Crisis Management &

Emergency Response
Pennsylvania Bus Association
Ocean City, MD
June 12, 2007
Matthew Daecher, Daecher Consulting Group
Camp Hill, PA

Before we start
Entire slideshow available for download at:
www.safetyteam.com/general/pba2007.html
If you encounter problems:
matt@safetyteam.com

Are You Prepared?

Well-managed companies have policies and
procedures that are followed in the event of an
accident. However, most accidents are not
catastrophes.
Catastrophes are situations involving injuries that
require hospitalization or fatalities, or major
environmental events
Because catastrophes are rare, many companies
are caught off-guard when such an accident
occurs.

Are You Ready?

A crisis response plan needs to:

1. Consider your risks and vulnerabilities

2. Address various scenarios
3. Organize your response
4. Prepare your employees

Crisis Response Plan

Will provide well thought out direction and
response measures in a time of extreme
stress and confusion

Will help avoid overlooking areas which

need to be addressed that may otherwise
be overlooked in the heat of the moment
and cause additional confusion and stress

One Size Will Not Fit All

Different plans, protocols will be necessary
for different scenarios, but many scenarios
will have common themes/items which will
need to be addressed.

Ultimately, create the scenarios; plan the

ideal response; think of what would be
needed to achieve the desired response;
and write it into a plan

One Size Will Not Fit All

Place yourself in real-world scenarios from
the past and consider everything you
see/know consider response needs and
ways to achieve them

Plan Development & Implementation

Assess threats/scenarios
Assess vulnerability against threats
Determine prioritized risk based on above
Reduce risk where possible

Prepare, stay prepared and alert

Reassess risk on regular basis

Most likely scenarios:

Serious MVA/Bus incident
Security threat on vehicle
Emergency incident at your facility
External incident which affects your
operation (terrorism, natural disaster)

Security threat/incident at facility

Major Components - Crisis

Plan:

1. Information gathering/reporting

2. Communication within company

3. Who is responsible for what?
4. Coordination with responders
5. Coordination with partners
6. Media response/Outside inquiries

To Respond Effectively:
Need to know:

1. As much about incident as possible

2. What do you need internally (equipment)
to respond

3. Which parties will you be coordinating

with?

To Respond Effectively:
4. Who is affected who will want what
information?

5. What questions will likely be asked?

What information should you research and
prepare?

Response Team
Lead person directs others on team
according to plan

Information gatherer contact with driver,

on-scene liaisons, authorities, emergency
responders

Response coordinator employees,

insurance company, business partners,
transportation partners

Spokesperson public contact

Information Gatherer
Crisis Information
Exact location, surrounding conditions
Parties involved
Victims/Injuries how many?
Weather and wind direction
Witness statements
Best/safest access route

Information Gatherer
Gathering Crisis Information
Employees involved/on-site
Associates on-site
Emergency Responders/Authorities
Media (witness, transport info)
Hospitals/Care Clinics

Response Coordinator
Contact/dispatch necessary employees and
equipment

Contact insurance company

Contact business partners (tour
organizer/seller, school district, cotransportation providers, etc)

Contact transportation partners to assist

Response Coordinator
Proactive communication emergency
contacts of individuals involved

Spokesperson - What questions

will likely be asked?
Questions regarding:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Driver
Vehicle
Injuries/fatalities
Company protocols
Company training
Company security measures

Spokesperson What
information should be gathered?
1. Driver employment history
Any known previous history related to experience

2. Vehicle service & maintenance history

3. Confirmed Injury/fatality numbers

Spokesperson What
information should be gathered?
4. Company protocols procedures
established to comply with regulatory
issues

5. Company training training provided to

mitigate this specific risk associated with
incident

Spokesperson What
information should be gathered?
6. Company security measures
procedures/actions taken to reduce risk

Tips - Dealing with the Media

You should have prepared/canned
responses available for various situations
which highlight the positives of your
company in various areas:

Driver/employee Training
Maintenance Program
Safety Record and Ratings
Investigation and Crisis
Management/Response Protocol

Tips - Dealing with the Media

Add to canned responses details and
facts gathered involving/concerning the
current situation/incident

Never say I dont know

Never let a question go answered
without incorporating a positive

Helpful Tips Crisis Plan

Checklists for each response team
position should be drafted to insure proper
information and response considerations
given (team leader review during crisis)

Catastrophic/Crisis response is too much

for one person to handle

Helpful Tips Crisis Plan

Information gathered, communications
should be documented in real time and
available to all team members

If response team is not in single location,

dedicated communication lines for team
members should be available

Needed to Respond to any Crisis:

Duplicate contact info for key
employees/response members available
to ell employees

Updated contacts/phone lists for all

employees, including emergency contact
info

Needed to Respond to any Crisis:

Emergency contacts for passengers where
possible

Multiple contacts for key business partners

Employee training drivers/tour guides/onscene responders what information to
gather

Needed to Respond to any Crisis:

Training for dispatchers who to
notify/where to begin to document info
(gatherer?)

Business continuity considerations

Proper Execution of a Crisis

Plan
Requires training for key employees involved
May be effective to go through mock
communications with responders

Practice once/year
Review threat matrix annually to determine if
additional plans should be developed

How Do I Build It Into A Plan?

Define roles and responsibilities for all
employees
Identify key roles and responsibilities
Detail practices and actions of Company
for Security and Emergency Preparedness
Detail training and exercises to be
provided

How Do I Build It Into A Plan?

Detail public safety agencies which will be

contacted for emergency response and

coordination
Detail other companies you will contact for help
in transporting employees, passengers, or
victims
Define the process and time frame for evaluation
and modification of the Plan
Detail response procedures for each type of
likely threat
Detail procedures for business continuity /
recovery