It was during the early days of June, 2001 when a previously insignificant tropical storm called Allison parked off of the Texas Gulf Coast and led to one of the most damaging weeks in Houston history. During the second week of March, 1993, a storm eventually dubbed “The Storm of the Century” swept across the Eastern United States, causing record low temperatures, wind speeds and leading to the deaths of an astounding 250 people. In the summer of 1999, an uncharacteristically strong storm rolled through Salt Lake City, causing a tornado to touch down and roll through the downtown area, killing one person and hurting 100 others. The weather is unpredictable and a weather crisis can strike with little to no warning. A crisis such as the flooding in Houston and the “Storm of the Century” draws a great deal of media attention, particularly when such a crisis leads to the tragic loss of life. The ability to deal with members of the media during a crisis is a crucial skill, one that must be learned and refreshed via training and skills practice. Our Weather Crisis Media Training program provides public officials, relief workers, government representatives and other media-facing professionals with the ability to effectively manage a weather crisis situation with the media.
Given that a weather crisis can strike without warning, those who must deal with the media need to be equipped to quickly and efficiently respond in a credible manner. The Weather Crisis Media Training workshop is a two-day training program that empowers individuals to interact with the media during a weather crisis, regardless of the size, damage or tragedy involved. This crisis media training workshop will equip participants with the training tools and crisis communication skills required to inform, educate and report to the public and media. These vital communication skills can be utilized by multiple agencies, regardless of their role in dealing with the media during a weather crisis. These training methodologies can also be used by organizations that may need to interact with the media long after the severe stages of a weather crisis have passed and the media needs to receive updates or additional information. Multiple simulated press conferences and media briefing situations are utilized to provide crisis media participants with weather crisis skill practice. Personalized coaching sessions provide individual feedback from a training instructor. Training modules, application exercises, question and answer sessions, media skill usage and other activities are used to reinforce the learning process in this crisis media training workshop.
Weather Crisis Media Training program participants will learn to:
- Understand the issues faced during a weather crisis
- Deal with the emotions of anxious crowds and inquisitive members of the media
- Properly interact with the media during a crisis
- Enhance image and credibility when conveying weather crisis information
- Use training skills to determine media attitudes and needs
- Overcome nervousness during a high pressure crisis situation
- Use visual aids and other media to reinforce a message
- Conduct face-to-face and telephone media interviews during a crisis
- Satisfy the media’s needs during a crisis while focusing on key messages
- Present accurate information without appearing misinformed
- Plan a crisis media presentation and build a statement based on training skills
- Maintain control under the most challenging situations
- Deal with the difficulties faced when a loss of life is involved
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