Bad P.R. – How to deal with it
Posted on 22. Jul, 2009 by Chris in Public Relations
No matter how hard we try, situations can and will arise that can create a bad image for our fire department. So do you deal with it?
Obviously every situation is different and will have to be handled accordingly, but there are some basic rules to follow when dealing with almost any situation.
Your Public Information Officer
S/he needs to understand the media and act in a timely manner. Whether it’s an immediate press conference, a face-to-face with decision makers or sending out a press release to the media, it’s important that some sort of action be taken by this person(s).
Keep It In-House
Thankfully it’s a rare event for most of us, but there are those times when something happens that will be public knowledge and possibly spread all over the local television news, websites, newspapers and even within your community.
No matter what has occurred, I think it’s very important that command remind everyone to keep intimate details about the event amongst members only. Whether the media digs up certain facts or not, it should be left to command and/or the P.I.O. to confirm or deny any allegations to said facts.
Damage Control
Now that your P.I.O. has spoken to the media and department members are made aware of what they can and cannot say, it’s time to rebuild the trust your community is so familiar with.
You need to reassure local citizens, politicians and decision makers that what happened was not a reflection of your department and the necessary steps are being taken to prevent this from happening again.
But you’re also going to have to work twice as hard to keep a positive image about your department and it’s members.
How has your department dealt with bad P.R. in the past?
