Louisville Zoo- Crisis Communications, Handled Right
By now, many of you will have seen today’s headlines regarding the derailment of the train at the Louisville Zoo, which sent 22 people to the hospital, including one person in critical condition. This has made the international news…and created a scary situation for everyone at the zoo. How nice it is, then, to see an organization leap into action and do the right thing…
What a shock it was this morning to look up from my shredded wheat to see the Louisville Zoo on CNN Headline News, with a train derailment. This train is the centerpiece of the zoo, something that long lines of little children have for generations ridden safely. My children love it too. Which makes it all the more upsetting and bewildering to see.
So my hat is off to the entire staff at the Zoo, especially Kara Bussabarger, their spokesperson, for the good job they’ve done handling this freak occurrence. Today’s Courier Journal featured hospital officials praising the zoo for the “best disaster recovery effort they’ve ever seen.” Clearly, these folks had a plan.
Here’s what I found especially honorable about their efforts:
1. The authorities were invited in, openly and quickly, to start an investigation into how it happened.
2. Media relations staff immediately went to meet the press, offered their condolences, and worked hard to provide as much information, as quickly as possible to the public. They took control of the story, and kept control.
3. They offered a variety of details about the train…how fast it runs, information about their hiring rules for the people who drive the train and how they are trained, etc. This is fairly obscure information, but they didn’t have to fumble for it. Which shows they are anticipating the press questions.
4. Staff at the zoo did not panic. They swooped in, in a very organized fashion, to take care of the people on the train. They did good triage and made sure people got immediate treatment. There were lots of very small kids involved and their efficiency, I’m sure, did a lot to reassure everyone.
5. Most important, they gave the impression to the media that they will be providing more information they minute they get it, and they are sincerely trying to find the problem and correct it. They won’t be reopening the train until they do.
Bad things sometimes happen. It’s how you react to them that shows the true character of your organization. After this, I am more reassured than ever that my family is safe at the zoo, which is a truly one of the top attractions in this region. While the story has been reported, I haven’t heard anyone in the press assailing the zoo for shoddy management practices, or irresponsibility. (Not so with the disaster at Kentucky Kingdom, where a local girl lost her feet in a ride accident.) The Zoo, however, has good will in the bank, and they are doing all the right things now. It makes all the difference.
So this begs the question…if something were to happen at your company, would you be prepared? This episode shows, if nothing else, the value of good crisis planning. If you need help with crisis planning, come talk to us about it!
