The Phantom Gunman:responding to crisis in real time

Presented to PRSA Buffalo NiagaraDr. Joseph Brennan, APR

Sept. 23, 2010

The context: shooters on campusApril 16, 2007: 32 killed at

Virginia Tech.Feb. 14, 2008: 5 killed at

Northern Illinois Univ.Feb. 12, 2010: 3 killed at

Univ. Alabama – Huntsville

What happened on Feb. 16, 2010

UBTV student news:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_OJlcs-KKM&feature=related

Photo: Harry Scull Jr./The Buffalo News

Incident timeline: the first hour4:03 p.m. - UB Police receive call of suspicious person; officer on site within

a minute. Search begins.4:33 – Police request UB Communications (UBC) to issue campus alert,

asking people to avoid library.4:34 - Media hear police scanners; begin calling UBC. 4:40 – UBC begins sending alerts to campus via SMS, email, web. 5:00 – Camera crews arrive. UBC staff go to site, are turned back by police.

Media begin reporting unconfirmed information.5:30 - National media and parents begin calling UBC.5:40 – Administration decides to cancel evening classes; instructs UBC to

issue that news.During the 5 p.m. hour – Employees and student journalists provide media

with unconfirmed, speculative info.

First hour: supporting the operation• Operational response

• Report was from a single individual• Unconfirmed by other witnesses and video• Police decide to search (abundance of caution)• Library has many entrances, nooks and crannies

• Communications response• Support the operational response• Don’t induce a panic; don’t reveal police details

Incident timeline: second through fifth hours

Ongoing - UB Police continue searching building; Amherst police maintain perimeter.

?? – Employee posts surveillance video on Twitter, showing police searching library basement

5:55 p.m. – UBC on site, begins working with media.

6:10 – Brennan gives first media briefing.

7:40 – UB Police conclude search; declare “all clear.”

8:15 – Brennan holds second media briefing.

9:30 – Police hief Schoenle holds final media briefing.

All evening – UBC issues SMS, email and web postings providing updates

Second through fifth hours: proactively communicating

• Operational response• No gunman found; report remains unconfirmed• Incident concludes at 7:40 p.m.

• Communication response• Providing accurate information to combat

rumors• Helping campus return to normal

WKBW-TV’s 11 p.m. news wrap-up of the incident: http://www.wkbw.com/news/local/84532857.html

Incident timeline: Second day

6 a.m. – Brennan does taped interview with WNED-AM7:25 - Live Line interview on WBEN-AM morning news9:05 – Live interview with Tom Bauerle9:30 – Operational debrief10:00 – UB Police Chief does media briefing Throughout the day – Additional interviews with TV, radio

and print outlets

WIVB-TV’s second-day coverage:http://www.wivb.com/dpp/news/education/UBs-false-alarm-showed-preparedness

Second day: defending the response• Operations

• Additional review of evidence and response• Debrief with emergency oversight

committee• Communications

• Responding to second-guessing• Providing accurate information

Communications objectives

1. Protect lives2. Provide support to operational response3. Communicate accurate, timely info to

stakeholders4. Reduce rumors and correct wrong information

Communications tasks

1. Inform public to avoid library.2. Inform public that classes and

activities were cancelled.3. Provide accurate info to news media

and key publics.4. Communicate that the incident has

ended and situation is normal.

Lessons learned: what worked?

• We were generally effective at issuing public information.

• Once we got positioned, we were effective in working with the news media.

• We mitigated the risk of second-day “blame game.”

Lessons learned:where do we need to

improve?• Enhance responsiveness by adhering more closely to National Incident Management System (NIMS) procedures

• Reduce communication turnaround time• Enhance clarity and accuracy through

message control• Continue to improve our skills

NIMS Incident Command System

Reducing turnaround time

• Deploy immediately to the incident site.• Prominently identify PIO and staff.• Reduce number of steps and people

involved.• Directly connect the communications lead

person with IC for confirmed facts.• Observe a single chain of command.• Enhance technology for communications.

Improving message control

• Is it even possible in the age of social media and citizen journalism?

• Can we move fast enough, with enough accurate information?

Q & A

Photo: Harry Scull Jr./The Buffalo News

Who was the phantom gunman?

Yesterday, upon the stair,I met a man who wasn’t there,He wasn’t there again today,I wish, I wish he’d go away...

- “Antigonish,” William Hughes Mearns

Contact me

Joe Brennanbrennanj@buffalo.edu716-645-4094

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