CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS PLAN

GRANNYS APPLES CO.

GREENACRES, WASHINGTON
I.

PURPOSE
This Plan provides guidelines for communicating within the corporation, and
from the corporation to the media and public, in the event of an emergency
or crisis. This Crisis Communications Plan describes the role of Internal
Communications in communicating vital information to members of the
Greenacres community as well as key stakeholders, customers and
employees of the corporation.
This plan is an integral part of emergency response for the corporation and
should be used to guide emergency decision- making appropriately. As with
any plan, the elements of this plan should be reviewed and tested regularly
in conjunction with site- wide emergency drills and exercises.

II.

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

GOAL: Timely determination if the incident or emergency situation requires
invoking this crisis plan.
OBJECTIVES:
1. Decision made by Crisis Communication Team to release warning and
communication
2. If delay of warning/ notification release will have life- safety implications, preapproval for authorized personnel to release initial message without Senior
staff decision
GOAL: Provide timely and accurate warning and notification to the
Greenacres community of any known danger or threat that could affect their
well- being.
OBJECTIVES:
1. Activation of appropriate communication resources quickly and efficiently
2. Provide clear directions on what people need to do in response to the
emergency
3. Identify who needs to be informed
4. Communicate facts about the situation to minimize speculation and rumors
GOAL: Demonstrate clearly that our Grannys Apples Co. is managing the
situation appropriately and is providing for the needs of those affected by the
company incident.

OBJECTIVES:
1. Restore a sense of confidence within the corporation
2.
Clearly demonstrate the efforts of the corporation leadership to
addressing the needs of the public
III.
PROCEDURES
STAGE 1. Activation: Corporation response units will inform the Crisis
Response team of a potential crisis or emergency that could affect the
community of Greenacres. The head of the Crisis response team will inform
appropriate members of the corporation to institute appropriate crisis
communication procedures.
STAGE 2. Crisis Communications Team: The primary Crisis Communication
Team comprises the President, the VP of Business and the VP of Public
Relations. As needed they will seek additional input regarding emergency
communications from any or all of the following:

President
VP of Business
VP of Public Relations
Emergency Operations Director
Chief of Police
Emergency Management Coordinator
NOTE: In an incident that could affect the immediate life- safety of any
member or member of the Greenacres community, any of the listed
personnel above can activate crisis communications resources to provide
rapid warning notification without additional authorization or approval.
STAGE 3. Spokesperson: Generally, this is the highest- ranking individual who
has direct knowledge of the events, preferably the President. The individual
selected will have the highest credibility and understanding of the events
surrounding the crisis.
STAGE 4. Notifying Key Constituencies: The Crisis Communications Team will
determine which publics need to be informed first. It is important to keep in
mind that people will seek and believe- other sources of information in the
absence of official communication. Effective communication will help squash
rumors, maintain morale and ensure public safety.
STAGE 5. Fact Sheet: As soon as possible, a fact sheet will be prepared to
supplement communication with key publics and information provided to
reporters by the spokespersons.
STAGE 6. Alerting the media: The VP of Public Relations should decide on the
best way(s) of reaching the news media. In cases where a crisis likely to be

prolonged, the director may choose to create a media briefing center to

coordinate the flow of information and assure that the facts are being
properly handled. Communication with the media must occur frequently, as
new information surfaces.