IMO Model Course on the Response

to HNS in the Marine Environment

Level 2: The Manager Level

Lesson 2.17 – 2.19

Managing Information and
Communications
 Objective
• To understand the importance of effective and
efficient management of information and
communications during an HNS incident.

• To understand the need for an incident

communications plan and an external
communications plan.
Typical incident response challenges
Issues common to many incidents:
• Flexibility of scale
• Response organization
• Internal communication
• Management of volunteers
• Health and Safety
• Media and Public Relations
 Effective Response
An effective response does not necessarily depend
on large amounts of equipment.
However it does depend on:
• organizational infrastructure
o clearly defined and understood
• leadership
o well managed resources
• information management
 Effective Response
The management of information is critical.
Information movement can be considered in
two dimensions:
• Vertical (internal)
– the flow of information up and down the
command structure of the incident
• Horizontal (external)
– The flow of information out to media and public
– The reaction/feedback from the media and public
 Two Plans
Incident Communications Plan
• Response team
• Response community
• Senior administrators/Ministers
• Regional and international contacts

External Communications Plan

• Public
• Media
HNS incident communication challenges
during
• Dynamic situation
HNS incidents
• Scientific uncertainty regarding risk
• Public health concerns
• Understanding of terminology
– e.g. AEGL’s and ERPG’s
• Multi-agency communications
• Emotional stories
• Can be highly visible incidents
 Risk − Perception vs Reality
There can be a difference between
expert, scientific assessment of risk
reagrding HNS and the public’s

R ? perception of risk

For oil spills, blackened shorelines can

I be highly visible, but some HNS are not
S visible, which may lower the public’s
risk perception
K
Mention of cargiogenic properties etc.
is likely to increase the public’s
perception of risk
 Communications and IMS
• In a multi-agency response there is a clear need for
integrated communications within the IMS
• Need to establish a single information centre for
gathering, verifying and disseminating all information
to ensure consistent messaging across all response
parties
• Multi-agency communication procedures should
facilitate secure sharing of incident-related information
such as:
– identity and quantity of HNS involved
– location and status of any casualties
– potential impacts
– resources deployed
 Communications and IMS
• For effective and efficient internal
communications, a communications unit
should be established within the logistics
section, responsible for ensuring the response
is supported by effective communications

–develops an incident communications plan that

details communication procedures
–manages equipment/technology needs
Internal Communication Challenges
Vertical flow of information challenges:
• Numerous organizations
– lack of familiarity and teamwork
– differing reporting formats and mediums
– differing terminology
• Numerous locations
– separate response management locations
– overloaded carriers, crowded airwaves
– poor or no reception
 Vertical information flow
Senior Other national Bilateral and The
Flag state government stakeholders regional international
bodies neighbours community
(via IMO?)

Briefing reports too…

Incident Command Centre

Field reports from…

Search and
rescue crew Air monitoring teams Waste Health,
Cargo transfer team SCAT teams handling safety and
welfare
Marine response teams
Surveillance
Logistics flights Shoreline response
 Data Management
Capture and storage of Data management
data considerations
• system to capture data • Potentially huge
• system to store data volumes of data from
• system to analyse data multiple sources in
• system to sift different formats
information, remove • Needs to be as near to
salient facts and re- ‘real-time’ as possible
transmit • Out of date
information has limited
use
 External Communication Challenges
Horizontal flow of information challenges:
• Circumstances do not favour the authority
dealing with the event
• Speed of external information flow
• It is a golden opportunity for the media
• Media can talk in approximate terms
• Technical/scientific information may not have an
impact on public opinion
• Credibility of media can be higher than that of
the responsible authority
 Managing the Media

The media plays an important role within an incident and a key part of
managing its activities is understanding its needs
 Managing the Media

• Unfolding nature of information

• Press releases
• Briefings/updates
• Size of the media contingent
• Media facilities
• Media tours/escort
 Managing External Communications
• HNS incidents can generate bad publicity
– Governments and Industry
• If public and media communications are poorly managed,
the impression given is that the operation is badly
managed
• Negative impressions can be redressed with good media
communications
• A robust external communications plan cannot be
improvised
• Senior managers and administrators have a responsibility
to plan
 Effective Communications
How do we prepare for our communication needs?
• prepare incident and external communication plans
– Alert/ reporting procedures
– Contact information for all positions
– Procedures for integrated gathering and handling of information
– Key messages for various target audiences
– Draft press relases
– Preffered means of external communication e.g. news releases, news conferences,
internet, radio, media interviews
• make arrangements for coordinated, multi-agency communications
in the planning stages
– e.g. which agency will lead with public communications?
• harness technology and have sufficient resources
• think ahead and study and learn from other countries
• exercise plans and update them to incorporate lessons
 Effective Communications
For communication to be effective, information
must be:
• open and accurate
– requires acceptance of the need to acknowledge and
share uncertainty
• timely - given swiftly and continuously
• simple and easily accessible
• clear and concise
• consistent
– all organizations have to share the same message
External communications preparedness
• Key to communications with the public is getting
the right message for the right audience

• Consider target audiences

• Identification and training of spokesperson and key
officers
• Sufficient staff to meet media’s expectations
• Recognise that communication is a two way process
- be prepared for community workshops etc.
 First hour public communications
Who are we talking to? (target audience)
Survivors Relatives and friends Local community Wider public

Why are we talking to them? (objectives)

Control public around the Reassurance
Move from danger Use to gather information
incident Continued business/public
Report to community centre Reassurance
Establish communication link service delivery
What do we want to say? (key messages)
Evacuation information Information about the Avoid harm Information about the
incident Behaviour (e.g. stay indoors) incident
Point of contact information Await further information Wider implications
How would we say it? (communications channel)
Emergency responders on- Relatives helpline Police support with PA National media including
scene National media including equipment radio/TV
Police support with PA radio/TV Media including local Responder website
equipment Responder websites radio/TV National/ Govt websites
Social media Social media

Tactical implementation
Coordinate with responders First media release issued to Coordinate with responders Media conference organized
all outlets Emergency alert to radio/TV Spokesperson briefed
station Q&A’s developed

Source: https://www.readyscotland.org/
 Proforma Documents
Consider having a suite of documents prepared.
These can include:
• incident report forms
• senior government information statement
• media information statement
• fact sheets on response options and
capabilities
 Proforma Documents
Useful for:
• focusing on important information and key
messages
• acting as a prompt to capture information
• helping overcome terminology interpretations
• can be stored electronically for retrieval and
transmission
 Summary
• Communicating risks during HNS incidents is complex;
it requires a robust risk assessment and a sound
understanding of the target audience and their level of
knowledge (Arcopol, 2013).
• Communications are a vital part of an incident
response, especially where numerous organizations are
brought together.
• Communications need to be well integrated into the
overall IMS to enable effective vertical and horizontal
management of information.
• A lot can be done to prepare for efficient
communications during the planning stages.
Any questions?