Response Plan Leading Through a Public Safety Crisis
For the assignment, prepare a Crisis Leadership Response Plan detailing how you would lead and manage a national public safety crisis. Focus on how crisis leadership, not crisis management, and other leadership styles can be applied when resolving a public safety crisis.
Select one crisis scenario from the list below that you will lead your agency through. Select the type of public service agency you will lead through this crisis (e.g., law enforcement, fire services, EMS, emergency management, etc.), it may be different from the choice in assignment 1, and apply the various leadership concepts learned throughout the course. Also, consider how to apply those leadership styles while interacting with members of the local government, media, and community.
The scenarios you can select from are:
Pandemic Outbreak
The world has been devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic. This pandemic has created unprecedented disruption throughout the United States, and continues to spread. Your region has been significantly impacted by the pandemic with a high number of positive cases, hospitalizations, and deaths.
Devastating Wildfires
The U.S. is experiencing a devastating number of seasonal wildfires affecting large portions of the western United States and Canada. The National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) reported in mid-October there have been 46,535 wildfires that have burned 8,427,589 acres this year, threatening several highly populated areas. These intense wildfires have required a sustained emergency response from the public and private sectors.
Civil Unrest
The Summer of 2020 highlighted the growing civil unrest in many US cities. Your city is experiencing continuous unrest as a result of a police-involved shooting. There have been widespread protests and complaints about law enforcement policies and funding.
Address the following:
Describe the crisis.
Research the crisis situation, including information supporting your crisis leadership plan.
Identify the public safety sector selected (e.g., law enforcement, fire services, EMS, emergency management, etc.).
Analyze the crisis situation as a public safety leader.
Explain your agency’s role in the crisis.
Describe other organizations that may be involved and whose members you may have to lead.
Assess the crisis leadership challenges in the public safety environment the issue presents, including identifying and discussing the ethical issues the case highlights.
Discuss other leadership concepts that can be applied in a crisis situation.
Assess any ethical, legal, and decision-making challenges.
Develop a leadership plan for handling the media relations during the crisis.
