A Compendium of Best Practices and Lessons Learned for Improving Local Community Recovery from Disastrous Hazardous Materials Transportation Incidents (2012)

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111 6.1 Overview The effective dissemination of information during both the response and recovery phases of a disaster is often critical to the actual, as well as perceived, success of these efforts. This section of the report discusses best practices related to public information efforts during both pre-incident planning and post-incident operations. 6.2 Pre-Incident Planning of Public Information Operations Pre-incident planning should address the dissemination of public information through all available mediums. For successful operations, the public needs to be made aware of what is being done, where, by whom, and the expected outcome(s). Such a public information campaign will aid in addressing the public’s concerns regarding contamination, thereby increasing public willingness to use available community facilities and services within the impacted area, purchase goods and materials from local merchants, and help reduce the economic impact on the com- munity. A good approach to creating positive relations with the media is to include them in the development of the campaign and in associated training and exercises. For decontamination operations and environmental recovery, it is imperative that the public fully understand the concept of “how clean is clean.” A good example of this is the impact that the British Petroleum oil spill (2010) has had on the commercial fishing industry along the Gulf Coast. The impact of the loss of fishing revenues has been significant for the local and regional economies. As more waters are reopened for fishing, more fish and shellfish are appearing in the marketplace; however, the public’s confidence in the cleanliness of these products has been slow to return.103 What has not been effectively broadcast to the public (nationally, regionally, or locally) is the testing that has been done to ensure that the fish and shellfish are not contaminated and are safe for public consumption. A strong, well-coordinated public information campaign that addressed this issue could have helped with public confidence and potentially allowed the commercial fishing industry to recover much more quickly than it has. For economic recovery, a concerted public education campaign that includes government officials, the local Chamber of Commerce, and key businesses is needed. This will also need to be a much broader effort than simply providing press releases. Again, the concept of “how clean is clean” needs to be emphasized in public service messages, radio and television commercials, and other identified avenues in order to get this information into the hands of the consuming public to help alleviate their fears and/or confusion in relation to potential contamination. Establishing approaches for this during pre-incident planning will allow for timely implementation following the event and also support more rapid mitigation of the potential economic impacts. C H A P T E R 6 Best Practices for Community Public Information Efforts

112 A Compendium of Best Practices and Lessons Learned 6.3 Public Information Operations during Recovery Operations During the response to, and recovery from, a hazardous materials transportation incident, there is a need to provide timely and accurate information to the public (see Figure 6-1). This typically requires assistance from a broad range of sources, including the media, elected officials and their staffs, the private sector, volunteers, and community organizations. Maintaining a cau- tious and professional demeanor is essential to sound media relations. All media outlets have a job to do and deadlines to meet. If not given timely answers to their questions, they will typically turn elsewhere for information. Answers found elsewhere may not portray the operation in the most positive light and may also not accurately portray the events that are unfolding. In this respect, the role of the public information officer (PIO) is extremely important in ensuring that proper information is being provided. Some key PIO responsibilities include the following:104 • Scheduling interviews; • Developing and maintaining a media contact list; • Selecting appropriate team members for interviews; • Preparing selected team members for interaction with the media; • Escorting media representatives and VIPs throughout the operational area; • Issuing press releases; and • Gathering and verifying information. All incidents have a public relations and information component. Local communities can obtain additional resources to help with their public information operations through ESF #15 – External Affairs. As with other ESFs, ESF #15 can be activated through FEMA via a request for assistance from the local community to the state. Disastrous events can also often garner worldwide attention. The media highlights these incidents because they are unusual, unique, spectacular, and at times horrific, as can be seen by the events unfolding in Japan following the March 11, 2011, earthquake and tsunami. The media plays a role in all aspects of disaster management. Consequently, implementing an effective and coordinated public information operation can play a role in the success of the recovery phase. (SOURCE: http://www.fema.gov/photolibrary/; photo credit: FEMA/ Bradley Carroll: FEMA News Photo) Figure 6-1. Press conference in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

Best Practices for Community Public Information Efforts 113 Case Study State Response to the Graniteville Train Derailment: Lessons Learned, Team Visionary Collective Under the Mentorship of Ron Fisher, May 27, 2006 (www.llis.gov) The information presented in this case study is taken directly from the referenced document. The media was asked to directly report to the staging area to conduct live broadcasts, which provided information on the accident and evacuation instructions. Local news Channel 12 started broadcasting 2 hours before the Emergency Alert was heard by residents. During the entire event, incident commanders continued regular news briefings and held nightly town meetings at a nearby university for those affected by the event. According to the Sheriff’s Office “After Action Report,” there were no problems cited for public information. However, according to a report by the Augusta Chronicle, some black residents charged the Sheriff’s Office with racial bias, claiming that they were told to evacuate later than white residents. Although the Sheriff’s Office denied these charges, the result remains that public information was not perceived as successful by all parties. At the same time, the public information was narrow in focus. According to Mitchell et al., “experts,” defined as those from universities, professional and environmental organizations, and national agencies, accounted for less than 1 in 5 sources of the stories in the Augusta Chronicle and only about 1 in 25 in the Aiken Standard. Even Norfolk Southern was only quoted in 4 percent of the Aiken Standard articles and in 13 percent of the Augusta Chronicle articles. On the other hand, local law enforcement accounted for 24 percent of the Aiken Standard sources, following just behind residents and volunteers. As a result, local media focused not on the scientific, medical, or environmental details, concerns, or risks, but rather on the human-interest side of the disaster (e.g., injuries, deaths, logistical information, and lost pets). Under the NRF, coordinated public information is developed and disseminated through the Joint Information Center. The NRF defines a Joint Information Center and Joint Information System (http://www.fema.gov/emergency/nrf/glossary.htm) as follows: • Joint Information Center (JIC): An interagency entity established to coordinate and dissemi- nate information for the public and media concerning an incident. JICs may be established locally, regionally, or nationally depending on the size and magnitude of the incident. • Joint Information System (JIS): Mechanism that integrates incident information and public affairs into a cohesive organization designed to provide consistent, coordinated, accurate, acces- sible, timely, and complete information during crisis or incident operations. The mission of the JIS is to provide a structure and system for developing and delivering coordinated interagency messages; developing, recommending, and executing public information plans and strategies on behalf of the Incident Commander; advising the Incident Commander concerning public affairs issues that could affect a response effort; and controlling rumors and inaccurate infor- mation that could undermine public confidence in the emergency response effort. The NRF concept of establishing a joint information center places all public information officers (PIOs) (representing all agencies and organizations involved in the incident opera- tions) in a single location with the media. Typically, a JIC is located adjacent to, or close to, either the Joint Field Office (JFO) or the Incident Command Post where information releases can be reviewed and approved by the appropriate authorities and coordinated between all agencies. This aids in ensuring that information provided is accurate, timely, and coordinated, minimizing the potential for misinformation and rumors. The following case study highlights lessons learned by the State of South Carolina following the Graniteville incident. These lessons learned underscore the importance of a coordinated public information campaign in getting necessary information about the operation to the public in an efficient and timely manner. These lessons are applicable to both response and recovery operations. (continued on next page)

114 A Compendium of Best Practices and Lessons Learned As demonstrated in this next case study from Aiken County, South Carolina, one of the prob- lems with their public information operation following the Graniteville incident was the lack of coordinated public information messages. In this incident, PIOs were stationed at the command post and the emergency operations center, while the media were located in a staging area near the incident site. Although focused on the response phase, the lessons learned can apply to both response and recovery. Case Study (Continued). State Response to the Graniteville Train Derailment: Lessons Learned, Team Visionary Collective Under the Mentorship of Ron Fisher, May 27, 2006 (www.llis.gov) Lesson Learned: Although forces on the ground have a unique perspective to environmental crisis, the perspectives of scientists and media providers is also important for understanding the multiplicity of implications. Populations at the greatest risk cannot afford miscommunication and oversight; it can cost them their lives. Therefore, it is necessary that mass media outlets provide balanced news that is informative, insightful, and may ignite response among the public. In turn, better coordination of public information might have improved public perceptions that race influenced evacuation and recovery. Recommendation: With the number of agencies involved in the accident, there was a lack of organizational structure as the days progressed. Thus, we recommend that organizational structure be established between agencies as soon as the different agencies begin working together so that there is no confusion with the order of hierarchy. To implement this recommendation it is necessary to look at potential barriers and how those barriers might be overcome. Barriers to Implementation 1. Lack of a structured organization to maintain public information operations. 2. Lack of coordinated timeliness for information release (Channel 12 broadcasting 2 hours before the EAS to residents). Possible Resolution to Implementation Barriers 1. Develop a unified public information (communications) plan to include definition of roles and responsibilities for Public Information Officers from all the agencies that could be involved in an incident. Such a joint operation will ensure accurate and coordinated information is provided to the public and the media. 2. Court media before incidents occur to establish good working relationships that will support response and recovery operations. This could include incorporating media representatives into the LEPCs as well as training and exercises. Case Study After Action Report, Graniteville Train Wreck – January 2005, Aiken County Government (www.llis.gov). The information presented in this case study is taken directly from the referenced document. OBJECTIVE: PUBLIC INFORMATION Develop and disseminate accurate and timely information to the news media and the public.

Best Practices for Community Public Information Efforts 115 6.4 Summary of Case Studies Table 6-1 provides a summary of the public information case studies presented in order of appearance in this section. Criterion 1: Inform state and county elected officials and local and national news agencies of the event, and disseminate accurate information and instructions to the public. Improvement Item • EOC did not have press releases prior to distribution at CP. Hard copies of press releases were not initially distributed at press conferences. • Unmanned radio stations limited ability for local alerts to be made. • Initial notification did not go out through NOAA Weather Radio, although it was utilized later in the day. • EOC PIO could not get response from PIOs at CP to coordinate message for media at EOC. • Citizens in shelters had no official information source. Criterion 2: Demonstrate effective communications. Strength • Salvation Army provided interpreters for the Hispanic population. Improvement Item • Aiken County Help Line (211) received calls immediately but had no info to provide initially. Help Line (211) received updated information via television news report. As a result, 211 personnel did not learn key information such as the shelter-in-place message that had been transmitted to residents. • Help Line (211) is not accessible via cell phone. Additional number needs to be provided. • EOC was receiving updated information via television news reports. • Media staging area was located too close to CP. To implement these improvement items it is necessary to look at potential barriers and how those barriers might be overcome. Barriers to Implementation 1. Insufficient staff to support comprehensive joint public information operations. 2. Lack of established plans for joint public information operations. 3. Lack of funding to complete public information plans and provide appropriate training. Possible Resolution to Implementation Barriers 1. Ensure that responding agencies include public information officers along with deployed staff who have technical expertise in hazardous materials incidents and can communicate technical information to the public. 2. Local communities can develop planning teams to develop public information (communication) plans. Planning teams should include representatives from community agencies and the public, members of the media, appropriate state agencies, and the various federal agencies as appropriate. 3. Some grant funding is available to LEPCs for planning, training, and exercises through the HMEP grant program and various other federal grant programs (see Appendix E for more detailed information on this issue).

116 A Compendium of Best Practices and Lessons Learned Lessons Learned/Best Practices Summary Lesson Learned: State Response to the Graniteville Train Derailment: Lessons Learned, Team Visionary Collective Under the Mentorship of Ron Fisher, May 27, 2006 (www.llis.gov) Recommendation: An organizational structure should be established between agencies as soon as the different agencies begin working together so that there is no confusion with the order of hierarchy. Lessons Learned: After Action Report, Graniteville Train Wreck – January 2005, Aiken County Government (www.llis.gov) Improvement Items: • EOC did not have press releases prior to distribution at CP. Hard copies of press releases were not initially distributed at press conferences. • Unmanned radio stations limited ability for local alerts to be made. • Initial notification did not go out through NOAA Weather Radio, although it was utilized later in the day. • EOC PIO could not get response from PIOs at CP to coordinate message for media at EOC. • Citizens in shelters had no official information source. • Aiken County Help Line (211) received calls immediately but had no info to provide initially. Help Line (211) received updated information via television news report. As a result, 211 personnel did not learn key information such as the shelter-in-place message that had been transmitted to residents. • Help Line (211) is not accessible via cell phone. Additional number needs to be provided. • EOC was receiving updated information via television news reports. • Media staging area was located too close to CP. Table 6-1. Summary of best practices and lessons learned.