CONTENTS FEATURE: Be prepared with a crisis communication plan SPOTLIGHT: EditPros clients in the news NET NOTES: Captivating web sites FEATURE: Prepare for emergencies with a crisis communication plan      Ninety minutes after the loss of voice and tracking data signaled the disintegration of the space shuttle Columbia over Texas on Feb. 1, mission control personnel at NASA's Johnson Space Center near Houston were acknowledging only that a "contingency" had occurred. Although to the public that term seemed like a euphemistic denial of disaster, it actually indicated the enactment of an emergency mode of operation.      As NASA Flight Director Leroy Cain requested mobilization of rescue personnel in the Dallas area, he issued a directive to mission control staff members: "All flight controllers on the flight loop, we need to kick off the FCOH [Flight Control Operations Handbook] contingency plan procedure, FCOH checklist page 2.8-5."      All employers should likewise adopt procedures governing operations during catastrophic events, and those protocols should encompass an essential component: a crisis communication plan. Health and food product contamination, aviation and rail crashes, fires, explosions, floods, accounting scandals, outbreaks of disease, manufacturing plant accidents, chemical spills and other debacles can be injurious or lethal not only to people, but also to the organizations within which responsibility resides. Effective communication can help prevent a mishap from degrading into chaos, can defuse inflammatory rumors, and can minimize or avert resentment or public loss of confidence.      The purpose of a crisis communication plan is to define a chain of command through which cohesive and accurate information is gathered and disseminated. A crisis communication plan should anticipate potential emergency situations and describe how the organization would communicate essential information to all groups of people who may be affected. All employers, whether small or large, should adopt such a plan and identify the members of a designated crisis communication team as well as a principal spokesperson to work with the news media.      Anyone who is designated to respond to inquiries from news reporters should first undergo media training. If a crisis occurs, the spokesperson should gather as much information as possible from informed sources and respond quickly to inquiries from reporters. The spokesperson should be thorough and truthful, and should provide reporters with media kits describing the organization, its leaders, and its products and services.      Concealing or withholding potentially damaging information from journalists is unwise. Reporters will likely seek details, sensational or otherwise, from employees and members of the public who were involved in or affected by the mishap. Although acknowledgment of fault is unpleasant, honesty is far more effective in preserving public confidence than denial of truth. Declaring "no comment" when grilled by a reporter carries a connotation of guilt or dishonesty. A spokesperson who doesn't know the answer to a question should say so rather than trying to evade the question, and then should try hard to obtain the answer.      The spokesperson shouldn't trivialize or minimize the severity of the mishap, particularly if injuries have occurred. Expression of compassion for victims is far more powerful than declaring, "Nothing like this has ever happened here before." Such a statement means little to injured employees, their family members, stockholders, vendors and consumers. By definition, accidents are not intentional. But people who are hurting want to know first that they will be given care and justly compensated, that the cause of the incident will be promptly and thoroughly investigated, and that reasonable corrective measures will be enacted to prevent similar mishaps in the future. Such statements of assurance validate the integrity of an organization; attempts to dodge responsibility damage reputations.      Organizations with Web sites should use them to disseminate timely information, because that's where many people may turn. Any fact sheets or statements prepared for the news media also should be posted on the affected organization's Web site, and given to receptionists or made available on voice-mail systems in organizations that use automated telephone greeting systems. Information should be updated frequently, or when significant new developments occur. The receptionist or voice mail message should indicate who to contact for additional information.      Bear in mind that an organization can't defuse inaccurate rumors about an incident without knowing what they are. Monitoring radio talk shows, news broadcasts and Internet "chat rooms" and news groups in which the event is likely to be discussed can help identify public perceptions.     Throughout the crisis, move quickly and be keenly attentive. Prompt resolution of a disturbing incident and punctual care for affected individuals, in tandem with candid, sincere, timely communication, can help an organization survive with its reputation intact and can play a role in helping to prevent reoccurrence of tragic events. Yes! EditPros can help you develop a crisis communication plan. We have prepared a report describing the formation and operation of a crisis communication team. For a FREE copy, send an e-mail message to publications@editpros.com with the subject line "Crisis team," or call (530) 759-2000. SPOTLIGHT: EditPros clients in the news California Dairy Research Foundation Toasts 15th Anniversary      While an anniversary is typically celebrated with a glass of bubbly, Joseph O'Donnell and his colleagues more appropriately lifted tall glasses of the white stuff in February to commemorate 15 years of service by the California Dairy Research Foundation (CDRF).     "This is why we're here," said O'Donnell, CDRF's executive director, admiring the glass of milk he held aloft. "For the past decade and a half our number one priority has been California milk and preserving and expanding its markets."      CDRF, an EditPros client, is a not-for-profit foundation established to consolidate and focus the dairy research investments of California's dairy farmers. CDRF identifies and manages research projects that are demonstrably beneficial in marketing milk products. Driven by that objective, CDRF encourages development of new products and technologies, supports new understanding of the role of milk components in nutrition, sponsors research and instruction programs in environmentally and market-focused farming practices, and supports public education to reinforce consumer confidence in dairy products.      The foundation is the first and only regional, industry-operated organization managing dairy research projects. It contracts with research facilities, including those at the University of California, Davis, and California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, to conduct studies in nutrition and food processing relevant to the dairy industry.      In 2002 through the University of California (UC) Discovery Grant program, O'Donnell was able to secure a partnership with UC Davis researchers and a biotechnology firm to work on a dairy-based vaccine for the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in children. CDRF-funded research has resulted in development of edible films used to protect foods and as carriers for bioactive ingredients; has contributed to increased dairy product safety through detection tests for listeria and salmonella in fluid milk; has helped increase understanding of the role all milk components play in supporting nutrition and health; has advanced the emerging field of probiotics, which applies friendly bacteria associated with cultured dairy products in yielding health benefits to consumers; and has led to vaccines against coliform mastitis, salmonella and foot wart pathogens for improved herd health and food safety.      Along with promoting nutritional benefits, CDRF has helped dairy producers engage constructive on-farm practices resulting in improvements in food safety, animal welfare and environmental stewardship.      For more information, visit the CDRF Web site. Net Notes: Captivating Internet resources Red Cross Disaster Safety http://www.redcross.org/services/disaster/keepsafe/      On this informative site you will find primers describing steps to take in the event of chemical emergencies, earthquakes, fires, floods, episodes of violent weather, mudslides and terrorist attacks. Site maintained by the American National Red Cross, Washington, D.C. OSHA Emergency Response Assistance http://www.osha-slc.gov/SLTC/emergencyresponse/      Numerous documents to assist small- and medium-sized employers in coping with emergencies are available at the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety & Health Administration Web site. Downloadable resources include an "Evacuation Plans and Procedures eTool," which is designed to help small, low-hazard service or retail businesses implement an emergency action plan and comply with OSHA's emergency standards. AT&T Fraud Education http://www.att.com/fraud/index.html      Telephone fraud has become widespread. Many of the scams can be downright convincing—unless you're aware of them beforehand. This site, maintained by the fraud education unit of AT&T, uncovers scams and describes safeguards that you can take in your home and at work. YOUR TURN: Ask the "grammar coach" or subscribe      We invite you to submit your questions to the "grammar coach," and we welcome you to subscribe to this monthly newsletter—which we'll send to your e-mail address at no charge. We respond to all "grammar coach" questions personally, but delays may occur because we must place top priority on assignments from our clients. We appreciate your patience and your interest.      You also can change your e-mail subscription address. For an address change, please indicate your existing AND your new e-mail address. Thank you. 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