4.5.4 Crisis and emergency management

Principles
While the terms ‘crisis’ and ‘emergency’ are not synonymous, effective communication is an integral part of both crisis and emergency management.

A crisis need not pose a serious threat to human life or property, but effective communication management is imperative to help maintain or restore the public's confidence in the Government during times of crisis.

Effective communication management is vital before, during and after an emergency to help prevent injury or loss of life, to help limit damage to assets and property, to help maintain public services, to assist in the process of recovery, and to help maintain or restore public confidence in the Government.

Policy requirements
To ensure effective emergency management, agencies must:

• include roles and responsibilities for media and communications in their emergency management protocols
• develop effective, ‘workable’ crisis communication plans before a crisis occurs
• train designated spokepersons to communicate during a crisis
• utilise the expertise of their media and communications staff to provide a clear focus for staff involved in the response, other government agencies involved, and the media seeking information from the agency.

The Director - Communications, Government Communications Office, must be immediately notified in the event of a crisis or emergency.

See Media protocols: whole-of-Government issued by the Government Communications Office (GCO).