ISSUE No. 3/1999
Experience Which You Would Better Never Have, But Still Better Know About
by Diana Bebenova, Public Relations Officer, Municipality of Silistra
A PR specialist once said that anybody who has lived through a crisis remembers the emotions and the the lessons learned from it for a long time. It has been nearly three months after emergency situation was declared in Silistra but the images of those days are still vivid in my mind. My desire to get rid of these memories is in fact one of the reasons for me to write this article. The ice-coating of Silistra, and the 32-hour-power failure were followed by a number of similar critical situations in Veliko Turnovo, a flood in Gabrovo, etc.. These made me think that sharing my experience with colleagues would enable municipal administrations to react in a more organised manner at a time of crisis.
Article 16, paragraph 1 of the Regulations for the Organization and Activities for Preventing and Eliminating the Consequences of Disasters, Accidents and Catastrophes in the Regions and Municipalities envisages the establishment of standing committees for protection of the population during disasters, accidents and catastrophes. These committees are chaired by the Regional Governors and the Mayors of municipalities.
The municipal committee should include representatives of all institutions of strategic importance, which are related to the infrastructure of the region, and, in the first place:
The Head of the Transport, Trade and Services Department. The chief of that municipal department and the managers of the municipal companies are responsible for the drafting and subsequent enforcement of a schedule for municipal transport, taking into account the existing conditions, and for street cleaning and stocking shops with bread and bread products.
The Head of the Public Welfare Department is the person who is responsible for social establishments, hospitals and schools.
Expert technicians are also included in the standing committee (water & sewerage, electric supply, civil defence). They lead the emergency teams and provide updated information about all technical facilities: the water supply network, the power system, emergency systems and installations.
A PR Specialist, whose basic task is to ensure that the citizens promptly receive a continuous flow of clear and correct information.
A notified "emergency situation"
On 19 November, the town of Silistra received a special "storm warning" from the meteorological centre in Varna. The warning said that, under the influence of a Mediterranean cyclone, the weather on the 20th of November was expected to undergo serious disturbances, including rain showers, snowfalls and frost.
The PR specialist circulated the meteorological forecast via the media. The month of November was warm and sunny, though, and the forecast sounded out of place. Due to the alarming nature of the message, the Secretary of the Municipality decided to circulate it to the Mayors of the neighbouring villages and to the agencies engaged in technical logistics of the town. Nobody could at that time imagine how the strong winds and the frozen power lines would be.
The reality
The Bible says, "In the beginning was the word." This might have been true about "those far off times". Now I believe that in the beginning was electricity.
Imagine a winter day, with the maximum temperature reaching -5є C; the streets are as slippery as a skating-rink. The electric power supply has been cut off for several hours already because the high-voltage power lines leading to the town are completely destroyed. Homes cool off quickly, and "the cosiness of home" turns into a dream for something that is lost. The local bank offices close, since the UPS can only operate for several hours. Money transfers are cancelled for several days (although the central bank offices in Sofia do not believe the news, and insist on the transfers being made). There is no media (in the absence of censorship): TV cameras cannot operate (or get charged) without electricity. It is simply impossible to air radio and TV broadcasts. The night falls down, and it gets darker. Frightened people wander about in the dark streets looking for candles, bread and canned food. People start queuing up, and rumours about "a cold and dark Christmas" spread around.
The committee held an emergency meeting. On the following day, an emergency situation was declared in Silistra, and a list of the necessary emergency actions was drawn. Specialized teams of the National Electric Company (NEC) were sent to repair the most serious power failures. Requests for help were sent out to the neighboring municipalities and to the Regional Civil Defence Centre.
I also attended the sessions of the standing committee, which were held every morning and evening, in my capacity of "Public Relations Specialist". My main task consisted in the preparation and regular circulation of the "Municipal Committee's Newsletter". The following circumstances turned out to be very important for drafting brief, updated and correct information for the public:
1. The Newsletter had a clearly defined structure:
Title
It contained the main idea of the statement and, of course, gave an answer to the question: Who provides the information, What is the news, When it was done and Why?
The pattern of the pyramid
When introducing the main topics concerning the developments in the area, I used "the pattern of the pyramid" for arranging the news: the hottest piece of news (the condition of the power system) occupied the top lines of the Newsletter.
Date and hour
When the situation changes by the minute, and the state of the technical equipment changes along, it is very important to connect the information provided to a specific moment in time. During the first days, the Newsletter came out at an interval of several hours, and it was important to fix the place and the hour at which a particular piece of information had been reported by the teams on duty.
"The truth and nothing but the truth"
When one acts in an emergency situation the responsibility of being the person who prepares and disseminates the available information is as "heavy as a millstone". Any inaccuracy or unconfirmed statement, which might pass unnoticed on a normal day, would have been interpreted as twisting of the truth in those November days. That wrong impression would easily be reiterated in places where people would gather, such as coffee shops and people's home, and would, therefore, run the risk of becoming the image of the organization Trust in that organization could be destroyed for a long time to come. I had to check the data over and over again in order to make sure that the information which I gave to the public would reflect the actual situation.
Succinct, clear and precise
Imagine yourself sitting among one of those families who has gathered by the radio-rediffusion set, and you will realize that the only thing one wants to hear is when the electric power supply will be restored. This is why I used brief, convincing phrases. They did not bring the expected news, but they would not create panic, either. I tried to choose clear and short words that would make the impression that the situation is under control.
Facts and technical data
It is always better to use figures and facts instead of common talk or assumptions. It is important to note that in a situation of crisis, a reasonable amount of technical data is an indicator of the situation being handled with professionalism and capability. Any reference to opinions of the representatives of the Municipal Committee also shows their personal involvement and commitment to the resolution of the issues.
2. Logistical support for the broadcasts
When the power supply is completely shut down, and it is technically impossible to broadcast "on the air", the re-broadcasting centre proved to be of vital importance. Smaller towns in Bulgaria still use radio-rediffusion sets, which are "held in respect" in nearly 70 per cent of the households in Silistra. Consequently, the Newsletter of the Municipal Committee was the only broadcast that broke through the information blackout.
3. The personality factor
Any crisis in the life of an organization is a challenge to the personal qualities and professional commitment of the Public Relations Specialist. The ability to stay calm, to organize and give the information available in a professional manner, stripped off all unnecessary emotions, is as important as the information itself. Besides, the PR specialist and his/her family are equally affected by the emergency situation.
The crisis is a test of endurance, of one's psychological and physical stamina, for nobody can tell how long the crisis will last. At such moments time one needs to forget about fixed working hours: one must be everywhere where s/he is needed.
Back to normal life
When the crisis was over, some sharp political criticism was made about the actions of the Municipal Committee. When the power supply was restored and life went back to normal, it was easy to use the media for political purposes. As the saying goes, "if things were to be done twice, all would be wise".
There is no doubt that an organization may encounter many and diverse critical situations over its lifetime. If a crisis cannot be "overcome" in advance, it is important to react quickly, professionally and adequately. Public support can only be relied upon if the public has duly received reliable information.