When Disaster Strikes

The devastation along the Guadalupe River in Kerr County, Texas continues to be top of mind for many in North America. We hear the stories of those impacted by the tragic flooding in the central part of the state, including over 100 who lost their lives.

Media swarmed to the scene to report, collect aid, and assist where possible throughout a national outpouring of grief. The children and counselors at Camp Mystic who lost their lives, or are unaccounted for as rescue changes to recovery, are especially on all of our hearts and minds. The loss of life, pets, property, family heirlooms, housing, and transportation, combine to change lives forever. It’s everyone’s worst nightmare.

A time will come when there will be investigations as to what went wrong and where there were failures to protect the vulnerable. It has been shared that some residents didn’t receive alerts due to poor cell service or because they hadn’t signed up for specific alert systems. There are reports online that local broadcasters began sending “Code Red” notices at 4:22a the morning of July 4th. 

All that comes in the future; the time to help others is now.

It is times like these that radio organizes donation drives, providing charity connections to a community, and helps to organize volunteer initiatives. Start by identifying the most trustworthy charitable organizations that will help specific areas and provide aid to Central Texas residents in need. Not all national charities direct donations to a specific area. Do your research on whom to suggest your listeners donate to help with recovery. Alert the audience to be cautious of bad actors.

The people of Central Texas need our help. Solicit the help of your audience and advertisers, but understand this is not a promotion. Your messaging must carry the proper tone of care and sympathy. Sharing content across multiple markets, remote reporting from a crisis location, and pulling in local executives to weigh in on whether it can happen in your community are all approaches to take at such times.

The 9/11 terrorist attacks were a turning point for broadcasters. We were all on high alert and America stood as one. There was a palpable unity, borne out of necessity. A crisis in a community creates that same bond, because it’s one of necessity. There was much to learn in the wake of that horrific day. Many broadcast organizations held seminars that included sessions on what to do in case of another such attack, or a weather crisis, or an act of God that takes lives.

Yet, disaster preparedness is very different today than it was in 2001. There are fewer people in-market today. We are dependent on technology to share information and to alert a community in a time of crisis. Training is critical to be effective.

If you’re working at any kind of non-news station (i.e., Music, Sports, etc.), if a crisis of 9/11-magnitude happens or a life-threatening weather event like the Central Texas floods hits your market, your response should be to change the station’s programming to 100% news. 

It may originate from your own news department, a sister station, or you could pick up crisis coverage from a network. The bottom line is that you should have a source to be able to provide the audience with information that equates to crisis coverage. It is understandable that if a listener has access to a video source, they may turn there after hearing breaking news from your station, but what you’ve done with that announcement is provide your audience with the knowledge and comfort that they can depend on you as a source for important or urgent information. 

If you’re All News or News/Talk, this is when you are needed the most, and you satisfy the most important reason an audience visits your station regularly.

Go with wall-to-wall coverage and provide your community with the survival information that they need. If you’re far from the epicenter of the action, focus on the incident’s impact on your community. For instance, gasoline prices went up after Hurricane Helene. When 9/11 happened, all communities found themselves applying new security measures, and travel as we knew it before 2001 changed dramatically. What will this situation change in the lives of your listeners?

Before your audience can depend on you, you must be ready to react, and that means being prepared and having rehearsed for a crisis. Create a CRISIS File on your computer and on your devices, but print it out as a backup, in case of a power failure. The CRISIS FILE is a quick reference for how to respond to a variety of emergencies.

Each page lists the order of contact for each event. Thus, removing “what should we do” when time is wasting. You cannot guess when minutes count. Make the printed version easily accessible and in an identified area. Put it on your company’s Intranet. Memo your team on where to find this information. And update it regularly. It’s not a “Click it and Forget it” situation.

First, know how to react as a cluster. Talk about what you want your audience to walk away with from listening. Page one should contain contact information for the leadership at your company and your station. Cell phone, email info, and probable vacation contacts, especially if not in the same location as the executives, talent, and techs with your cluster. 

Prepare response guidelines for on-air, intercompany communication and for the press so that your words during an emotional period do not come back to haunt you. Our words matter, especially at a critical time like a disaster or tragedy. 

Second, include contact information for the Police, Fire, County Health Departments, Center for Disease Control, Hospital Emergency Rooms, EMS, Schools, Government, Prosecutors, Roads & Highways cross-referenced, Transit, Taxi, Delivery Services, and FedEx. Include contact information for local government for City, County, State/Regional, and Federal. Add all contacts for utilities: Gas, Water, Sewer, and Electric.

Third, think outside of the box as you prepare the contents of each of the categories for your Crisis File. Pull in your team for ideation. For example, if there were an airline crash, what would you need to have on file? You might include the FAA, airport fire tower, control tower, fire stations near the airport, airport EMS, rental car service desks, major airlines, and a general aviation spokesperson for all airports in your region. Bring depth and detail to each category. 

Take this concept and apply it to your stations for your community. The FCC expects broadcasters to serve the community. We are licensed and regulated to provide access to information and promote public safety.