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SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS (Feb. 4, 2005) — When bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) was discovered in Washington State, it seemed like a huge crisis. However, Washington was ready to jump into action — with a crisis response plan already in place. Patti Brumbach, executive director of the Washington State Beef Commission, described to the Joint Information Committee how such a plan required multiple levels of coordination to communicate one message by many messengers.
The committee met Feb. 4 during the 2005 Cattle Industry Annual Convention and Trade Show in San Antonio.
Brumbach detailed how Washington managed the BSE crisis with a plan that became a role model for other states. One of the biggest parts of the crisis response plan was developing a way to deal with the media. Brumbach said that her organization taught producers how to handle the media, chose spokespersons and provided them with the necessary information.
The primary lessons learned from Washington’s experience paved the way for crisis management toolkits for both states and individual producers. Brumbach said that she learned to plan ahead, be flexible, define success and focus on those goals, build relationships in advance, and identify those most at risk and those most in the public eye.
— by Brooke Byrd, assistant editor, Angus Productions Inc.
© Copyright 2005 Angus Productions Inc.
Editor’s Note: This article was written under contract or by staff of Angus Productions Inc. (API), which claims copyright to this article. It may not be published or distributed without the express permission of Angus Productions Inc. To request reprint permission and guidelines, contact Shauna Rose Hermel, editor, at (816) 383-5270 or shermel@angusjournal.com.
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