The Ohio State University

Notification Protocol for Crisis Situations

A crisis is a major occurrence with a potentially negative outcome affecting an organization, company, or industry as well as its publics, products, services, or good name. It interrupts normal business and can sometimes threaten the existence of the organization.

I. When to Put This Plan into Effect

As soon as any employee becomes aware of a possible crisis situation, that person should follow the notification procedures outlined here. Gaining control over the crisis is easiest if acted upon immediately: Crisis communications experts say surviving the first two hours of a crisis situation can save careers, reputations, markets, and assets (Reputation Management Associates). 

It’s impossible to list all the things that could be considered a crisis, but they include situations in two broad categories: Immediate Crises, such as break-ins; accidents; assaults; fires; chemical leaks; an animal quarantine; natural disasters that directly affect the college; etc.; and Developing Crises, such as lawsuits; potential liabilities for illness or injury; charges of sexual harassment; complaints lodged against programs, policies, or events associated with the college; negative public reactions to new college facilities; planned animal rights protests; etc. Anything that makes you wince if you think a local newspaper’s investigative reporter will find out about it is certainly a candidate for this protocol.

II. Notification Protocol

At the onset of a crisis situation, any employee should immediately take the notification steps listed here:

1. For immediate crises, the first call should be made to any appropriate public agencies (e.g., police, fire, health department, utilities) in situations that deal with safety or security measures. If police or fire units are called in, they have control of the situation and become the primary source of information.
2. The next contact should be your supervisor, department chairperson, and/or unit director.
3. You or your supervisor should then contact top administrators:
1. The dean’s office: Bobby D. Moser or Joan Lieb, 614-292-6164 or 614-292-4218; 614-792-9353 (H, Moser); 614-946-0103 (cell, Moser);614-793-9329 (H, Lieb); 614-604-2542 (cell, Lieb)
   The appropriate associate dean:
2. OSU Extension: Keith Smith, 614-292-4067; 614-876-8204 (H); 614-361-0743 (cell).
3. OARDC: Steve Slack, 330-263-3701; 330-345-2606 (H); 330-465-5938 (cell).
4. Academic Programs: L. H. Newcomb, 614-292-6891; 614-876-5574 (H); 614-361-4984 (cell).
4. Next to be contacted is CommTech. Ideally, the supervisor or administration should make this contact, but the employee initiating the call may do so depending on who has enough details and time to make this call:
1. Suzanne Steel, Marketing Director
   614-292-9637; 614- 481-0594 (H); 614-582-3184 (cell)
   or
2. Bob Furbee, CommTech Director
   614-688-4278; 614-775-9092 (H); 614-778-2658 (cell)
   or
3. Candace Pollock, News and Media Relations Coordinator 614-292-3799; 614-946-8923 (cell, H) 
   or
   if none of the above are available, others in the News and Media Relations Unit should be contacted for assistance:
   
   COLUMBUS: Martha Filipic, 614-292-9833; 740-368-1629 (H); 740-815-7600 (cell)
   WOOSTER: Mauricio Espinoza, 330-202-3550; 419-207-9827 (H); 330-621-6541 (cell); or Kurt Knebusch, 330-263-3776
5. The CommTech representative will immediately notify:
1. University Relations: Shelly Hoffman, 614-247-4748 or 614-571-6826 (cell); or Jim Lynch, 614-247-4110 or 614-323-9515 (cell); or Emily Foster, 614-292-0041; or Curt Steiner, 614-247-846
2. The appropriate department chair and/or Extension assistant director, if they haven’t been contacted already. (The Chair and/or AD will notify appropriate faculty and staff.)
3. The university’s legal representative: Michael Layish or Kim Shumate, 614-292-0611.

In the event that a CommTech Representative cannot be contacted, the supervisor or a representative from the dean’s or a director’s office will make all of the contacts on the preceding list.

III. Plan of Action

1. Immediate Crises
1. The preceding notification procedures are to be put into effect immediately.
2. In initial discussions with CommTech, a spokesperson and a crisis manager will be identified. The two will work together with the CommTech representative — and with administrative and University Relations input — to develop messages and disseminate information about the crisis.
3. The CommTech rep, spokesperson, and crisis manager will meet on site, if possible, to gather details on the situation, identify potential victims/targeted audiences, and contact appropriate authorities. The CommTech rep and spokesperson will work with media, targeted external audiences, and internal audiences to disseminate information.
4. The CommTech rep will write follow-up information to share with all of the above and with members of the News and Media Relations staff.
5. News and Media Relations staff will conduct an evaluation of the effort, with input from all involved.
2. Developing Crises
1. When a situation is identified that could develop into a crisis, the dean’s office and/or the appropriate associate dean will form a team to decide how to handle the situation if it erupts. The team will be led by a CommTech Representative and will include faculty members with expertise on the situation and any other personnel with pertinent information. The people on the Notification Protocol list above will be informed of the team formation and asked for input.
2. The team will meet to:
1. Gather details about the potential crisis.
2. Determine what additional information/expertise is needed.
3. Identify targeted audiences who have a stake in the outcome of the situation.
4. Determine what further action is necessary (i.e., When should media be notified? Which media representatives should be notified? Who will handle media notification? Should media access to the situation be limited in any way? Are there external groups we can align with for support? Who will make those contacts? What authorities will need to be contacted? etc.)
5. Decide who should act as a spokesperson in the event the crisis situation erupts.
6. Decide how to communicate the plan to faculty and staff, especially those in affected departments.
7. Decide under what circumstances to put the preceding Notification Protocol into effect.
3. The team will review the crisis plan periodically (at least every six months) and update it if necessary.
4. Once a crisis situation has developed and a plan has been executed, the team will gather to evaluate the effort.

Last updated: March 2006