Universal truths to be learned from Katrina

September 2005

By Pamela Baggett-Wallis

I, like most of you, am overwhelmed by what we have watched on television recently. I worked for FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) for seven years, and I've seen dozens of horrible disasters, including those where I wasn't sure whether my own family members were OK.

The one universal truth:

If it's your family, it's the worst possible disaster.

Why didn't everyone evacuate?

The second universal truth: we all avoid reality when it is too unpleasant to accept.

Who is to blame? We can't begin to know that now.

The third universal truth: it is human nature to blame someone, anyone. Not ourselves. Not our god. So we have to find another target - usually those working the hardest to help because they are the handiest. They are the ones we are counting on to rescue us.

Blame is a nasty game. Right now, it's a major waste of time. And I'm so exasperated with the news media I love who are trying to lay blame, even putting words in naive people's mouths.

Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour had the cojones and experience to tell CNN to quit interrupting and trying to get him to blame someone. He was thankful for the cavalry that had ridden to his state, and wasn't going to waste time blaming what wasn't there yet. But the poor people stuck in the Superdome were all too glad to lash out. Can we blame these people? NO. Can we question the news media? YES. What could the media have been doing to be part of the solution, rather than the problem?

I spent a day in Austin welcoming evacuees to our city and our shelter. I looked into the eyes of people who were, to a person, traumatized. My job was to take their pets from them for safekeeping. I had to convince them their pet would be well taken care of, that when they had a place to stay, we would bring the pet to them, wherever they are.

I had to say this many times over to some people. Why? Because under conditions of extreme stress and duress, one can't necessarily hear what is being said. A few hours later, those people will ask where their pet is. They won't remember. We gave them business cards with the phone number for the Humane Society. [None of these animals will be euthanized. They will be cared for at the shelter or fostered till the family is ready.]

I used to tell new FEMA field staff not to get frustrated at saying the same thing over and over and over again during a disaster recovery. It's OK because people can only hear what they are ready to hear. Eventually, they WILL hear what you are saying.

This is where we segue into the media and PR blog.

Before a crisis starts, you must have established a deep well of goodwill. That means you have been giving out good, helpful information over a period of time, and you have followed up with good, helpful actions. Your words must match your actions. This is branding at its core.

When tough times come, people have to be inclined to trust what you are saying. But you have to say it first!

This is part of the problem in Louisiana right now. The first story was how many people did not get out of New Orleans and how badly they were suffering and that it was the federal government's fault. Nothing that is to come is likely to fully change that impression.

FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security may be able to mitigate the message that they were not prepared and were not up to the task, but they will be playing defence the entire season. Politics and good manners play into this. Can FEMA blame the victims? Blame the Louisiana government? Blame the Louisiana and New Orleans emergency management agencies? Blame Congress for under-funding? It doesn't play well.

So the honourable thing to do now is plough ahead with the work to be done and deal with reputation later. If the time comes to admit fault, do it with honour and grace and statesmanship.

Universal crisis communications truths to be learned from Katrina:

• Establish an adequate reservoir of trust BEFORE you need to dip into it.
• Be the first with your message.
• Make your actions before and after a crisis match your message.
• Take it on the chin when it's for the greater good, and get ready for the next one.

• Your association?
• Your business?
• Your political candidate?

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