Spokesperson And Others in Crisis Plan Need an Alternate

Your crisis communications plan needs to have a backup person for each responsibility. Sometimes the lead person is unavailable. Sometimes the lead person is in jail. If your main spokesperson is unavailable, do you have a contingency plan? I hope the University of Texas at San Antonio has one.

"Alamo Heights Detective Sgt. Thomas Vitacco said officers saw two people in various states of undress in the back seat of a parked car." (http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/education/article/In-wake-of-arrest-Gabler-is-fired-3486141.php)

One of those in the car was a 15-year-old boy. The other was David Lee Gabler, 47, UTSA associate vice president for university communications. At first, the University placed Gabler on administrative leave. Now he has been fired. He reportedly met the boy online.

“'After carefully reviewing the matter, the University determined to terminate Mr. Gabler's employment,' Christi Fish, the university's associate director of media relations, said in a written statement. 'UTSA will have no further comment.'”

In Louisville, Kentucky, Chip Keeling, spokesman for Louisville Gas and Electric, was arrested last weekend for DUI. He is cooperating fully and has kept his job. But on this topic, he clearly needs a backup spokesperson.

Be sure your plan accounts for the possible incapacity of your key spokesperson.