Reigate & Banstead Borough Council

Senior Management Crisis Management Training

When Reigate & Banstead Borough Council, Surrey, requested crisis management training for its senior team, Media First was happy to suggest a possible crisis scenario that might work:

A newly refurbished multi-storey carpark in the borough was in danger of collapse following complaints of cracks in the plaster which were not investigated by the council. The situation escalated when a lump of plaster smashed through a car windscreen injuring the driver. There had already been complaints about other carparks built by the same company yet this carpark was still in use – and plans were continuing for a second refurbishment in the area. Serious questions were being asked by the local and national media as the victim's injuries worsened.

The crisis management training was designed to take place over a full day at the council offices where the crisis was played out stage by stage as it would actually happen. Candidates were guided through how to handle the media at each stage – from the doorstep interviews on arrival at the office to how to prepare and deliver a corporate statement to a live news conference.

With crisis coaching throughout the day, candidates were able to successfully manage the frenzy of media attention a real crisis will generate, understand their specific role when an actual crisis breaks and be able to deliver an effective response with clarity and control.

Both Gayle and Sean did a fantastic job," said Fionnula Russell, Communications Manager, Reigate and Banstead Borough Council.