Lecture 8 - Julie Clement

An experience on public
informing when finding the
WW2 bomb in Evergem-OostVlaanderen
Julie Clément
Communications manager
Content
•
•
•
•
•
Introduction
Facts and figures
Evacuation plan
Communications plan
Evaluation
Introduction
•
•
•
july 2006: news of finding a WOII bomb
on the area of the chemical company
Total
+/- 60 bombs; some are dangereous
to do: make an evacuation plan and a
communications plan in one month
Introduction
Responsible for emergency policy:
• Mayer: local
• Governor: regional
• Minister: national
In this case: governor of East Flanders is
responsable
Facts and figures
Location:
• Rieme, a quarter of Evergem
• Evergem, a municipality 7 km north of Ghent, a
part of it along the Channel towards Terneuzen
(Netherlands)
• Inhabitants: 1 210 (Rieme), 32 364 (Evergem)
• Characteristics: industry along the channel => a
lot of bombing during WO II (allies who wanted
to strike the fuel stocks of the german)
Facts and figures
• one of those industry companies in Rieme:
Total (in Bombardementenstraat)
• on the area of Total: historical pollution due to
chemical activities
• during the rehabilitation of that area: +/- 60
bombs were discovered
• removal of the bombs: sometimes dangereous
for the people who lived there
• governor: responsible for the organisation of
the evacuation and for the operation of
dismanteling the bomb
INHOUD
Evacuation plan
Contains the procedures:
• to alarm the inhabitants
• for the several resue services
• to raise two shelters (inhabitants and
companies)
• to organise the traffic circulation
• of communication (communications plan)
Evacuation plan
Governor’s staff:
• director emergency
• director communications
• members of the emergency service
(multidisciplinary: firedepartement, medecine,
police, civil protection, communication) + army
• local people: mayor, environement
• companies: Total, rehabilition, demining, army
(dovo)
Evacuation plan
Several partners involved:
•
province of East Flanders
•
municipality of Evergem
•
city of Gent
•
company Total
•
OVAM (Flemish institute / waste)
•
company executing the remediation works (DEC)
•
company that localizes and digs metal objects
(aDeDe: ammunition detection demining)
•
army (DOVO) for dismanteling the bomb
Communications plan
Organisation:
• making and coördination of the
com.plan: com.dep.Province
• delivering content: each member
• execute the com.plan: province,
Evergem,Gent and Total
First action: indicate spokesmen
Communications plan
Two types of communications:
• preventive (before evacuation and real
danger) => to prepare
• on the occasion (when evacuation was
a fact because of real danger) => to
take action
Communications plan
Content:
• goals
• stakeholders / groups
• communication operations and
communications means
• evaluation
Communications plan
Goals:
1. To informe the inhabitants and companies in a
perimeter of 500 m around the area about:
• the kind of and the progress of the rehabilitation
• the possibility of an evacuation
• the organisation of an evacuation
• the measures that will be taken in case of an
evacuation
• the communication towards them
Communications plan
Goals:
2. To informe the press about:
• the kind of and the progress of the rehabilitation
• the possibility of an evacuation
• the organisation of an evacuation
• the measures that will be taken in case of an
evacuation
• the communication towards the inhabitants and
companies
Communications plan
Goals:
3. To optimize the image of and to
safeguard the confidence in the
government and the public services that
are involved in the evacuation towards
press, inhabitants and companies.
Communications plan
Stakeholders:
• press: national, regional and local
• inhabitants (incl. parents of
schoolchildren): max. 250 families
• companies: max. 10
Communications plan
(preventive com)
Communication launch:
• Press conference on 1st of august => a lot of
media attention
• Residents letter just before, incl.invitation for
information meeting => information at first
hand but supported by the media
• Information meeting for the companies that
are involved just before the press conference
movie
Communications plan
(preventive com)
Communication means:
• Press: press conference, press release(s),
website
• Inhabitants: letter, letter for the parents of the
schoolchildren, information meeting, call
centre (helpline), website, magazine
Evergem, through the press
• Companies: letter, information meeting, call
centre (helpline), website, through the press
Communications plan
(preventive com)
Inhabitants/companies: 1st letter => contains:
• information about the problem, the
remediation, the possibility of an evacuation
• guidelines in case of evacuation (flyer + card)
• communication possibilities
• information sheet to send back
Second letter: contains progress of the
remediation at the end of the year; third e.o.
letters: depending the circumstances
Communications plan
(preventive com)
Inhabitants: information meeting (17 days
after communication launch):
• oral presentation about the problem, the
remediation, the evacuation and
communication
• speakers: governement, police, army
• questions
movie
Communications plan
(preventive com)
Companies: information meeting (same day
& just before press conference):
• oral presentation about the problem, the
remediation, the evacuation and
communication
• speakers: all the partners
• questions
Communications plan
(preventive com)
Inhabitants/companies: helpline
• for information and questions
• organised by the departement
communication of gemeente Evergem
Inhabitants/companies: website
• information similar of content letter
Communications plan
(preventive com)
Inhabitants: magazine Evergem
• information about the problem, the
remediation, the possibility of an
evacuation
• communication possibilities
Communications plan
(occasion)
Communication means:
• Press: press release(s), website, press
briefings
• Inhabitants: call centre, website,
teletext, through the press + personal
visit by police
• Companies: call centre, website,
teletext, through the press
Communications plan
(occasion)
Inhabitants: call centre
every inhabitant is called up to:
• instruct him
• ask him for his plans during the
evacuation (going away, going to the
shelter, needing transport)
Companies: calling up by the emergency
officer (begin + end)
Communications plan
(occasion)
Inhabitants/companies: website
• specific information: where, who, how
/end of evacuation
Inhabitants/companies: teletext
• end of evacuation
movie
Evaluation of
communication
Did we have reached the goals?
Preventive communication:
• Quantitative: the press – nationwide & regional
– informed correctly and complete about the
problem and the evacuationplan
• Qualitative: postive sound; cfr. Article ‘Good
that we are being prepared’…
• Number and kind of calls and questions: pets!
Evaluation of
communication
Did we have reached the goals?
Communication on the occasion:
• 3 evacuations: 30 september 2007, 29
april 2009, 27 september 2009
• press: informing; no negative sound
• inhabitants: store keepers are sceptic;
others get used to it
• companies: ok
Evaluation of
communication
Global evaluation:
1. Evacuationplan and communications plan have proven their
usefulness. Not only in this case. Once the procedures are set up,
they are useful in other cases f.e. the day before yesterday…
2. Lesson: Being prepared!
–
–
–
thinking in advance of the communication opportunities and means
=> a realistic, workable communications plan
a good working team that know each other in advance
if possible: exercise
3. It’s about the confidence of the people in the government.