It pays to have a contingency plan

I REFER to the letter “Step up on crisis management” ( The Star, April 18). It would be tragic if no new measures were taken to minimise breakdowns and also to train staff to swing into action should they occur.

In the tourism industry, a director or senior staff must attend a training course before the travel and tour company licence can be renewed. One of the modules is “Safety and Security of Tourists” where participants learn the importance of having a contingency plan.

Any organisation worth its salt must activate a contingency plan to handle an emergency situation, control damage and prevent a crisis from developing.

Without a contingency plan, it would be left to those on duty or at the scene to do what they can. Some may rise to the occasion while others do nothing at all.

After the worst bus accident in this country (the bus crash at Genting Highlands which took 37 lives and seriously injured another 16), I proposed that in future, the Land Public Transport Commission deploy a mobile office to operate a Central Coordinating Unit (CCU) on site to receive and disseminate information.

Reporters hungry for news would be asking around and the statements they gather may not be sensible. Any public relations professional will tell you that a crisis will turn into a double tragedy if badly handled.

A CCU and official spokesperson is a must for all large organisations, and all public and private sector organisations must have a contingency plan in place. It must be developed in-house by a working group and approved by the top management.