INTERNAL AFFAIRS: Communicating During a Tragedy

On April 28, 2004, at 3:06 p.m., Southwest Ambulance AP44 was transporting a patient from the Florence, AZ, prison complex to a local hospital. It was running without lights or siren. EMT Tammy Mundell was driving. In the back were medic Sandra Williams, the patient and a corrections officer. The ambulance was struck head-on by a gravel-loaded dump truck. Tammy, who was eight months pregnant, was killed, along with her unborn child.

     Tammy's and Sandra's coworkers were first to arrive on the scene. Alerted to the accident, news helicopters broadcast live coverage. Television ground crews arrived soon after.

     In the event of a tragedy like this, EMS agencies should have separate crisis communications plans for the media, families of any deceased, families of those who are injured and the workforce as a whole. This article focuses on communicating with families and coworkers.

     WHEN A PROVIDER IS KILLED
     There are several steps organizations should take to handle such tragedies appropriately. These are outlined below. They are supplemented by the personal experiences of those of us at Southwest Ambulance who suffered the loss of our colleague Tammy Mundell.

Organize a Team
     Organize a team before going to see the family. Decide in advance who will tell the family what has happened. If members of the team drive separately, they should arrive at the family's home at the same time. You don't want team members lingering outside the home, waiting for others to arrive. This is particularly true if the family is unaware of the accident.

     Our experience: All executive managers were paged. They, in turn, called our vice president of operations. The human resources vice president retrieved the employment files of both victims. Our team consisted of the human resources VP, another senior executive, the local union president and a member of the union's executive board.

Talk in Person and in Private
     If possible, talk to family members in person in their home instead of over the telephone. Take the spouse aside and tell them first. Let that person tell other family members.

     Our experience: Tammy's coworkers had already called the house and told the babysitter Tammy had been in an accident. They did not know she had died. The babysitter called Tammy's husband. Our team met the husband at the home and talked to him. He told his five children.

Provide Regular and Consistent Updates
     Designate a liaison between your team and those on the scene. This will facilitate clear communication. Tell your dispatch center or other main contacts what to tell concerned coworkers or the families of employees who want to know if their loved ones were involved in the accident.

     Our experience: After the family was informed, the on-scene PIO was given permission to release Tammy's name prior to the evening news cycle. With more than 1,000 Southwest employees in Arizona, we wanted to allay concerns among people's family members. Our dispatch and scheduling office was also told. We did not release information regarding Tammy's pregnancy or her five children until the conclusion of the evening news cycle.

Obtain a Family Photograph
     Rather than using a company photograph, ask the family for a favorite family picture that can be disseminated to media.

     Our experience: Tammy's husband provided a family portrait. It was scanned and distributed to media via e-mail. In the message accompanying the picture, we announced her pregnancy and five children. Disseminating the family portrait quickly communicated the kind of person Tammy was. It helped rally community support for her family.

Accommodate Family Requests
     To the extent possible, accommodate the family's requests.

     Our experience: Tammy's husband insisted on going to the scene of the accident to see her. He was taken there later that evening. Media representatives at the scene did not realize who he was and did not photograph his visit. A grief counselor and pastor were also sent to the scene to provide assistance.