the Crisis Communication Plan is not followed in the event of an emergency the results

could be disastrous or cause further damage to individuals, including faculty, staff, students, and

stakeholders. Hardin Park Elementary School strives for a safe environment in which they send

the community can send their children to learn.

Acknowledgements
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This school emergency plan has been completed and approved through a collaboration of efforts,

including:

________________________ _______________________

Mary Smalling Lauren Dotson

Principal Assistant Principal

________________________ ________________________

James Godwin Amy Hiatt

Assistant Principal Media Coordinator, ITF

_________________________ ________________________

Candice Trexler Jimmy Isaacs

Media Coordinator Fire Chief

_________________________ ________________________

Dana Crawford Heven Anderson

Police Chief Group Member

__________________________ _______________________

Lola Chirinos Micah Gwyn

Group Member Group Member

___________________________ __________________________

Mondo Williams Anna Joy Cantrell

Group Member Group Member

Rehearsal Dates
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Exercising in preparation for an incident is imperative in conducting a successful plan. The

following dates are in place to ensure that the exercise take place.The activated plan will be

discussed after the exercise has taken place to improve upon the methods and strategies that are

in place.

Rehearsal Date Exercise Type

March 2017…....…………………………………………………...………………..Fire Incident

October 2017……………………………………………………………...…….. Food Poisoning

December 2017…………………………………………………...…… Fire and Food Poisoning

March 2018…....…………………………………………………...………….…….Fire Incident

October 2018…………………………………………………...................…….. Food Poisoning

December 2018………………………………………….……...……… Fire and Food Poisoning

March 2019…....…………………………………………………...…………..…….Fire Incident

October 2019…………………………………………………………….....…….. Food Poisoning

December 2019………………………………………...……………..… Fire and Food Poisoning

March 2020…....………………………………………………………………..…….Fire Incident

October 2020…………………………………………………....…………….….. Food Poisoning

December 2020……………………………………...…………………... Fire and Food Poisoning

March 2021…....…………………………………………………....…………...…….Fire Incident

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October 2021……………………………………………….……………....…….. Food Poisoning

December 2021………………………………………………………..… Fire and Food Poisoning

Purpose

In the event of a crisis, the implementation of this plan should be conducted in an effective and

timely manner. Information should be disclosed accurately through the proper media channels

with collaboration from the Hardin Park Elementary School’s Crisis Communication Team.

Objective

1. To implement the plan within one hour of the incident.

2. To send frequent updates as soon as we receive it to all publics.

3. To make sure all communication is accurate and truthful.

4. To respond to all concerns and media requests promptly and in a professional manner.

5. To use one experienced spokesperson to communicate with the media.

List of Key Publics

Enabling Publics

Watauga County Board of Education

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Lauren Dotson, Mary Smalling, & Jim Godwin, administration at Hardin Park Elementary

School

Functional Publics

Hardin Park Elementary School Office Personnel- Amy Abernathy, Sandra Winebarger, Mary

Rich

Hardin Park Elementary Student Services- Theresea Gibbs, Claire Jensen, Denise Presnell,

Candis Walker, Kate Younger

Parent Volunteers

Normative Publics

Surrounding Watauga County Elementary Schools- Parkway Elementary School & Cove Creek

Elementary School

Children’s Council of Watauga County

Diffused Publics

Local Media- The Watauga Democrat, High Country Press, Mountain Times Publications

Watauga County Parks & Recreation

Notifying Publics

In case of a crisis, the administrative team will be notified first, followed by the employees.

As soon as facts are confirmed, an administrative spokesperson (principal or vice-principal) will

speak on behalf of Hardin Park Elementary School to the press and/or to external publics in the
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form of a press release, as well as on social media. Faculty, volunteers, or members of student

services outside of the administrative team should not release information on behalf of the

elementary school, as all information is confidential, and it is the responsibility of the

spokesperson alone to relay concrete details of the crisis to outside sources.

Crisis Team

Administrative (Principal/Assistant Principals)- Will gather details of the crisis and condense

them into a concise presentation of facts to be released to the public. Principal will act as

spokesperson. However, if Principal is unable to do so, the Vice Principal will communicate with

the public. The administrative team will delegate responsibilities to faculty members with

regards to emergency evacuations or contacting parents of the students.

Faculty (Educators, Teaching Assistants, and Parent Volunteers on site)- Faculty members

involved in the crisis (or those who were at the scene of the crisis as it first arose), will

immediately report details to the administrative team and follow administrative instructions for

evacuation or notifying parents, if necessary.

Emergency Personnel & Local Officials

Boone Fire Department Watauga County Rescue Squad

721 W. King Street 200 Quail Street

Boone, NC 28607 Boone, NC 28607

828-268-6180 828-264-2426
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Watauga County Sheriff's Office Boone Police Department

184 Hodges Gap Rd 1500 Blowing Rock Rd

Boone, NC 28607 Boone, NC 28607

828-264-3761 828-268-6900

Watauga Medical Center

336 Deerfield Rd

Boone, NC 28607

828-262-4100

List of Key Media

Mountain Times - Online/Newspaper

Watauga Democrat - Online/Newspaper

Hcpress - Online

Blowing Rock News - Online

Topix “Boone News” - Online

Spokesperson for Neighboring Organization

1) Human Resources: Stephen Martin

Business Contact: 828-264-7190

Human Resources : The responsibility of establishing good public relations lies with the
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HRM to a great extent. They organise business meetings, seminars and various official

gatherings on behalf of the Watauga County School Departments in order to build up

relationships with other business sectors. Sometimes, the HR department plays an active

role in preparing the business and marketing plans for the organization too.

2) Ellen Essick, Ph.D, Section Chief

NC Department of Public Instruction contact : ellen.essick@dpi.nc.gov

The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction administers the policies adopted by

the State Board of Education and offers instructional, financial, technological, and

personnel support to all public school systems in the state

3) Watauga County Schools Transportation

Transportation Director, at 828-264-6391

Crisis Communication Control Center

Parkway Elementary School - This will serve as our primary location if a significant

number of classrooms are made unavailable by a fire. This will not only provide a facility

to retreat to the day of the emergency but also as the classrooms are being rebuilt.

Address: 160 Parkway School Drive, Boone, North Carolina 28607

Phone: (828) 264-3032/Fax: (828) 264-7999

Doug Faulkner, Principal

Locations inside school: Cafeteria, Teachers Lounge, gymnasium & any open

multipurpose rooms

Principal Doug Faulkner has given full access to the cafeteria(when not in use) and the
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other multipurpose rooms that are available in case of an emergency. If their were to be

any major concerns or questions teachers would be asked to consult with Hardin Park’s

principal Mary Smalling.

If Mary Smalling is not present, then the receptionist, Amy Abernathy, will be the lead

coordinator and reference point.

Equipment and Supplies

Walkie-talkies: Walkie-talkies are necessary forms of quick and direct communication

one person to another. You should have these just in case their is not service throughout

the building, it is necessary to have a battery powered form of communication in case of

an emergency.

Cell Phones: It's uncommon for people to not have any type celluar device., it is

important that at least one leader of the team has a phone to use in emergencies.

Copy of Crisis Communication Plan: In case of an emergency it is important to have a

copy of the crisis plan in the main headquarters where a crisis communication plan is

displayed, there should be at least one copy of the updated crisis communication plan for

reference so it can be referred to in the the time of a crisis.

First Aid Kit: This is must have for Hardin Park Elementary. If a fire breakout there is a

chance of people running to exist, which means someone can fall and hurt them self,

having a First-Aid kit near an exit can be very smart, because you can treat them

individuals.

List of Emergency Contacts: It is necessary that the adults of the school has a copy of
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each child’s emergency contact in case of an emergency and a parent or guardian needs

to be contacted if necessary.

Emergency Food and Water: Water is the most important thing to have during a crisis. If

there is a fire there is a high chance of people getting smoke into their lungs, water would

help you receive good oxygen and also a good way to clean your face and hands with.

Pre-gathered Information

Fire on School Property

Date: October 10, 2016

Contact: Watauga County School Board

BOONE, NC., It has been confirmed that ____________________ has been affected by a

fire on school property. Parents have been notified of the incident and early dismissal of

students. We urge that all questions be directed to the fire department.

Once further details emerge about the fire, an announcement will be made by Watauga

County Schools board chair, Ron Henries regarding the causes of the fire.

Food Poisoning

Date: October 10, 2016

Contact: Watauga County School Nutrition

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BOONE, NC., Reports of food poisoning by food prepared in our cafeteria have been

confirmed. Students have been reported with foodborne illness and are encouraged to stay home.

We urge to contact School Nutrition if they are experiencing any symptoms.

Once more details of the cause of the contamination, an announcement will be made by

Monica Bolick, head of School Nutrition. Bag breakfast and lunches will provided to those who

qualify for free school meals.

Key Messages

Fire on School Property

1. __________________________ fell victim to a fire on its properties this afternoon.

Student and faculty have been killed and injured by the disaster.

2. We are currently working with the fire department to find the cause for the fire and

paramedics to help victims. Our main concern is the safety of faculty and staff.

3. At this time, we ask that only parents of students or relatives of faculty be present on

school property to ensure their student’s safe arrival home.

4. We are sorry to those who have loss a loved in this tragedy and we stand with you in

these trying times.

5. Questions about the incident shall be direct to the superintendent and local authorites via

email or phone. We are working on ensuring that these incidents never occur again.

Food Poisoning by Cafeteria

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1. Recently, __________________’s cafeteria has fallen under food contamination. Many

students have developed foodborne illness and have contacted the school.

2. Administrators are working hard to find what compromised the safety of student meals. If

your student has eaten school meals in the past week, please contact School Nutrition

immediately.

3. We apologize to those affected by the contamination. This situation has very been

unfortunate and we’ve been working relentlessly to avoid future incidents.

4. School Nutrition will only be serving bag lunches to those who qualify for free meals.

Others are encouraged to bring lunches from home. Watauga County is committed to the

health of its students.

5. Any questions or concerns should be directed to School Nutrition via email or phone.

Again, we sorry for this incident and we are working to ensure the safety and health of

our students.

Website

Fire on School Property

Hardin Park Elementary is currently facing a crisis of a fire on school property that has

affected students and faculty. As a school, we strive to provide the safest environment for

optimal learning but as a result of the damages. We urge all press to be considerate of the school

property while the building is under investigation.

At this moment, we have no information in regard to the cause or the amount of damage

of the school. We are working diligently with authorities to find information and will notify
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about any developments. Any comments, questions, or concerns should be directed to Ron

Henries.

Food Poisoning from Cafeteria

Hardin Park Elementary has been informed of contamination of school meals resulting in

the illness of several students. As a school, we strive for the safety and health of all students. We

take full responsibility of the incident and currently investigating the cause of the contamination.

We urge all student who have symptoms to contact School Nutrition.

At this time, only bag breakfast and lunches will be served to those who qualify for free

meals. As we continue to investigate, will announce any further developments. Any questions or

concerns should be directed to Monica Bolick.

Blogs and Social Media

Watauga County School website- http://www.watauga.k12.nc.us/

WCS social platforms:https://www.facebook.com/HardinParkPTO

https://twitter.com/hardinpark_wcs

https://www.instagram.com/hardinpark_wcs/

The biggest reason why we should be monitoring social media is to control what information is

being spread and to answer questions in a quick fashion

Local News website: http://www.wsoctv.com/news

There may be some miscommunication due to the fact they are a bigger outlet

Watauga Democrat: http://www.wataugademocrat.com/

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One of our major publics due to being the local newspaper

Trick Question Responses

Food Poisoning-

Leading questions:

In the case of a leading question, such as, “You do believe that the school could have taken more

precaution when preparing meals for the students,” respond honestly. Assure them that it is a

common mistake when preparing food for masses and the school is going to do everything

possible to ensure that it does not happen again.

Silence:

If reporters remain silent, do not ramble to fill the silence. Either continue to be silent or use that

time for positive reinforcement in regards to the crisis. Positive reinforcement can include

assurance that food poisoning has never been an issue for the school cafeteria and the kitchen

staff will be going through health training to be certain that this will not be a problem in the

future.

Accusatory Questions:

It is possible that reporters may try to catch you blaming the kitchen staff for the food poisoning

crisis. In that case, do not cast blame on anyone. Kindly respond by stating that it is a common

mistake that anyone could have made.

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Jargon Questions:

In the case of health critics, do not be frightened by professional and technical jargon. Always

respond with language that is understandable to common publics to ensure you maintain their

trust. If needed, ask the reporter to restate his or her question.

Speculative Questions:

Reporters may ask speculative questions, such as, “ If there were more kitchen staff monitoring

the meat, do you think the school could have avoided so many food poisoning cases?” Kindly

respond by stating that the cafeteria staff is well trained and this does not happen often. Reassure

the public that the cafeteria will take extra precaution in monitoring the cafeteria in the future.

Fire-

Speculative Questions:

Be prepared for speculative questions, such as, “If _____________(i.e. heating systems, cooking

equipment, electrical equipment, etc.) had been monitored more closely, would this fire still have

occurred?” Assure the reporters and the publics that all potentially hazardous equipment is

monitored very closely and maintained frequently, and this is just an uncommon mistake that

will not be made in the future. If necessary, apologize and reassure the public that the mistake

was an accident and the school will do everything in their power to be certain that it will not

happen again.

Leading Questions:
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In the case of a leading question, be sure to state all the facts. Reporters may ask, “You agree that

the fire could have been prevented with proper precaution?” Kindly respond, stating that these

types of crises can be avoided, however accidents do happen. Again, reassure them that the

school is going to take extra precaution in the future to prevent this from happening again.

Silence:

If reporters remain silent, be sure you do not fill in the silence by rambling. The reporters want

you to spill all the details. Use the time that reporters remain silent to reinforce the positive sides

of the situation, such as reassuring that few to none were injured in the accident.

Accusatory Questions:

It is possible that reporters could try to force you to cast blame on maintenance, electric

companies, the kitchen staff, or anyone else who may have been involved with the source of the

fire. Instead of casting blame, use “the school” as a universal term when discussing who is at

fault. A response such as, “The school apologizes for the mistake and will take extra

precautionary action to ensure that this does not happen again in the future,” would suffice.

Jargon Questions:

In the case of a reporter using professional jargon and language that is difficult to understand,

respond in common, everyday language. If necessary, ask the reporter to restate his or her

question.
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Prodromes

Food Poisoning:

1. The Cafeteria serving meat that is slightly too rare

2. Food recalls from outside distributors

3. Dirty Kitchens

4. Water contamination

5. Dirty bathrooms

Fire-

1. Old and outdated electrical wiring

2. Discolored or charred outlets and switches

3. Unclean kitchen appliances

4. Flammable liquids contained improperly

URLs for Food Poisoning

http://kidshealth.org/en/parents/food-poisoning.html Kids Health

· Causes of food poisoning

· Common food poisoning germs

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· Symptoms

· When to call the doctor

· Treating food poisoning and at-home care

· Prevention

http://www.abpischools.org.uk/page/modules/diseases/diseases5.cfm Resources for schools

· Causes

· Treatment

http://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

· E. Coli outbreaks

· General information about E. Coli

· Reporting foodborne illness

· Statistics of foodborne illness in the US.

· Trends in foodborne illness

· Resources for clinicians and laboratories

https://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

· General information about Salmonella

· Salmonella outbreaks
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· Reporting salmonella

https://www.cdc.gov/listeria/ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

· Symptoms, causes, treatment, and prevention of listeria

· Statistics

· Surveillance

· People at Risk

· Diagnosis

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs328/en/ World Health Organization

· Key facts

· Geographical distribution

· Transmission

· Symptoms, causes, treatment, prevention, and diagnosis

· Who is at risk?

· Immunization efforts

Evaluation

Media Relations:

How did Hardin Park Elementary School successfully communicate with the local media?
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Would the coverage have been better if the school had taken the time to build stronger

relationships with the media before the crisis?

How could relationships with the media become stronger?

Was the spokesperson for the school sincere and honest enough?

Community Relations:

Will the community be forgiving following the crisis?

How did the school work well with the community during the crisis?

How can the school make it up to stakeholders such as parents, students, faculty, and staff?

How can the school be more present in the community?

Crisis Management Team:

Did the team perform well under the pressure of the media and worried parents?

Is there any member of the team who was better at communicating with parents or the

community?

Did the team respond quickly enough?

Was there anything the crisis management team could have done to better their communication

with the media, community, and each other?