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EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS PLANNING FOR AIRPORTS All airports face serious challenges when dealing with the flow of accurate information during emergenciesâcommunication within the airportâs organization, between the airport and its response partners, and between the airport and the public, either directly or through the media. Changing tech- nology affects all these interactions, and airports must address the acquisition and effective use of new technologies. What is possible today is illustrated by the triennial exercise carried out at Rochester (Minnesota) International Airport in August 2015, when the airport and its partners incorporated the airportâs comprehensive crisis communications plan and social media into the exercise. The focus of this report is on emergency communications planning that can be used by airports of any type or size. It is specifically designed for use by airport senior management, public information officers (PIOs), and first responders and emergency managers. The most directly accessible parts of this report are the sample communication plan tables of contents, field operations guides (Appendices DâL), and the checklist of effective communications plans, designed to assist airport managers, emergency managers, and planners in the development, implementation, and evaluation of effective communi- cations plans or crisis communications plans, which appears as Appendix M. These materials were derived from a survey of 60 U.S. airports regarding their specific communications plans and proce- dures, as well as from five detailed case examples and five additional focused interviews, detailed in chapter one and Appendix C. Most airports in the study found that going beyond minimum regulatory requirements for com- munication plans offered substantial benefits. Many also reported that an effective communication plan enhances not only safety but also customer service. A few airports have transitioned from a traditional airport emergency communications plan (ECP) to a comprehensive crisis communications plan (CCP) with the difference being that the CCP deals with mission-critical events not covered by the airport emergency plan (AEP). There is evidence in the survey data that many airports are considering this change. Analysis of the data for this synthesis led to 12 conclusions: 1. It is important that an effective AEP/CCP be flexible enough to deal with fast-evolving techno- logical change. 2. The process of creating an ECP has benefits beyond its implementation, especially when the planning process includes stakeholders (on and off the airport) and is based on a frank hazards analysis covering both emergencies and âmission-criticalâ systems failures and events. 3. An effective AEP/CCP requires clear and scalable implementation procedures that promote the accurate and timely exchange of information within the airport and between the airport and its partners and customers. 4. A continually improving communications/crisis communications plan is not a static document, but evolves through exercises, evaluations, and application of lessons learned. 5. Training on the coordinated and effective use of communications tools is essential. 6. Airports benefit from doing more emergency communications planning than is required in an AEP or comparable for non-Part 139 airports. 7. Many airports in the study are moving in the direction of a single comprehensive EOP that incorporates communication planning. SUMMARY
2 8. A comprehensive stand-alone plan is best when incorporated in the airportâs AEP and firmly anchored in the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and Incident Command System (ICS). 9. An airportâs public information officer can manage the development, maintenance, and moni- toring effort of the comprehensive emergency/crisis communications plan, but this requires close collaboration with airport operations, emergency management, and first responders. 10. Redundant and interoperable means of communications are essential. 11. Airports of any type or size can profitably leverage the communications capabilities of their emergency partners using NIMS and ICS as bases. 12. Effective emergency communications can make a conduit from safety to improved customer service. This is especially true regarding the fast-evolving use by airports of social media for emergencies and other crises. The synthesis also suggested possible topics of further research, described in more detail in chap- ter nine, Conclusions and Suggestions for Further Research, including: 1. Use of social media in airports for communicating emergency information to passengers and the public. 2. Data-mining techniques for social media that airport emergency managers can use to improve situational awareness. 3. Automated methods of maintaining and updating contact lists consistent across all airport platforms. 4. Training for the development, implementation, and evaluation of AEP/CCPs. 5. Public information roles and the training to fulfill them. 6. Models of AEP/CCP language for the accommodation of people with disabilities or who are non-English speakers. 7. Development of performance metrics for emergency communication. 8. Methods of training airport employees and partners in supplemental roles in emergency communications. 9. Methods of promoting ADA compliance for all emergency communications including websites and social media. 10. Customer service-related or financial benefits that may accrue from airportsâ incorporating emergency management and communications into their strategic or business plan.
