Page 21 - UNIZULU Disaster Management Plan Report

6. DISASTER MANAGEMENT AND RESPONSE NETWORK
UNIZULU staff members that are contacted should not comment or offer any information, but immediately refer the matter to the Communications and Marketing Division or its Director. If the media insist that they can’t get hold of the spokespersons, suggest they leave a message with someone else in the Communications and Marketing Division.
Employees should not be bullied into making a comment. A single spokesperson of the Communication Team or Communications and Marketing Division will manage communication and the flow of information as well as manage issues so as to minimise the likelihood of conflicting public statements. It is important to speak with one voice and disseminate a single core, consistent message to stakeholders and the media.
If a journalist tells an employee that the University’s spokespersons declined to comment, this does not mean that the employee should offer a comment. Spokespersons are trained to deal with the media, and if they decline to comment, it is because they have not yet gathered all the facts and do not wish to offer incomplete information.
It should be borne in mind that the Communications and Marketing Division is represented on the Management Team, receives regular updates, and will be able to provide full and information. The intention is not to stifle opinion but merely to ensure that information is accurate and appropriate and that victims/survivors and the institution are protected.
If a news briefing is called, all appropriate spokespersons should be thoroughly briefed beforehand on confining remarks to the information in the briefing document and fact sheet and on how to respond to questions.
The Director of Communications and Marketing will direct all news briefings. Appropriate background information may also be distributed to the media after the news briefing. Internal stakeholders and, where appropriate, key external stakeholders should always be briefed before the media is briefed to avoid employees and students hearing important information via the media.
Some situations may require the University to initiate communication with the news media about a disaster. In these instances, the Office of Communications and Marketing will distribute information to the media based on the situation fact sheet.
The University should strive to always be ready to provide stakeholders and the media with updates, and these should be placed on the intranet and Internet as they become available. It is important to note that communicating proactively with stakeholders and the media will set the communication agenda on the (disaster) issue, and prevent speculation and rumour, as well as media misrepresentation.
6.1 Disaster Response
The previous section set out the responsibilities of the executive arm, the Management Team. This section, considers the responsibilities of the operational arm, the CRT. It provides detailed information on response operations, and should not be confused with the simple set of standing instructions issued to members of the wider university community outlining What to do in an emergency or Disaster.
6.1.1 Disaster Control Centre
The PSD serves as the custodian of the Disaster Control Centre – the disaster management “headquarters” for the UNIZULU CRT. Members of the Management Team should maintain contact with this control centre. Should circumstances require that the Disaster Control Centre needs to be located elsewhere, this decision should be made by the Disaster Manager and communicated accordingly.
6.2 Critical Response Team
As the operational arm linked to the Management Team, the CRT responds to the needs of the university community during and after disaster situations. Members of the group also play a practical role in disaster preparedness, supporting disaster evacuation exercises, providing and/or maintaining disaster resources and equipment, and assisting in the implementation of standard operating procedures relevant to any disaster situation.
UNIVERSITY OF ZULULAND
DISASTER MANAGEMENT PLAN
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