United Airlines and Dow Chemical, among others, have set up corporate SWAT teams made up of employees who are trained to take charge in the event of an unexpected disaster. Attention to detail is a crucial component of most contingency plans. Dow has produced a 20-page program for communicating with the public during a disaster, right down to such particulars as who is going to run the copy machines. Many companies designate a single corporate spokesman to field all inquiries from the press. A list may be drawn up of those executives to be notified in emergency situations, and the late-night phone numbers of local radio and television stations may be kept posted on office walls.
Some companies even simulate mock disasters as rehearsals for the real thing, like fire drills.
O t her companies, including McDonald's, Abbott Laboratories and CBS, are learning how to be prepared by enlisting the expert advice of public relations firms. In fact, crisis management has become a growth industry. Some firms have people around the country who can move on a 24-hour basis to handle a corporate crisis. Often, these independent experts offer a much needed objectivity. Despite the new popularity of crisis management, executives who are fully ready to respond to emergencies are still in the minority.