Crisis Code of Conduct

Purpose

Camden County Government has incorporated a Crisis Code of Conduct into its emergency resource guide to know precisely what values staff uses to guide and shape decisions in a crisis situation, such as a hurricane, in order to effectively and efficiently serve the community in response and recovery efforts.

Preparedness

Preparedness is a responsibility of every employee of Camden County Government. It is an integral part of our organization’s culture. It has the priority of our principal operating strategies and is embodied in this Crisis Code of Conduct.

Integrity 

Camden County Government assesses difficult situations with integrity and aligns our thinking with that of all stakeholder groups.

Core Values

Camden County Government relies on our core values to guide our actions in a crisis situation. When we align ourselves with our core values, it gives us energy and a sense of dedication to do what’s right when resolving a situation. We know that critical decisions backed by core values are respected by all stakeholders as a display of an organization’s true strength. The Board of County Commissioners and employees of Camden County are committed to the following core values:

• Integrity
• Respect
• Service
• Accountability
• Teamwork
• Balance

Rule of Advanced Engagement

Our preparedness strategy requires that we have a situation team. The team’s job is to assess difficult situations and recommend courses of action to the County Administrator. It also requires members of the team to following the Rule of Advanced Engagement – know who they must work with in a crisis situations and agree in advanced to work together according to the principles contained in our Crisis Code of Conduct.

 Crisis Leadership Principles

Our leader will:

• Be visible and in charge
• Own up to responsibilities
• Set forth action steps

Crisis Management Principles

Our situation team will:

• Recommend actions based on the organization’s core values and lessons learned by others in similar situations
• Respect the public’s right to know, especially in matter of risk to health and safety
• Care for the information needs of all stakeholder groups, continually promoting two-way communication

Crisis Communication Principles 

• We will tell it all and tell it fast.
• We will tell the whole truth up front.
• We will be accurate with the facts.

Crisis Media Relations Principles 

• We will treat reporters as partners.
• We will keep reporters informed.
• We will correct inaccurate reports.

Crisis Spokesperson Strategies 

• We will treat everyone with respect.
• We will be thoughtful and precise in our use of words.
• We will listen as carefully as we speak, answering all questions to the best of our ability.

A Strategy to Refresh and Sustain

We will keep our preparedness strategy alive and energized. We will conduct Annual Preparedness Forum in September, National Preparedness Month, as a recurring event to cycle the strategy and keep it current and top of mind. The forum will show that preparedness has the same high priority as the organization‘s overarching operational strategies. Every functional area of our organization – Administration, Office of the County Clerk, Finance & Budget, Fire Rescue, Fleet Services, Grants Management, Human Resources, Information Technology, Planning & Development, Public Protection & Compliance, Public Works, Solid Waste, and Risk Management – will determine how its respective unity will contribute to reducing risk and support the organization in carrying out the preparedness strategy.