Why you should establish a communication plan in advance ?
Establishing a communication plan in advance is important for several reasons:
Clarity and Consistency: Having a predefined communication plan ensures that everyone involved is on the same page. It helps avoid confusion, misunderstandings, and mixed messages. Consistency in communication is crucial to maintaining a clear direction.
Efficiency: A communication plan outlines who needs to communicate with whom, when, and how. This helps streamline the process, ensuring that messages are delivered effectively without unnecessary delays.
Reduced Risk of Miscommunication: By setting expectations for how communication will occur, you minimize the chance of critical information being missed or misunderstood. Clear guidelines help everyone stay aligned with project goals.
Improved Collaboration: A good communication plan promotes better teamwork. It provides a framework for how team members can collaborate, ask questions, and provide feedback, leading to stronger working relationships and higher productivity.
Crisis Management: In case of unexpected issues or crises, having a communication plan allows for a quick, coordinated response. It ensures that important messages are communicated rapidly and effectively, helping to mitigate potential problems.
Stakeholder Engagement: With a clear plan, stakeholders are better informed and can stay updated on progress. This helps build trust and ensures that all relevant parties are engaged at the right times.
How to determine alternative means of communication (e.g. SMS, walkie-talkies)?
Establishing alternative communication methods in an emergency situation is crucial to ensure that everyone can stay in contact if the primary communication channels (such as mobile phones or the internet) fail. Here are some steps to help establish these methods:
1. Identify Potential Risks and Limitations
First, it’s important to assess what types of hazards might affect the availability of traditional communication methods like mobile phones or the internet. For example, during natural disasters like earthquakes or floods, the infrastructure for phone lines or internet services may be damaged. Therefore, alternative communication methods that don’t rely on the same infrastructure need to be considered.
2. SMS and Text Messages
Advantages: SMS is independent of voice calls and can be used when the network is overloaded or when voice calls are unavailable. Text messages can often be delivered even with a weak signal. How to establish:
Contact Lists: Prepare contact lists for everyone involved in the plan so that group messages can be sent quickly.
Message Templates: Create pre-written message templates for various scenarios. For example: „Gather at Point A” or „Change of meeting point to Point B.”
Regular Testing: Test the SMS system to ensure that messages are delivered quickly and are reachable, even with a weak signal
3. Two-Way Radios (Walkie-Talkies)
Advantages: Radios are independent of phone networks and use wireless communication within a specified range. They are useful when mobile networks are overloaded or unavailable. How to establish:
Choosing the Right Model: Choose radios with a range sufficient to cover the area where team members will be located. Make sure to select devices that can communicate on different frequencies.
Training: Ensure everyone knows how to use the radios, including how to set the right frequency, how to transmit, and how to receive messages.
Assign Channels: Assign specific channels to different groups (e.g., one channel for medical personnel, another for rescue teams). This will help avoid confusion and allow for better management of communications.
Testing the Range: Regularly test the radios’ range to ensure they work in different environmental conditions.
4. Mobile Applications
Advantages: If internet access is available, mobile apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, or Signal can be effective for sending text, voice, or video messages. How to establish:
Choosing the App: Select apps that work even with weak signals or offer offline messaging features (e.g., via Bluetooth).
Communication Groups: Create communication groups for different people or scenarios (e.g., for specific teams, leaders, etc.).
Usage Guidelines: Establish clear guidelines for how and when to use the app in case of an emergency. For example, the app could be used for sending status updates, not casual chatting.
5. Public Announcement Systems and Alarms
Advantages: If communication needs to reach a large group of people in a specific location, public announcement systems or alarms can be useful. How to establish:
Installation in Strategic Locations: Install loudspeakers in key areas, such as building entrances, parking lots, or other high-traffic places.
Prepare Announcements: Have pre-recorded announcements ready for different emergency scenarios (e.g., „Evacuate to Point A!”).
System Testing: Regularly test the alarm systems to ensure they are functioning properly.
6. Establish Communication Priorities
How to establish:
Define Priorities: Determine which information is the most critical during the emergency (e.g., evacuation, safety status) and which communication channels will be used to relay it.
Emergency Protocols: Prepare protocols specifying communication hierarchies. For example, if one communication method fails, you can switch to another (e.g., SMS first, then radio).
Tips for choosing a meeting point in an emergency
Choosing a meeting point in an emergency situation is crucial for ensuring safety and effective evacuation. Here are some key guidelines to consider when selecting the meeting point:
Safety: Choose a location that is far from potential hazards. It should be protected from fires, earthquakes, or any other threats that may arise from the emergency situation.
Accessibility and Ease of Reach: The meeting point should be easy for everyone to access, considering various scenarios (e.g., blocked roads, damaged buildings). Make sure it is a place that can be reached on foot, by vehicle, or other means of transportation, depending on the situation.
Elevated Location: If the threat is something like flooding, choose a meeting point on a higher floor or elevated ground to minimize the risk of being caught in the floodwaters.
Familiarity with the Location: Pick a place that is well-known to all participants to avoid confusion in a stressful situation. It’s helpful if the location is easy to find and the surrounding area is safe and well-lit, especially if the meeting takes place at night.
Size and Space: The meeting point should be large enough to accommodate everyone involved. In an emergency situation, it’s important to avoid crowding, as it could hinder evacuation or further action.
Protection from Weather: Ensure the meeting point offers some protection from adverse weather conditions, such as rain, strong winds, freezing temperatures, or sun. This could be a shelter, a building, or a shaded area.
Proximity to Emergency Services: It’s beneficial for the meeting point to be close to locations where emergency services (e.g., fire department, ambulance, police) are present, as this will facilitate quick access to help if needed.
Multifunctionality: In emergencies, it’s useful for the meeting point to serve more than one purpose. It could be a place for shelter, first aid, or a location where people can receive information and coordination.
Alternative Meeting Points: It’s a good idea to establish more than one meeting point in case the primary one becomes inaccessible or too dangerous. This provides flexibility and increases the chances of everyone gathering safely.
Communication and Information Sharing: Decide how you will inform all participants about the meeting point (e.g., via text message, mobile app, announcements). Clear and quick communication is crucial in a crisis situation.
Examples of communication plans used by professionals (firefighters, military)
Professional communication plans used by firefighters, military personnel, rescue teams, and emergency services are essential for effective crisis management and response operations. Here are some examples of communication plans used by various professionals:
1. Firefighter Communication Plan
Goal: Ensure effective communication between firefighter teams, commanders, and other services during rescue operations, such as fires, accidents, or natural disasters.
Communication Channels: Firefighters use professional radio communication devices (walkie-talkies) for internal communication, and they also have access to alarm systems and mobile phones when needed. Dedicated radio frequencies are often used to avoid interference.
Command System: During rescue operations, clear hierarchical communication procedures are established. For example, the „unit commander” has priority in issuing orders and relaying information to other teams.
Signals and Codes: Standard signals and codes (e.g., color or letter codes) are used to quickly and accurately convey information in high-pressure situations.
Evacuation Plans: Points of assembly and communication procedures are determined for evacuation scenarios to ensure the safety of all team members.
Information Sharing Rules: Firefighters regularly exchange information about hazard locations, casualty numbers, available resources, and support needs. Messages are communicated via radios, using concise and precise language.
2. Military Communication Plan
Goal: Coordinate military actions, manage units, share intelligence, and ensure communication during combat operations.
Communication Systems: The military uses a variety of communication systems, such as radios, satellite communication devices, and digital data networks (e.g., C4ISR systems – Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance).
Command Channels: There is a clearly defined chain of command, and each unit is assigned a specific communication channel. For example, a unit commander has exclusive rights to issue orders, and communication with lower ranks occurs through assigned channels.
Codes and Signals: The military uses code systems (e.g., NATO phonetic alphabet) and established sound or light signals to quickly and effectively convey orders or warnings.
Emergency Plans: In the event of communication disruptions (e.g., due to attacks or signal jamming), backup communication methods are planned (e.g., emergency communication systems, courier services in remote areas).
Secure Communication: Encrypted and secure communication channels are used to protect information from enemies and espionage.
3. Rescue Service Communication Plan (e.g., Ambulance, Mountain Rescue)
Goal: Coordinate rescue operations, share patient status, accident locations, and resource needs.
Radios and Apps: Rescuers often use radios, but also mobile apps and GPS systems that allow for quicker arrival at accident scenes and accurate location tracking.
Direct Communication with Dispatch: Rescue teams maintain constant communication with a central dispatch (e.g., ambulance service dispatcher), which monitors the situation and manages resource flow.
Reporting Procedures: Rescuers provide detailed reports on the condition of patients, the type of accident, the number of casualties, and the resources required (e.g., additional ambulances, medical equipment).
Codes and Procedures: Rescuers use simple and understandable codes (e.g., “Patient A – fractured limb”) to quickly convey vital information without unnecessary details, facilitating faster decision-making.
Information Platforms: Platforms (e.g., official websites, social media, SMS) are established to communicate updates to the public and organizations involved in assistance.
Command Centers: Specialized command centers are set up to monitor the crisis situation and coordinate the efforts of emergency services using information and communication systems.
Alarm Signals: In emergencies, specific sound or light signals are used to inform about threats or the need for evacuation.
5. Humanitarian Organization Communication Plan
Goal: Ensure effective communication between humanitarian organizations, governments, and rescue teams in crisis zones.
Continuous Communication with Headquarters: Constant contact with the headquarters of the humanitarian organization, where rescue operations, aid supplies, and fundraising are coordinated.
Data Management Platforms: Use of data management platforms (e.g., GIS for mapping) to track the location of those in need, the status of aid, and the availability of resources.
Training and Procedures: Humanitarian organizations train their teams to respond to crises, teaching them how to use alternative communication methods (e.g., radios, satellite internet) and adapt communication to specific conditions.
The project is financed by the European Union. The opinions and views expressed are solely the personal views of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position of the European Union or the entity granting support. The European Union and the grantor are not responsible for them.
Presentations were made by:
Aleksandra Podladowska
Gabriela Lewandowska
Patrycja Wielgus
Aleksandra Olejnik
Iryna Solonynka
Hanna Tomasiak