ROCHELLE - A tragic scenario was presented to Rochelle City Officials last week as part of a training exercise on how to better serve the community during a disaster. Melanie Santostefano of Vicarious Multimedia tasked city employees with various duties during the presentation, including how to deal with the media and the public, especially when a crisis is ongoing. City Manager Jeff Fiegenschuh said Rochelle does regular training for staff when it comes to disaster preparedness, but one area they wanted to focus on was working with the media. Jenny Thompson noted they have never done a training like this before. City staff were briefed on a fictional scenario involving a hazardous material spill after a vehicle crash, then handled a mock press conference from a sometimes combative press corps, to simulate the need for clear communication.
Santostefano arranges around 25 seminars for municipalities and non-profits each year.
Fiegenschuh noted that the training provided valuable insights for the entire staff on how to effectively work with the media to engage and inform the public during times of crisis.
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