Emergency Simulation

Original Call

• Call emergency services.

• Get in a vehicle and drive towards the accident site.

• Alert organizational leaders (your staff team) there is an incident.

Next Steps

• Gather supplies & continue making plans with other managers.

• Send out a press release regarding the accident.

• Notify all board of directors members about the accident.

• Attempt to contact other groups doing activities and cancel all programs.

Reporter

• Provide a summary & express compassion for participants & staff.

• Hang up.

• Say, “What are you talking about?”.

• Note you don’t have much information and ask what they know.

Upset Parent

• “I wouldn’t trust social media”.

• Empathize and share the information you have.

• Say you’re gathering information and will call them back.

Board Member

• Ask the board member to brief the reporter on details.

• Ask the board member to drive to location and provide assistance.

• Note it’s early in the emergency and you don’t know the details.

• Provide a summary and ask for media calls to be directed to the office.

Next Steps

• Take your internal emergency response team by vehicle to the site to support uninjured participants. Bring food, warm clothes, and first aid supplies.

• Inform your team. Make a plan to manage participants, and inform parents with a brief, compassionate, factual message.

• Send out press releases and social media messages announcing emergency is under control. Contact parents of injured participants with same message.

• Wait for further information before acting – the situation seems under control. Remind staff not to talk to media, but direct all inquiries to you.

Concerned Parent

• Empathize, show care and concern, and provide information.

• State “No comment” so you don’t give information that could be used against you.

• Delay responding until you have more detailed information.

• Sympathize with the parent by expressing similar emotions of concern.

Cancellation

• Attempt to change parent’s mind.

• Ask parent to re-consider, citing restrictions and loss of deposit.

• Delay by asking parent to call back later.

• Process the cancellation.

Media Relations

• Provide your pre-established talking points.

• Provide the safety plan and driver training information requested.

• Say, “no comment”.

• Blame the other driver for the accident and assertively defend your safety procedures.