This week's crisis is not as obvious as those in the past. In Los Angeles, an 84-year-old woman and her sister were running to catch a commuter train when another woman stood up and pushed her onto the tracks. She later died in the hospital.
The woman and her sister were running to catch a train owned by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro), and I think this incident could turn into a crisis for the company because people can ask, "What are you going to do to keep this from happening again." The company's name was released in the article, but there was no statement from them about the incident. There was also no mention of the incident on the company Web site.
Maybe the Metro does not think this is a big deal. But even if it isn't it still would have been smart for the Metro to say we are sorry this happened at our station, incidents like this are rare and we have a good safety record.
Read the full article here.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Carnival Crisis
The Carnival Splendor was 200 miles south of San Diego when and engine room fire cut its power on Monday. No passengers or crew members were hurt and the fire was put out. But, the ship was left floating with no air conditioning, hot water, or telephone service. Cargo planes have been loaded to take food to the Splendor, and tugboats are on the way to tow the ship to the closest port in Ensenada, Mexico. From Ensenada, passengers will be bussed back to California.
In my opinion, Carnival Cruise Lines is handling this crisis as though they had a plan for situations like this. Actions have been taken to get the passengers back to California quickly and as comfortably as possible. They have provided a telephone number for family members of passengers to call with their concerns. The CEO of Carnival released a statement apologizing for the situation:
"We know this has been an extremely trying situation for our guests and we sincerely thank them for
their patience. Conditions on board the ship are very challenging and we sincerely apologize for the
discomfort and inconvenience our guests are currently enduring."
Carnival is also offering reimbursement to the passengers for this trip as well as vouchers for a free cruise in the future.
Carnival's quick actions, transparency, and caring for the passengers should keep the company from receiving a negative image in the public's eye. The comments on this article are positive, saying things like this is how customers should be treated during these types of situations. I have cruised on a Carnival ship before, and this situation will not prevent me from cruising with them again.
Read the full article here.
In my opinion, Carnival Cruise Lines is handling this crisis as though they had a plan for situations like this. Actions have been taken to get the passengers back to California quickly and as comfortably as possible. They have provided a telephone number for family members of passengers to call with their concerns. The CEO of Carnival released a statement apologizing for the situation:
"We know this has been an extremely trying situation for our guests and we sincerely thank them for
their patience. Conditions on board the ship are very challenging and we sincerely apologize for the
discomfort and inconvenience our guests are currently enduring."
Carnival is also offering reimbursement to the passengers for this trip as well as vouchers for a free cruise in the future.
Carnival's quick actions, transparency, and caring for the passengers should keep the company from receiving a negative image in the public's eye. The comments on this article are positive, saying things like this is how customers should be treated during these types of situations. I have cruised on a Carnival ship before, and this situation will not prevent me from cruising with them again.
Read the full article here.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Strangled Victims in Houston
This weeks crisis feels more personal to me because it is local. Since June, three African American women have been found near downtown Houston strangled to death. Two of the women were over 50, homeless, and found within a few blocks of each other. The other woman was 24. Police are trying to determine if these slayings are related.
The police department is being very careful in the statements they are making. They have said that they are working with the FBI and evaluating other strangulation cases. They also said that there is no DNA evidence linking the cases right now. They are being careful not to say or even insinuate this could the work of a serial killer. I think that is a very smart move because that would cause panic in Houston, especially among African American women. They have also advised people who run homeless shelters to stress to the women not to sleep on the streets. A reward has also been offered for information.
I think the statements that the Houston Police Department have made show they are handling the crisis very well. The statements show competence and caring. They also aren't ignoring the fact that these cases are similar. They acknowledge that fact but emphasize that there is no evidence to link the cases. To me, this shows that the Houston Police are honest and at the same time keeps the crisis from getting bigger.
Read the full story here.
The police department is being very careful in the statements they are making. They have said that they are working with the FBI and evaluating other strangulation cases. They also said that there is no DNA evidence linking the cases right now. They are being careful not to say or even insinuate this could the work of a serial killer. I think that is a very smart move because that would cause panic in Houston, especially among African American women. They have also advised people who run homeless shelters to stress to the women not to sleep on the streets. A reward has also been offered for information.
I think the statements that the Houston Police Department have made show they are handling the crisis very well. The statements show competence and caring. They also aren't ignoring the fact that these cases are similar. They acknowledge that fact but emphasize that there is no evidence to link the cases. To me, this shows that the Houston Police are honest and at the same time keeps the crisis from getting bigger.
Read the full story here.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Jail Break Crisis
Three inmates escaped from a Northwest Missouri jail on Sunday by crawling under a fence. It was reported that the men were being watched by three guards in the recreation area when they escaped. The small community where the jail was located was locked down, but the men have not been found.
This crisis can be considered intentional and preventable. I would think that because this is a jail full of men who do not want to be there, there would be a crisis plan. But, there does not appear to be one. According to the article, the Daviess County Sheriff's Department issued a news release about the incident, but it did not say how the men managed to slip under a fence while being guarded without being caught. The Sheriff's Department was contacted, but the Sheriff would not comment. An attorney who handled the case of one of the inmates would not comment either.
One of the first things I learned in my crisis communications class is whether you have answers or not, a holding statement always needs to be released. Any truthful comment is better than no comment because silence makes people think you are guilty. The Sheriff should have talked to the reporter and said the department is investigating the escape and that they are doing everything possible to find the men.
Read the full story here.
This crisis can be considered intentional and preventable. I would think that because this is a jail full of men who do not want to be there, there would be a crisis plan. But, there does not appear to be one. According to the article, the Daviess County Sheriff's Department issued a news release about the incident, but it did not say how the men managed to slip under a fence while being guarded without being caught. The Sheriff's Department was contacted, but the Sheriff would not comment. An attorney who handled the case of one of the inmates would not comment either.
One of the first things I learned in my crisis communications class is whether you have answers or not, a holding statement always needs to be released. Any truthful comment is better than no comment because silence makes people think you are guilty. The Sheriff should have talked to the reporter and said the department is investigating the escape and that they are doing everything possible to find the men.
Read the full story here.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Going Postal Again?
I believe that most people have heard the expression, "going postal." When someone uses that phrase it means that they are not happy at work and are going to snap, just like two U.S. Postal Service employees did in the 80s. In both of those instances, the employee came to work with firearm and shot and killed their managers and other employees. USPS had a major crisis on their hand then and never quite recovered from it because the slang term "going postal" is still used.
Now the USPS is back in the news for employees being shot and killed on the job. In a rural Tennessee town on Monday, two female employees were shot while being robbed. The crime is being investigated by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation U.S. Postal Inspection Service and so far no arrests have been made.
A spokesperson for USPS said that post offices are not immune to crime, but robbery is rare. USPS also released a statement saying they are investigating possible motives and are offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the case.
I think that USPS is using good strategies to handle this crisis. They are not confirming or denying that a robbery is what really happened because they do not know. They are just saying that they are investigating. This is smart because they will not have to go back on their statement if this incident turns out not to be a robbery. I think that by offering a reward for information they are showing they care for the lives of the employees that were lost and they are committed to finding the people who did this.
In the article that I read, there was no mention of previous violent crimes at post offices, but I think that before news coverage of this incident is completed, there will be mention of the killings by USPS employees. I think the USPS incident shows that a crisis can be handled correctly but it may never go away completely.
Now the USPS is back in the news for employees being shot and killed on the job. In a rural Tennessee town on Monday, two female employees were shot while being robbed. The crime is being investigated by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation U.S. Postal Inspection Service and so far no arrests have been made.
A spokesperson for USPS said that post offices are not immune to crime, but robbery is rare. USPS also released a statement saying they are investigating possible motives and are offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the case.
I think that USPS is using good strategies to handle this crisis. They are not confirming or denying that a robbery is what really happened because they do not know. They are just saying that they are investigating. This is smart because they will not have to go back on their statement if this incident turns out not to be a robbery. I think that by offering a reward for information they are showing they care for the lives of the employees that were lost and they are committed to finding the people who did this.
In the article that I read, there was no mention of previous violent crimes at post offices, but I think that before news coverage of this incident is completed, there will be mention of the killings by USPS employees. I think the USPS incident shows that a crisis can be handled correctly but it may never go away completely.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Hurricane Paula
After destroying homes in Honduras, Hurricane Paula is heading towards the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico traveling at 10 mph. Paula started out as a Category 1 storm today and has moved up to Category 2 this afternoon. Winds up to 75 mph have been reported. Paula is the tenth hurricane of the 2010 season. The government of Mexico has issued a hurricane warning for the Caribbean coast ranging from Punta Gruesa to Cabo Catoche and includes the island of Cozumel.
There are different types of crises. Acts of Nature are one of them. A crisis can be defined as intentional and unintentional. A hurricane is unintentional because it cannot be prevented. A storm can be prepared for but never prevented. Crises are also defined as violent and non violent based on loss of life and property damage. Based on the reported 19 homes damaged and no lives lost so far from Hurricane Paula, I would define this crisis as unintentional and non violent. This definition can change depending on how much damage Paula inflicts on Mexico.
Even though hurricanes are unintentional crises, they can still ruin an organizations reputation after the fact. After Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005, FEMA and George Bush were both heavily criticized for how slowly they responded to the crisis. Even 5 years later, FEMA is still talked about negatively in regards to Hurricane Katrina. So, by knowing this the governments of Honduras and Mexico should be preparing for the worst so they can quickly help any victims of Hurricane Paula in their countries.
Read the full article here.
There are different types of crises. Acts of Nature are one of them. A crisis can be defined as intentional and unintentional. A hurricane is unintentional because it cannot be prevented. A storm can be prepared for but never prevented. Crises are also defined as violent and non violent based on loss of life and property damage. Based on the reported 19 homes damaged and no lives lost so far from Hurricane Paula, I would define this crisis as unintentional and non violent. This definition can change depending on how much damage Paula inflicts on Mexico.
Even though hurricanes are unintentional crises, they can still ruin an organizations reputation after the fact. After Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005, FEMA and George Bush were both heavily criticized for how slowly they responded to the crisis. Even 5 years later, FEMA is still talked about negatively in regards to Hurricane Katrina. So, by knowing this the governments of Honduras and Mexico should be preparing for the worst so they can quickly help any victims of Hurricane Paula in their countries.
Read the full article here.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Toxic Sludge in Hungary
Monday a toxic sludge burst out of its containment pond and poured through three villages, killing three people and injuring 120. The sludge is a waste product in aluminum production and is toxic if ingested. It also causes severe burns. So far, 35.3 million cubic feet of sludge has leaked from the pond affecting an area of 15.4 square miles.
The definition of a crisis is an untimely but predictable event that has actual or potential consequences for stakeholders' interest as well as the organization's reputation. What I want to focus on is the word predictable. Most crises, with the exception of natural disasters, can be predicted and prevented. This is no exception. Since 2003 local environmentalists have been calling the government's attention to the risk of the sludge. If the government had taken the environmentalists seriously and tried to do something to reduce the amount of sludge in the containment pond, Hungary wouldn't be in a state of emergency now. Even if the government couldn't reduce the amount of toxic waste the aluminum company was producing, they could have made them take the waste to another location where there weren't so many villages around. I think that the government and the aluminum company is going to have to work very hard to gain the trust of the people back.
I think that one thing the government can do to start getting trust back is to set up a fund to provide the people whose homes and jobs were destroyed with housing and money equal to their income. They should also pay for the hospital bills of those who were injured and for the funeral arrangements of those who were killed.
The definition of a crisis is an untimely but predictable event that has actual or potential consequences for stakeholders' interest as well as the organization's reputation. What I want to focus on is the word predictable. Most crises, with the exception of natural disasters, can be predicted and prevented. This is no exception. Since 2003 local environmentalists have been calling the government's attention to the risk of the sludge. If the government had taken the environmentalists seriously and tried to do something to reduce the amount of sludge in the containment pond, Hungary wouldn't be in a state of emergency now. Even if the government couldn't reduce the amount of toxic waste the aluminum company was producing, they could have made them take the waste to another location where there weren't so many villages around. I think that the government and the aluminum company is going to have to work very hard to gain the trust of the people back.
I think that one thing the government can do to start getting trust back is to set up a fund to provide the people whose homes and jobs were destroyed with housing and money equal to their income. They should also pay for the hospital bills of those who were injured and for the funeral arrangements of those who were killed.
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