1. CRISIS COMMUNICATION Colonel NOISETTE Jean-Yves Director of the Fire and Rescue Division for the department of Vaucluse (South of France)

2. METHOD and PRACTICE for CRISIS COMMUNICATION METHOD and PRACTICE for CRISIS COMMUNICATION C’est la Introduction : The crisis concept Introduction : The crisis concept 1. Préliminary questions 2. Forms of communication 3. Usual rules Conclusion Conclusion

3. Introduction – The crisis concept The EVENT Population Effects Emergency response Doubts about the event, its effects ? Experts ? anxiety Decision center Irrational Politics Groups of pression Groups of pression

4. The EVENT Population Effects Emergency response Doubts about the event, its effects ? Experts ? anxiety Decision center Irrational Politics Groups of pression Groups of pression

5. Decision center Doubts about the event, its effects Emergency response Groups of pression Groups of pression Irrational behaviour Fears Power conflicts Closing of the center Turning in on oneself

6. Decision center

8. 1 – Preliminary questions Communication can be IMPOSEDorDECIDED In every cases, TO COMMUNICATE IS NEVER NEUTRAL TO COMMUNICATE IS NEVER NEUTRAL

9. Before communicate, some questions are necessary :

10. 2 – Forms of communication The choice of the right form is made according to the answers given by the ANALYSIS :  Of the operational situation  Of the media sollicitation level  Of the population behaviour (victims, witness, etc…)  Of precedent or malfunction existence  Of the decision-maker strategy

11. Operational situation Emergency response Media on field ? NO Media calling ? NO YES INFORMATION

12. FOLLOWING ANALYSIS Groups of pression Doubts Event Preventative measures Rescue acts Contradictions We have all the time Operationnal Technician Facts Consequences Emergency response Means Back to normal  Groups of pression  Doubts  Contradictions INFORMATION FOLLOWING ANALYSIS

13. Operational situation Implication of rescue ? NO Groups of Pression ? NO Victims ? NO Doubts ? NO Irrational behaviour ? NO Antecedents ? NO Anxiety ? NO

14. Media on field ? Emergency response Operational situation NO YES Media calling ? Doubts ? NO YES Expert To reduce Doubts YES INFORMATION

15. Analysis  Excess of attributions  Number of experts  Lack of coordination INFORMATION EXPERT Interpretation of results Scientific information collect EXPERT No limit for expert attributions Contradictions between experts Lack of coordination with TECHNICAL information FOLLOWING ANALYSIS

16. Media on field ? Emergency response Operational situation NO YES Media calling ? NO YES INFORMATION Victims ? NO YES Expert To reduce Doubts YES Doubts ?

17.  Quality of inforation  Lack of information  Lack of coordination Families Informations about victims incomplete and / or in contradiction Disaster victim information not guaranteed for a long time (post-Crisis) INFORMATION « Green Number » AUTHORITY EMPC Victims (Number, state of health) Disaster victims (Evacuation, lodging,…) Lack of coordination with TECHNICAL or SCIENTIFIC information Lack of coordination with « green number » FOLLOWING ANALYSIS

18. Operational situation Media on field ? YES Groups of pression Implication of rescue Antecedents YES Expert To reduce doubts NO Doubts ? Anxiety INFORMATION Irrationnel

19.  Discrepancy  Number of communicants  Lack of answer to the questions Planned communication Discrepancy between the message and the state of mind of the population No uniqueness of communicant : Prefect + elected authorities Authorities of different ministries AUTHORITY No answer to questions : of the population of the groups of pression INFORMATION Answer to anxiety Rationnal explanations END OF ANALYSIS

20. 3 – Usual rules For a good use of the COMMUNICANT For a good use of the PLACE For a good use of the MOMENT

21. The COMMUNICANT If the communicant isn’t credible or representative for the media, the journalists will search an operational protagonist or somebody who meet their needs among the witness or the population

22. AVOID THE RESSOURCE LOSS  Don’t let an expert or a politic authority to communicate about technical information.  Don’t multiply the technical informations. AVOID THE CREDIBILTY LOSS  Don’t let the experts to quarrel.  Don’t contradict or modify an information of another kind of communication.

23. The PLACE The media, especially the radio and television media, are looking for « ambiance ». The journalists want to be : on the field of the event in the command post in the decision center

24. REDUCE The PRESSURE  Choose the place, according to the media requirement.  Separate the place for press conference and the structure (command post or decision center), which is under pressure by the media.  Organize a « visit ».

25. The MOMENT The radio or television media don’t have the same requirements than newspapers : The first one are in competition with each other. The second are looking for substance.

26. CHOOSE THE RIGHT MOMENT  Choose the moment, according to the media requirement.  When there is enough matter for : TECHNICAL information SCIENTIFIC information SOCIAL information POLITICAL information If not, communicate carefully, because NOT TO COMMUNICATE CAN LEAD THE MEDIA TO INTERPRET THE ACTIONS OR TO BE POLEMICAL.

27. As a CONCLUSION… The (bad) communication GENERATE THE CRISIS ! The (right) communication - quick, reliable, clear, regular- AVOID THE CRISIS !

28. Thank you for your attention Colonel Jean-Yves NOISETTE SDIS 84 – Esplanade de l’armée d’Afrique 84 018 AVIGNO Cédex 1 (France) noisette.jy@sdis84.fr