This is not a drill: Five tips to boost emergency readiness

BY SUSANNE BANKHEAD

September is National Preparedness Month, making it the perfect time to assess your agency’s emergency readiness. As a “recovering City PIO,” I remember wildfire season and the intense preparation that came with it. In fact, I still have “go bags” stashed at home, work and in my car – because once a PIO, always a PIO.

Disasters like wildfires, storms, cyberattacks, and public health crises are truly inevitable. And when that moment arrives, effective communication can be the key difference between order and chaos—and sometimes life and death.

PIOs hold the responsibility of delivering critical information to the public. You could do your job perfectly for 364 days a year, but if you’re caught unprepared on the day disaster strikes, that’s what the public will remember. How can you ensure you are ready when the next crisis comes? Here are five tips to boost your readiness: 

1. Build your dream team

Emergencies are no time to go it alone. You need a dream team now. Under California Government Code, all public agency employees are designated as disaster service workers. Leverage this by identifying internal staff who can support you. Think outside the box - your colleagues in library and cultural arts, housing or finance might just make excellent information gatherers or rumor monitors. Beyond your internal team, build relationships with key external partners, ensuring you have a network ready for fast, coordinated responses.

2. Have a plan before it hits the fan

Emergencies are not the time to start thinking about your crisis communications strategy. You need a plan, and you need it yesterday. A solid crisis communication plan is your north star, guiding you with:

• Roles and responsibilities of PIO and crisis team

• Pre-written key messages for most likely emergencies in your community (fire, power outage, flood, etc.)

• Shared PIO resources like contact lists, approval workflows, graphic templates for signs, social media and website, checklists by role, “go bag” packing list and “how tos” for social media and website updates

3. Practice like a pro: Drills, drills, drills

Practice makes perfect. Conduct regular crisis drills, not just with your team, but with participants throughout your entire agency. Make them realistic, so your team gets used to the pressure of a real incident. These drills will reveal any gaps in your plan and team resources. After each drill, debrief to capture insights and address action items identified. 

4. Prep like a pro: Master your pre-approved messaging

Anticipate likely emergency scenarios and develop pre-approved messaging templates. These messages give you a head start when a crisis hits, allowing you to focus on real-time updates instead of drafting statements from scratch. While it’s essential to plan, be prepared for the unexpected. In my time as a PIO, I encountered incidents that I hadn’t anticipated – like a sick juvenile whale spending several days in a popular lagoon or a banner-toting plane making an emergency beach landing on the Fourth of July. These incidents tested our emergency plan and resources but became excellent learning moments for me and our team, better preparing us for future incidents.  

5. Be ready to tackle the rumor mill

With today’s 24/7 information cycles, rumors spread fast. If you’re not telling your story, someone else will. Be prepared with the tools and team needed to monitor and correct information quickly. We recommend drafting short “holding statements” to share in the initial moments of an incident, allowing you to establish your agency as the most credible source of information.

We know how challenging it is to find time for crisis planning. But, it’s one of the most important steps you can take to protect your community or service area. When PIOs plan ahead, they not only ensure their agency is ready for the unexpected but also contribute to creating safer, more resilient communities.  

At JPW, we’re committed to supporting in this critical work. Whether you’re refining your existing emergency plan or navigating a crisis in real time, our team is here to help. With three former PIOs who have handled everything from fires to floods to fatalities, we bring real-world experience to crisis communications. We are here if you need us.