Disaster Communications: The Importance
of and Strategies for Implementing a Disaster Communications Plan—Before You Need It

Judy Dahl
November 14, 2007 | COMMENTS

Disasters come in all shapes and sizes, and when one strikes, you won't have time to figure out roles, responsibilities, and processes for continuing operations. You need a disaster preparedness and recovery (DPR) plan in place before a disaster occurs, so you can mitigate damage and give members ongoing access to their money.

And knowing who to tell what, when—and who should deliver the information—is critical before, during and after a disaster. That's why you need a clear, tested disaster communications plan that's fully integrated with your overall DPR plan. Besides, the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) and the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC) require credit unions to have DPR plans in place. Examiners will ask you about yours—including the communications elements.

A situation doesn't have to be catastrophic to require use of a DPR plan, reminds Mike Retelle, disaster team leader at CUNA Mutual Group in Madison, Wisconsin. He's a member of CUNA's Disaster Preparedness Committee and its Disaster Recovery Team. “When we talk about disasters, everybody thinks of Katrina or 9/11, but to us a disaster is anything that can impact a credit union's operations,” he says. While that may be true, it's recent catastrophes that have prompted many credit unions to beef up their DPR plans.

Credit unions learned through hurricanes Katrina and Rita that you can't depend on having any branches available after a disaster—or other back-up sites in the same region. Now they're revamping their plans with a broader geographic focus.

They're increasing the focus on communications, too. “If you ask any credit union in the Gulf Coast region, they'll say the major challenge after Katrina and Rita was communications,” says Mia Perez, director of marketing and business development at Louisiana Federal Credit Union in LaPlace. “Everyone's plans depended on e-mail, land lines, and cell phones, which weren't available. People had evacuated and we didn't know where anyone was.”

Credit unions learned the importance of having toll-free employee hotlines and employee-only Internet sites operated from outside the region. “That's crucial: then from their evacuation locations, employees can leave their whereabouts,” says Perez.

They also learned that it's critical to have a solid disaster communications plan in place before it's needed. “It can take 30 to 45 days to get a plan ready to test,” says Chuck Reagan, CEO of VoiceGard, Cherry Hill, New Jersey, a CUNA strategic alliance partner that provides hosted back-up phone systems. “If you try to set up a plan after a disaster hits, it's too late.”

There are many tools and resources available within the credit union system to assist with planning, and with communications during disasters. Industry resources can also provide useful technology and expertise.

Disaster communications planning should follow the basics of any good planning process—bring all stakeholders together, from directors to members, and determine what's needed. Identify communications audiences, media, messages, and timing. Once the plan's developed, put it through regular, thorough testing. Each time you use the plan, update it with lessons learned.

But remember, there's no perfect plan. “What's successful for one credit union isn't for another,” says Retelle. “Each disaster is different and each credit union is different.”

The important thing is to start early, before you need a plan, and create one that fits your credit union. “Doing nothing's not an option,” cautions Reagan. “You only find that out when it's too late.”

This CUNA Marketing and Business Development Council white paper addresses the importance of and strategies for implementing, testing, and continuously improving the communications portions of DPR, or business continuity plans.

The paper discusses:

• Disaster recovery plans: When are they needed, what's in them, and how do they incorporate communications?
• Important elements of a disaster communications plan
• Available tools and resources
• Implementing, testing and updating a plan

It also includes five case studies illustrating how credit unions and leagues have weathered disasters, the lessons learned, and the improvements they've made to their disaster communications plans. The appendices include a questionnaire for evaluating your plan and a planning checklist.

This is the executive summary from a white paper by Judy Dahl entitled “Disaster Communications: The Importance of and Strategies for Implementing a Disaster Communications Plan—Before You Need It.” Read the complete paper in the "White Papers" section of the CMBDC website.