…We made it through January. It was a tough month in many arenas. If the cold weather didn’t get you, the snow and bad roads were waiting to take their shot. And, the wind gave new meaning to a blustery day! I lost half of a tree that had been in my yard since the mid-fifties and I bit the bullet to have the other half taken down.
……Today’s the 1st of February and the sun is shining. But, before I get too excited, I am reminded that the sun is deceptive because the temperature is still frigid. Many of our citizens are still dealing with the water crisis in Weirton and Oakland PSD. Weirton Elementary, Madonna and St. Joe’s are relying on tankers to conduct some semblance of school.
……No doubt it’s a crisis and I’m always interested in how officials handle the response to the public in a crisis. Back when part of my everyday job was being a “spokesperson” my employer sent me to training on how spokesperson should deal with the public and the media, The agency was headed by Charles Ryan, legendary WCHS reporter and public relations expert. Charlie was known for being the only reporter to get into the Buffalo Creek disaster and interview survivors of one of West Virginia’s worst disasters.
….The focus of the day-long seminar conducted by Ryan & Assoc. was to prepare us to respond quickly and coherently to the media and the public in the event of a crisis. We were given a mock crisis – a chemical spill in a plant that caused evacuations in the area. With only 15 minutes to review the information, we then faced the TV cameras and questions from media.
….It was hammered home that very worst thing to do in a crisis is nothing. When there is a void of information forthcoming, that void will be filled with rumors and half- truths. The media and the public deserve to know the ramifications of the disaster and they deserve to know it as quickly as possible.
……The first message given is the one everyone remembers. After giving a succinct synopsis of what occurred “reporters” hit us with questions. We were told that we should compose three answers…..three points we wanted to get across and regardless of the questions respond with one of the three points. Don’t deviate from those three points. (Yes, you are right when you see public officials not answering the question posed to them. They been taught to answer with one of the three points,)
……..Each time we were filmed and then we reviewed the film and our instructors critiqued our response. We did it again and again until we were deemed ready to go and face the public and the media. I used that training many times and when I was at Mountaineer I had a policy. Regardless of the issue, I ALWAYS responded to the media. The media respected Mountaineer and me for that policy because they always had a video and a story. I remember one Sunday when a Super Bowl raffle event was cancelled at The HARV after we received a call from then Sec. of State Betty Ireland about the charity and those conducting the raffle. We had people handing out papers explaining the cancellation as they entered the property and to say those people were mad is an understatement. WTAE, WPXI, KDKA, WTOV and WTRF all had cameras across the road because they were being denied entrance to the property. When I arrived, and went to address them I remember one cameraman saying, “Thank God, it’s Tamara. She’ll go on camera and give us footage. I did. It wasn’t pretty, but I had diffused an ugly situation and the gates were open for them to get footage of the property.
……..If I were to conjure up a “perfect storm” of a public relations disaster, it would be the Weirton water crisis happening right after the news broke about the College of St. Joseph the Worker in Steubenville receiving a $5 million grant to establish a campus in Weirton. To rub salt into the wound, the $5 million came from a fund designed to assist communities with problems in their water systems.
…..People in Weirton are livid as they struggle through the lack of water caused by an antiquated pipes which keep springing leaks. Water tankers have been brought in to attempt to conduct some semblance of school at Weirton Elementary, Madonna and St. Joe’s Elementary School and the citizens are beginning to question if that money should have gone to Weirton’s water system…….and if could now be redirected to Weirton.
……I would say the answer to this conundrum is simple. St. Joseph the Worker returns the grant money to the WVDEA. Weirton Water Dept. submits an application outlining where the pipes need replaced and the cost of doing so.
In an emergency meeting, the WVDEA awards the grant to the City of Weirton. WVNCC and JDRIV are awarded any necessary fund to fill any program gaps for technical education. . Legislators schedule periodic meetings with cities to hear of their needs and work towards meeting their constituents needs.
……Sounds sensible and doable. Will it happen? I think not. It just makes too much sense and in Legislative vernacular “That dog ain’t gonna hunt!”
