Emergency Evacuations of tv stations

[Bureau Chief]

After reading some of the trials and tribulations of the stations in New Orleans while Katrina raged, I started to think about emergency evacuations of the station for whatever reason. And then I started a list of vital supplies. So I am asking for your ideas, and also I would like to know if this is an area that your station has already addressed. Our station is less than a 1/2 mile from Interstate 90, in the past 7 years there have been at least 3 incidents on that highway where we were warned that we may have to leave the station in a hurry. So far, none of these incidents have actually led to the abandonment of the station but we came awful close 2 years ago. Most of the non-essential people were sent home while a few stayed behind to put the 11 pm show on the air.
Our transmitter is right here at the station so we have no "alternate site" to go to if we had to stage a show from afar. So we are looking at the "what ifs". We know that we want to take both of our live trucks, one to use as a base transmitter from whatever location we set up at as an alternate news room, the other to use for the actual story. We are in the process of identifying 2 different locations that we could have access to on short notice that could serve as a newroom. All of this will have to be set up and planned in advance so that all it takes is a phone call to put it in motion. We want a couple of cargo trunks loaded with the basic cables and whatnots that would be needed for remote, extended broadcasting. Besides that, there are the thousands of things to grab on the way out the door....extra batteries, chargers, cameras, etc.....so that is where we are now. Lets have some suggestions...serious ones please.

[Bureau Chief]

We are forming a committee to work on this plan, we have put on:
1 from engineering
1 from photography
1 from production
1 from management (assn desk)
These are the people we want to formulate this action plan. Suggestions?

[wx or not]

Our plan seems to be quite similar. One overriding concern was that we keep as few people as possible from interfering in the process. There should be one "point man" who directs all activities. One person from each of the required departments will meet with the point man at a converted airplane hangar twenty miles away. We have all computers, forecasting tools and equipment at this location; one phone call would have these set up immediately. The person at the hangar has been trained in how to set everything up, and performs bi-weekly trials.

[jrat33]

This is called Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP). I'm the team leader of my company's COOP team. FEMA (yes, I know FEMA) has some great suggestions and web sites when it comes to establishing a COOP. Here are the links:

IS-546 Continuity of Operations Awareness Class
http://www.training.fema.gov/emiweb/IS/is546.asp

IS-547 Introduction to Continuity of Operations
http://www.training.fema.gov/emiweb/IS/is547.asp

Hope this helps. Everyone, no matter how small the company, should have a COOP.

[Fargin Icehole]

We are forming a committee to work on this plan, we have put on:
1 from engineering
1 from photography
1 from production
1 from management (assn desk)
These are the people we want to formulate this action plan. Suggestions?
Each department manager/designee should absolutely have seperate department meetings with the entire department staff. Get input from the people who really know what it takes to get your asses on the air. Take those notes and formulate an inter-department plan (an outline if you will).

Next, get it all on paper and make it required reading. Anyone who doesn't have an active role in the emergency movement should stay the hell away.

Oh, and any mention from sales about lost local spots is grounds for justifiable homicide.

[DoneThatToo]

You're on the right track.

Just want to throw out that you need more then one off-site meeting place and possible back-up studio. You never know the extent of the emergency which has pushed you out of your building. It may be that the side of town where you back-up location is located is also a 'no go' (flood, tornado damage, gas main leak..).

Yes it is a big task to consider. What you have to do is identify the MINIMUM amount of people and equipment needed to get or stay on air. Once you have that then you start setting timelines for improving the product by adding personnel and equipment.

Don't forget the simple things like call trees and availability check lists for those who are not at the station. Can everybody be accounted for, who can make it back and when, does the event require that the station provide some form of transportation to pick people up (not everybody has 4x4 transport)?

Again I think the best starting point is what is the MINIMUM needed to get on-air. Then work your way up . . .

[Bureau Chief]

Funny you should mention sales...because that was one item on our start up list....how to handle make good requests! We plan to arrange for at least two alternate sites...and the airport was one of the suggestions but then infrastructure was a consideration, and a hanger was a problem. Few rest rooms and lack of ready telephones...and access thru stupid airport security layers....repeatedly.

[TAFKA wacowx]

BC,

WSEE had a plan. It was the first time I ever saw an emergency plan down on paper. At the time (1997) it looked to be around 4 or 5 years old when I found it hanging in MC, but nonetheless it was a viable plan. It, of course, led us to the transmitter site which wouldn't help you a bit. ;)

[Bureau Chief]

No that wouldnt help at all, someone would likely hang a bomb around your necks and send you to the bank.

[Bureau Chief]

Major problem with my plan.
After discussing this with my master control people and engineering, its seems there is no way to operate the station from a distance...SOMEONE would have to stay behind to run master control.

[vortex]

Hi to all...IMHO I think that if you are going to have a successful emergency action plan you are doing the right things so far....One thing that I would do would be call your city/county emergency management office and talk to their "PLANS AND OPERATIONS OFFICER"...Explain to them what you are trying to do and how you plan to accomplish it...Normally they will happily give you suggestions and all the templates you need to put togther a successful plan (also since you are operating as a primary information source for your area you may already be covered in the city/county plans)...Good Luck.

[11-Evil]

With your transmitter on site it is a bit difficult. My station was evacuated this summer but our transmitter is "off-site". We were able to patch our live truck in at the x-mitter.

Now-a-days with computers running the show in master, are you sure that someone on a VPN couldn't be "at" the station via a computer doing the switching?

Right now, WE have a lot of things we can do simply with a cell phone (if you know the right number to call and the right codes to put in) - like force the DTV signal from SD to HD or vice-versa. With today's technology, you should be able to run the station from your own living room. (and I am in a SMALL market)

[AlterEgo]

In a small market, our plan was to evacuate and utilize a secondary microwave channel that we have hooked up to a sister station. Go to one of the off-site microwave relays and patch the live truck in. Everything would then go through the live truck. To go back to network or Judge Judy, patch back in the sister station signal. The local spots would be lost but anything national or combo would be good.

[MOCR]

...Right now, WE have a lot of things we can do simply with a cell phone (if you know the right number to call and the right codes to put in)...

Any Emergency Planner worth his/her salt knows that cellphones are not to be relied upon during major disasters. If you are truly serious about emergency planning, factor in a contingency where all the cellphones are dead. Landline POTS is still the most reliable means of getting a call through and usually the last thing working in a disaster area, even during a power outage.

I use my cellphone to control the transmitter remote too, but also have a list of numbers next to the corded phone handy should that be necessary.

I'd like to hear ideas about how management plans to notify staff when the usual means of communication are no longer an option...

[Obewon]

I worked for a pissant station in SC and we had a couple of hurricanes come through. The jerk-wad GM ordered all station employees to leave their families and come back to sand bag the station.

I quit and he's dead

[11-Evil]

MOCR:

Of course it all works with a landline as well.