Twitter this month was full of juicy tidbits and handy hacks from this month’s 2019 NSPRA National Seminar, but few made the impact of a 49-page Google Doc from a 7,300-student district in North Dakota.
The document, the Grand Forks Public Schools “Emergency Communications Plan,” is a thorough and thoughtfully-made playbook of how to both prepare for and respond to the unthinkable should it ever happen within the district.
The plan was penned by the district’s one-person Communications Team, Tracy Jentz, APR, who was awarded a NSPRA Golden Achievement Award for her work earlier this month.
I reached out to Tracy, who was happy to share her expertise …
K12PR: Prior to creating this document, how would you describe your school system’s emergency communication plan?
TJ: Grand Forks Public Schools internal stakeholders have spent a significant amount of time developing and maintaining a District Emergency Manual, which details the actions of the school system in response to a number of emergency situations, and Counselor Crisis Response Manual, a collection of materials and suggestions to assist employees in implementing a crisis response plan. While we have our internal process and procedures well-researched, written, and trained on, we did not have a comprehensive plan for communicating with our stakeholders during an emergency. A comprehensive Emergency Communications Plan addresses some of the most basic and important questions: who (is involved), what (is happening), when and where (did the event occur). With this proactive framework, I can assist my school system in anticipating a variety of emergency scenarios while demonstrating the hard work many put in each and every day to make our schools safe and secure.
When did you realize there was a need for a plan as thorough and detailed as this one turned out to be?
Throughout my six-and-a-half-year tenure at Grand Forks Public Schools, I have assisted in bringing a communications perspective to over 60 student, staff, and school-related emergencies. Through that work, I have found that many of my colleagues have not had experience or training in communicating about emergency events. As a 1-person communications office, I need to educate my colleagues in all areas of communication, and especially what to do in my absence. The actual concept of the plan came together following an emergency event our school system experienced in May 2018 combined with reading Melissa Agnes’ book “Crisis Ready” in the summer of 2018.
This plan clearly involved a great deal of research and preparation. Can you tell me about the research process that went into not only gathering the information, but determining what information needed to be included?
In the fall of 2018, I decided to utilize this work as the communications plan I would present for the Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) process. In doing so, I knew I needed to utilize the 4-step process: Research, Plan, Implement, Evaluate (RPIE). Each item in the emergency communications plan is something that I have utilized at least once in some respect during an emergency or is something I want at our fingertips. This plan puts it all together in one place. For example, through a comprehensive literature review and analysis of over 200 pieces of data, I created a list of emergency situations to create draft communications scripts for, in addition to crafting a 1-page outline of elements to include in a holding statement. At the beginning of each school year, Grand Forks Public Schools shares information with families to explain our response to emergency procedures. I reviewed the current document and identified gaps in information, which led to the creation of a new document (“Emergency Response Guide“) that have been reviewed by members of our Administrative Cabinet and will be implemented soon.
What about the time involved? This is not something that can be done overnight. How much time was spent preparing this plan?
From November 2018 through the beginning of April 2019, I spent nearly every weekend and many evenings researching, writing, or making adjustments to the plan. I haven’t thought about the amount of time (hours or days) that would encompass because I know in the end, it doesn’t matter. It needed to be done, it had to be done right, and it was worth every second of time.
A plan this detailed no doubt required the participation and input of more than just one department. Can you share which departments you would recommend be included on this type of plan?
What I didn’t realize at the outset was that I had been making debriefing notes following many of our emergency events; information on what worked well, what didn’t work, etc. That is where the perspectives of my colleagues came into play. I had their insight on real events that I could immediately incorporate into the plan. As elements were completed, I shared them with our Associate Superintendent of Elementary Education, who oversees safety and security for our school system. Depending on the element at hand, I would also check in with various colleagues (Superintendent, Human Resources, Technology) for their feedback and guidance. Their insight and expertise were very helpful.
What about working with external agencies (ex. local law enforcement, nearby school systems?
As a member of the Safety and Security Committee and Crisis Response Team, I am at the table when elements in the plan (ex: safety and security measures) are being discussed, or as an emergency event unfolds. Therefore, I felt I had all of the information needed, and notes documented, to create the initial draft of the plan.
Now that the document is completed, how does the school system make sure it is actually implemented in the event it is ever needed?
School emergency preparedness is an ongoing endeavor, one that will never be crossed off the list. Our school system debriefs following an emergency event, so any lessons learned/updates that need to be made will be changed immediately. That is one reason behind housing the plan in an interactive document – changes can be made at any time and everyone has the most up-to-date material. As the communications coordinator, I will continue to oversee the communications response following an emergency. In the event I am unavailable, this plan will be a step-by-step guide for my colleagues to use in creating their communications. It isn’t so much as they must follow the plan; it’s that they have a step-by-step process to communicate who (is involved), what (is happening), when and where (did the event occur).
Do you have any other advice for creating an emergency communications plan?
Pick a place to start (it doesn’t have to be at the beginning) and dive in. I’ve found that writing an introduction is the most difficult for me. By starting with elements I’m most familiar with, I can pick any place within a project and get to work. On this project, that was creating the list of emergency scripts I’ve written and used prior. And always remember, you aren’t alone. If you aren’t already, become a member of NSPRA and start networking with your school communications colleagues today. They are the most generous group of individuals I’ve met and are wonderful resources on a variety of topics in school communications.
Got a question on creating your own Emergency Communications Plan? Reach out to Tracy Jentz, APR, on Twitter.
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