Crisis Communications
North Lake College Shooting Incident, May 2017
Background
On May 3, 2017 North Lake College experienced a tragic murder-suicide on campus. My direct role was to manage internal and external communications during and after the event. Indirectly, I was also responsible for helping maintain a sense of calm and providing emotional and moral support to the college community — our students and my colleagues at every level.
The primary goals of communication during the crisis were to protect the safety of our students, employees, and community by providing clear and consistent information across multiple platforms and to protect the reputation of the college, minimize rumors and restore order and confidence.
Key Responsibilities
Communications during the event
Primary concern: Keeping impacted students and staff safe and calm
- Maintained close communication with key individuals — college president, external communications support team, and my own communication team.
- Encouraged team to continue “shelter in place” messaging on every channel possible, including web, social media, and our emergency messaging system.
- Monitored situation buzz via social media and news sources.
Immediately following the event (minutes after shelter in place is lifted)
Primary concern: Addressing immediate needs
- Helped identify logistical needs and issues
- Coordinated communication with law enforcement, Facilities staff, and local community partners to restore order and address immediate needs such as water, restroom access and access to buildings so that individuals could retrieve essential belongings left behind after evacuation.
- Provided moral support and prepared president for initial press conference.
Hours following press conference
Primary concern: Communications strategy
- Convened crisis communications team and provided direction for internal and external communications regarding incident updates and closure notices, social media strategy, and web site messaging.
- Managed incoming media requests for live on-camera interviews with college president.
- Collaborated with executive team on drafting talking points for upcoming media interviews with president.
- Collaborated with president on messaging related to the victim and communication with victim’s family.
The day after the incident
Primary concern: Media coordination and supporting the president and grieving staff and students
- Coordinated media interviews with college president and other spokespeople, including identifying best location for interviews, development of president’s talking points, assembled group of additional spokespeople (subject matter experts), managed the flow of scheduled and drop-in media on campus for interviews with president and others.
- Prepared and directed critical messaging with internal and external audiences related to grief support services, logistical information about returning to campus, and instructions for employees confronted by media.
- Provided regular updates as new information about the incident became available, ensuring clear and consistent messaging.
- Collaborated on logistical arrangements for honoring the victim and related communication.
- Directed communications team to continue distribution of relevant information via social media and other outlets, as well as monitoring news and social media sites for misinformation.
Days and weeks following the incident
- Provided regular updates to internal and external audiences as new information became available
- Continued to monitor news and other media outlets for misinformation
- Evaluated communications response and noting what we did well and what we’d do differently in the future.
Outcome
Overall, the communications aspect of the incident went exceptionally well. I received many notes of gratitude for the frequent updates provided in the days immediately following the event. Media coverage was generally positive, with few exceptions. Our quick and comprehensive communications response helped maintain the college’s reputation and ensured that future enrollment would not be negatively impacted by the incident. We were grateful that we had trained and had plans in place to deal with a situation such as this. Our preparation was invaluable.
We also learned a lot. There are aspects of a crisis that workshops and drills simply do not teach. My big takeaways were:
- It takes a village. A small team simply cannot handle the communications needs this sort of crisis requires without some assistance.
- Compassion rules the day. I often found myself in the role of “the voice of calm and reason.” During difficult times, people may need to be reminded to eat and sleep and care for themselves and each other.
- Never separate from your cell phone and always have a charger handy.