- Call your supervisory officer.
- Let board personnel communicate with the trustee.
- Keep notes about calls, responses and procedures. Document, document, document.
- Get assistance from the board’s communication officer. Draft verbal and print statements/news releases that give a brief outline of the incident and indicate how up-dates can be obtained.
- Do not release names of students or staff involved in the incident until parents and family have been notified.
- Share information with parents, students, school council, supervisory officer, neighbouring schools,and community agencies who are housed in the school building, etc. as directed by the board’s communications officer.
- Get all the bad news out at once; then talk only about the actions the school is taking.
- Provide interviews with the media relaying your three key messages. You may wish to provide interviews through the board’s communications officer. If you do not have a board communications officer to assist you with preparations for interviews or press conferences, call the Senior Communications consultant at OPC for advice and assistance.
- Do not place blame; state the facts and talk about the solution.
- Understand what the principal is responsible for; do not speak on behalf of the police, health unit, etc.
If the incident occurs on the weekend or during a holiday, it may be necessary to open the school for use by staff, parents and students. Prepare a staff emergency telephone tree list.
See also chapter on Public and Media Relations, for further information regarding dealing with the media and conducting interviews.