Emergency responders have a tremendous responsibility for managing and coordinating a crisis in their community, and during the early stages of an emergency it is very difficult to develop timely, effective and consistent public messages. In fact public messaging is often not addressed, which can result in panic and public actions that hinder rather than help the crisis response.
The Western Region Homeland Security Advisory Council has developed an easy-to-use guide and template for developing crisis communication. The Message Map Template will save you valuable time during the early stages of an emergency when your main focus is on other aspects of the response.
This training is divided into four sections. The first section will cover the fundamentals of Crisis Communication, the second section will explain what a Message Map is, the third section will have you create a Message Map using a real-world example and learn how to read a Message Map, and the fourth section will explain the importance of planning your emergency communications ahead of time.
