Chevron Oil Refinery Fire: A case study in crisis management
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Chevron refinery fire and the blame game
Every time I follow a crisis, I think of the old Kris Kristofferson song, "Who's to Bless and Who's to Blame?" Anyone that has been in the business of crisis management for any length of time knows that media coverage of a crisis follows three phases: What happened? This is the initial coverage of the […]
Chevron refinery fire provides a lesson in crisis communications
On Monday evening, a small leak at the Chevron refinery in Richmond CA escalated into a series of explosions and a fire that released a plume of toxic smoke over the Bay Area. One of the things that struck me as I was watching the television coverage of the event was an almost complete lack […]
Decision-making and unintended consequences
One of the problems with making a decision is that there are almost always unintended consequences to that decision. No matter how you assess and analyze a problem, there's always the risk that your decision will produce results that you never expected. Sometimes you're pleasantly surprised; most times you're not. Case in point is the […]
Deepwater Horizon and performance indicators
The US Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board has just released its preliminary findings on the Deepwater Horizon explosion in 2010 that killed 11 workers and caused a massive spill in the Gulf of Mexico. What makes these findings interesting is that they focus not on the technical failures but on management system deficiencies. Key among […]
Crisis Management: Learning the wrong lessons from Aurora
The day after the tragedy in Aurora, a friend's son announced that he and his friends were going to see the new Batman movie that evening. Her reply? "Absolutely not! Haven't you heard about Aurora?" Her reaction was not an isolated case. The papers were full of stories from across the country about additional security and […]
Public relations: People are not stupid
The Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) has recently begun airing a television and radio campaign touting its commitment to safety. In the spots, the company CEO characterizes PG&E as a company that "had lost its way" but is now back on track thanks to the continued commitment of its employees. Nobody is buying it. […]
Emergency Management Solutions July 2012: Train for Leadership
Emergency Management Solutions July 2012
Train for Leadership: Why our plans fail to prepare our leaders
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Risk Management Lessons from a Hawk – A Tail from the Dog Park
My typical day starts with an early morning walk with our dog, Kona, affectionately known around here as "Kona the Destroyer". We always end up at our local dog park where Kona gets off-leash time with her buddies and I get to gossip with other doggy parents. The other morning I heard a shout and […]