You’ve no doubt been following the situation in Southern California and the devastation that the Pacific Palisades, Kenneth, Hurst, Eaton and Lidia wildfires have caused. If you’re in the area or have been personally affected, our hearts go out to you.?
During any disaster of this magnitude, communicators are tasked with deciding when and how their organization should join the conversation to offer their thoughts or support. There is a lot of information circulating out there, so we thought you might appreciate some straightforward guidelines from the veteran communicators on our Executive Board of Directors.?
At this early stage, fires are still burning. People are in shock and just beginning to take stock of what is lost. Unless you are based in the area or offering material support to those affected, we advise that you monitor the situation and focus on internal comms, supporting employees with connections to the area rather than making a public statement. The exception would be if your organization is making a sizable (tens of thousands) monetary donation to relief efforts and you want to encourage other organizations to do the same.?
- Acknowledge the magnitude of the tragedy, with recognition that marginalized and racialized communities experience disproportionate impacts from climate crises like the LA fires. This underscores the need for equitable actions and systemic change to ensure everyone has access to assistance with recovery
- Extend compassion to the affected communities
- Offer verified relief efforts that employees may donate to and support (see below for some suggestions)
- Provide mental health resources (such as Project Healthy Minds)
- If your organization is in or connected to the region, share verified resources for locals requiring assistance (some examples: accessing temporary housing through Airbnb or local hotels, mutual aid organizations providing food and clothing, lawyers or brokers offering assistance with the insurance claims process). Reassure staff that you know their focus will be elsewhere as they navigate trying to recover what has been lost
- With wildfires affecting regions all over the world, it may also be helpful to share tips for packing a go bag in case of emergency
- Offering “thoughts and prayers” without a call to action for relief efforts
- Toxic positivity or encouraging those affected to set their grief aside and move on, such as “It’s just stuff,” “LA Strong,” or “You’ll come back bigger and better”
- Trafficking in conspiracy theories. There have been reports of one fire being ignited intentionally. As with any communication, ask yourself “Who is this for?” and “Who does it serve?” before you put it out into the world or your workplace
- Assigning blame. There is no doubt that weather conditions exacerbated by climate change were contributing factors to how quickly the blazes spread. It’s also public knowledge that people experiencing incarceration make up a large portion of those fighting blazes for very low pay, and that monetary resources are slated to be diverted from the LAFD in the next budget. At this stage, focus on the affected communities and how your organization and your community can offer assistance. If it’s part of your organization’s purview or mission, absolutely address the systemic issues at play when the immediate danger has passed
We would love to hear from you on this topic. Hit reply and share your thoughts or additional helpful resources for the comms community.?
The Impact Communications Institute's Executive Board of Directors
