Greetings readers. I’m Nicole Schuman, Managing Editor of PRNEWS. Welcome to another edition of Single Shot.

Are you feeling overwhelmed by the current news cycle? Well a great distraction, as well as a way to take action in your own little universe, is to prepare your brand or organization for crisis with a crisis drill.

When I initially asked PR pros for insight regarding crisis drills, many pointed me in the direction of a crisis management plan or strategy. This is definitely a necessary part for any organization to have, but it wasn't exactly what I was looking for. Going one step further is actually practicing putting that crisis plan into action through a crisis drill.

And while it is a rather large undertaking in terms of time and resources, the benefits outweigh the negatives, bringing a greater sense of calm and confidence to the communicators undergoing the training. As Justin Knighten, a former FEMA Associate Administrator in the Office of External Affairs and current communications adviser with Mozaic Media, told me "if you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready."

Practice makes perfect.

We’ve outlined a few important notes on crisis drills below, and you can read the full how-to guide here.

The PRNEWS team wishes you a great start to your week. As always, we welcome feedback on our newsletters. Feel free to contact me at [email protected].

• Announce the timing of the crisis drill (several times). It may sound simple, but be sure that your entire organization is aware that there is a “crisis drill” occurring. In today’s environment of never-ending email messages and ongoing static in the workplace, you are bound to miss reaching someone.
• For some, framework is available. Those in industries such as healthcare, aviation, utilities and government facilities can use the National Incident Management System, or NIMS, as a framework for incident management. Those interested in learning more about NIMS should visit FEMA.gov.
• Consider the budget and timing. How much in resources are you willing to utilize for this drill? Tabletop exercises and full-scale drills differ significantly when it comes to cost, depending on size and scope. Also it’s important to decide how much time your employees and stakeholders can take out of their day without it interrupting productivity.