Amy Maxwell, MPIO, TN-CEM, is a seasoned Public Information Officer serving as the Public Relations & Crisis Communications Manager for Hamilton County’s Office of Emergency Management. She brings extensive experience in crisis management, weather preparedness, and media coordination for volunteer fire and rescue agencies.
In this article she shared invaluable insights on, how speed, clarity, transparency, and preparation define effective crisis communications.
1. Over your 25+ years in public service, which experiences have influenced your approach to effective crisis communication? Experiences/Crisis situations in Hamilton County Office of Emergency Management, especially over the past 25+ years, have significantly shaped me and my approach to effective crisis communication. Many large-scale emergencies and disasters come to mind:
a. April 27, 2011: An EF4 tornado struck the city of Chattanooga, TN. The deadly storm took the lives of 9 people and injured roughly 667. Damage costs totaled at least $88 million. 390 houses were completely destroyed, and roughly 1,000 sustained some form of damage. Dozens of businesses also suffered devastating impacts.
b. March 2, 2012: An EF3 tornado touches down in Harrison (a suburb of Chattanooga, TN). 77 homes were destroyed and badly damaged boat marina. Damages top $19 million but luckily no deaths.
c. July 16,2015: A terrorist attack of five servicemen killed at the Naval Service Center in Chattanooga, TN. Many weeks working with the local and federal FBI as well as assisting with two large scale funerals and the former US VicePresident Joe Biden (at the time) was coming here to see the victim’s families.
d. November 21, 2016: A Hamilton County school bus in Chattanooga, Tennessee rolled over onto its passenger side and became wrapped around a tree. Twenty-three children were injured and six children were killed.
e. September 19, 2019: Due to a water main break, one the largest water outages occurred in the history of Chattanooga. 35,000 people and numerous businesses, schools, colleges and a jail are without water for several days.
f. April 12, 2020: An EF-3 tornado hits in Chattanooga, TN on Easter Sunday morning and causing widespread damage and killing at least two people and sending at least 21 people to hospitals. 150 homes were destroyed.
2. Can you walk us through managing communications during a developing crisis or breaking news event?
In every crisis clarity honesty and speed matter most. Communication is not just about informing it is about saving lives protecting trust and guiding communities through uncertainty.
Effectively managing communications during a developing crisis or breaking news is crucial for any organization/agency. It can impact public perception, employee morale and ultimately, the organization’s reputation and ability to recover. To me, managing GREAT communications is (a) establishing a crisis communications team – have a dedicated team with clearly defined roles and responsibilities is essential. (b) Develop a Crisis Communications Plan – outlining your protocols, procedures and pre-scripted messages. (c) Act quickly with clear and consistent messages (d) Be transparent with the public.
3. How do yWWou foster productive relationships with journalists, public stakeholders, and community partners during both routine operations and emergencies?
I make sure to understand the media needs and wants. Each media outlet may have different deadlines. I make sure to ask what is their story deadline. Being assessible and respond quickly to media requests. This will alleviate a reporter searching for a bystander to interview and result into fixing a mess of rumors. Build a rapport with the media. Admit to your mistakes and provide corrections promptly. Never lie or mislead them. It’s harder to gain the media’s trust back.
4. How do you track and analyze public sentiment about emergency management and fire services? How does this feedback shape future communication strategies?
Our website, www.hamiltonready.gov has a contact page that is very active. I receive messages 24/7. Messages can range from obtaining Fire Marshal questions, information of fire training, questions on emergency preparedness or scheduling presentations at events, etc. I also have instant notifications on our social media pages for questions or requesting assistance. Our office is very transparent to our community and provide accurate information as soon as possible.
5. What new technologies or communication trends are you most excited about for improving crisis management and public outreach?
In April 2024, we launched an Emergency Notification System, REGROUP, to our community. In past years, our office was using IPAWS (Integrated Public Alert and Warning System) to notify our community for emergency situations. However, with our topography and the different cell services, people were not receiving their emergency messages immediately when we sent them out. So, this new system, REGROUP, is a challenge due to relying on the general public to sign up for the alert system. Subscriber sign ups has been a slow process but we continue to find ways to get our community to register for REGROUP. Our stakeholders, such as, our school system, Emergency Service agencies, corporate companies, hospitals and other municipalities support our system. We really notice an uptick in our register numbers when severe storms roll through our area.
6. What advice would you share with aspiring public information officers interested in emergency management or crisis communication careers?
Become proficient in your Emergency Management Principals – Use your downtime to take FEMA classes, such as, Incident Command System, National Incident Management Systems, Public Information, just to name a few. These classes provide great framework for organized and effective responses to various incidents and help you understand how crucial it is for coordinating and disseminating information during a crisis. Build good relationships with the media. Being a valuable resource to reporters will pay off largely during a crisis, allowing your agency to have more media coverage. Stay up to date on the communications/PR trends. I’m “old school”. When I find a program or a technology that works well for me, I stick with it. I don’t branch off and try new things. But, I have learned if I don’t keep up with the new tricks of the trade, I will not be able to keep up! So, stay current! Keep up with your local and national news! Try the latest and greatest phone apps for social media and other forms of communicating with others. I have been a Crisis Communication/Public Relations Manger for 25 years. What keeps me going? REST, good eating habits, exercise daily, surround myself with positive people and trust in God to help me make good decisions.
