Lessons Learned in Crisis Communications and Disaster Recovery

As someone who grew up in the Los Angeles area, seeing the devastating impact of the wildfires is heartbreaking.? And many residents face new threats of mudslides and “toxic ash” runoff from the rain.? My thoughts are with everyone affected - those who have lost homes, students facing disruptions to their education as well as the economic impact and more.

In September 2017, Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico, leaving the entire island without power, damaging or destroying nearly 80 percent of homes and knocking out approximately 85 percent of cell? towers.? Global healthcare technology leader Medtronic, with 5,000 employees spread across five sites on the island, faced a major challenge: ensuring the safety and well-being of its employees while simultaneously restoring critical operations.

The wildfires in Los Angeles, while different in scale and impact, present companies with similar complexities.? Both disasters underscore the need for businesses to prioritize employees, maintain business continuity and support the broader community.? Here are a few lessons I learned from leading communications in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria that could apply to companies navigating the LA wildfire crisis.

1. Prioritize Employee Safety and Well-Being

When disaster strikes, employees must come first.? At Medtronic, we quickly established a framework centered around four pillars: People First (humanitarian efforts), Recovery (operational priorities), Streamlined Communications, and Full Operations Resumption.

For employees in Puerto Rico, we went beyond the basics to ensure their safety and support.

- Proactive Communications: With power and communications lines out we relied on creative methods to reach employees, including local radio station announcements, satellite phones and door-to-door outreach.? For example, the company hired 40 drivers to go door-to-door, checking on employees who had not otherwise responded and letting them know of resources the company was providing.

- Onsite Resources: We turned each of our facilities into an “oasis,” providing showers, laundry services, daycare services, meals, bottled water and even provided power generators for employees to take home.

For companies responding to wildfires or other disasters, the lesson is clear: your employee will remember how you treated them during their darkest hours.? Offering support that goes beyond what is expected - like onsite childcare, mental health service or direct financial assistance - can make all the difference.

2. Build a Cross-Functional Crisis Team

Disasters demand rapid decision-making and collaboration across multiple functions.? At Medtronic, we assembled a cross-functional team at our headquarters to provide full-time support.? This team included HR, logistics, facilities, communications and senior leadership.? This team worked in a dedicated “war room” to coordinate efforts.? Bringing together leader from different functions ensures that decisions are informed, aligned and executed quickly.

For one month following the storm, the communications team produced a daily executive briefing report for Medtronic leadership across the company, detailing all the latest updates from Puerto Rico including employee wellbeing, operations recovery, community support, government relations, media coverage and social media recaps.

3. Streamline and Centralize Communications

One of the biggest challenges during a crisis is managing the flow of information.? Misinformation or inconsistent messaging can cause confusion and erode trust.? To address this, we implemented a process to ensure that all written materials were reviewed and approved by key leaders on the Cross-Functional Crisis Team to ensure we were speaking in one voice.

For the wildfires, companies should adopt a similar integrated communications strategy:

- Internal Updates: Keep employees informed with regular updates via email, intranet and social media to provide real-time updates.? Highlight employee stories to inspire solidarity and pride.

- External Messaging: Maintain transparency with customers, investors and media.? Address their concerns while reinforcing the company’s commitment to employees and the community.

4. Leverage the Power of Partnerships

One of the key lessons I learned was the value of partnerships.? Medtronic worked closely with state and local government agencies, non profits and community leaders.? For example, Medtronic supported the broader community by facilitating the transportation of a 500-lb. water pipe from the U.S. mainland to the city of Villalba to enable power generation for the entire city.

Companies can pool resources with government agencies to rebuild critical infrastructure, partner with local non-profits to distribute aid or work with community leaders to ensure support is reaching people who need it most.? By joining forces, companies can amplify their impact.

5. Scenario Plan and Prepare for the Unexpected

If there’s one thing disasters teach us, it’s that you can never fully predict their impact.? Hurricane Maria wiped out power and communications across an entire island, forcing us to adapt our plans in real-time.? The wildfires in California are equally unpredictable, with rapidly shifting winds and evacuation zones.

Scenario planning and regularly updating your business continuity and crisis management plans is key.

6. Resilience Requires Everyone’s Contribution

In Puerto Rico, our recovery efforts were a testament to the resilience of our employees and their dedication to the company’s Mission to “alleviate pain, restore health and extend life.”? Despite facing personal loss, they came to work every day and were determined to help Medtronic restore operations and fulfill its mission to serve patients worldwide.? This resilience isn’t built overnight.? It’s fostered through a strong mission and a culture that values employees, prioritizes safety, and supports employees during difficult times.

Once we felt sure our employees were safe, we proactively shared inspirational employee stories across our various communications channels.? This highlighted the heroism and strength of the company’s Puerto Rico-based employees, giving all Medtronic employees something for which they could be proud.

7. Learn, Document and Share

Every crisis presents an opportunity to learn and improve.? After Hurricane Maria, we documented our successes and areas for improvement.? We shared these insights across the organization, ensuring we were better prepared for future crises.

For companies in Los Angeles, taking the time to reflect on what worked - and what didn’t - can help strengthen future responses.? Sharing these lessons learned with industry peers can also contribute to broader preparedness.

While the devastation of Hurricane Maria and the wildfires in Los Angeles are vastly different, they share common themes: the need to prioritize employees, communicate effectively and act with urgency and compassion.? A company’s actions during a crisis define how employees, customers and communities perceive us.? At Medtronic, we lived out our mission “to value the personal worth of all employees” and “to maintain good citizenship as a company.”? Every company can make a difference when disaster strikes.