A Step-by-Step Guide to Building a Crisis Communication Playbook

Summary

When a crisis strikes, you don’t have time to wonder who should handle communications or how you’ll reach everyone who needs to hear from you. That’s why a crisis communication playbook is so important. It gives you a structured, ready-to-use plan that keeps your organization coordinated. In this guide, you’ll learn how to identify your biggest threats, map out your crisis communication team, build templates and workflows that eliminate guesswork, choose the right communication channels, train your staff, and keep your playbook updated and accessible. You’ll also see how automated tools like DialMyCalls make it easier to deliver fast, consistent alerts when it counts.

You Can Count on Crises to Be Unpredictable

Emergencies never happen on your schedule. They arrive suddenly and force you to make urgent decisions under pressure. That’s why having a well-designed crisis communication playbook isn’t optional. This document becomes your lifeline during emergencies, giving you clear steps, approved language, defined roles, and specific communication methods, so you can get the word out fast.

And make no mistake, every organization needs a crisis communication playbook, from schools to corporations, nonprofits, municipalities, healthcare facilities, hospitality groups, and community organizations. Whether you’re dealing with a weather emergency, a cybersecurity incident, a workplace injury, or something entirely different, you need a plan that helps you protect people.

Take the 2025 Texas floods as an example.

• Within just a couple of days, up to 20 inches of rain fell.
• Up to 12 inches of rain fell in only 6 hours in some locations (the highest in 70 years of tracking).
• The Guadalupe River at Kerrville rose 32.5 feet in just 1.5 hours.
• Over 135 people lost their lives in the area, including teens at several youth camps, rescue workers, municipal workers, area residents, and others.
• This brief event caused damages in excess of $18 billion.

In this step-by-step guide, you’ll learn exactly how to build a crisis communication playbook that works in real life. You’ll walk through how to assess risks, structure your communication team, write message templates, define workflows, choose the right communication channels, test your strategy, and keep everything up to date. You’ll also see how tools like DialMyCalls’ Emergency Notification System help you send alerts when you need them most.

What Is a Crisis Communication Playbook?

A crisis communication playbook is a predefined plan that outlines how your organization communicates during an emergency. Basically, it tells you who will be handling everything, what they’ll be communicating, when they’ll be communicating, and to whom they’ll be sending messages.

Your playbook includes:

• The crises you’re most likely to face
• Clear team roles and responsibilities
• Message templates and talking points
• Your communication channels and notification systems
• Approval workflows and escalation rules
• Training and testing procedures

You build it in advance so you’re not scrambling when the time comes. During a crisis, you turn to the playbook, follow the steps, and execute your plan.

Why It’s So Important

When a crisis hits, there’s no time for second-guessing. A playbook helps you avoid miscommunication, misinformation, or contradictory messaging.

Common Crisis Types Your Playbook Should Cover

• Natural disasters (storms, floods, wildfires)
• Cyberattacks and data breaches
• Workplace violence or security threats
• PR issues or reputational harm
• Medical emergencies
• Utility failures or system outages
• Environmental hazards
• Accidents and injuries

Every industry has its own unique risks, but the need for a structured response is universal.

Step 1: Identify Potential Crisis Scenarios

Before you can write a communication plan, you need to know what you’re planning for. That starts with a thorough risk assessment.

Conduct a Risk Assessment

Look at both internal and external threats. Internal risks might include things like equipment failures, power outages, staff shortages, or technology problems. External risks could include severe weather, cybersecurity threats, supply chain disruptions, or community safety issues.

Ask yourself:

• What’s happened before within my organization?
• What risks is our geographic area prone to?
• What’s happening to similar organizations?
• What vulnerabilities do you have today?

Categorize Crisis Types

Break crises into categories to help you organize your messaging and response plans:

• Operational: outages, system failures, and supply chain issues
• Reputational: public complaints, viral incidents, and negative press
• Security: physical threats, break-ins, and workplace violence
• Safety: environmental hazards, injuries, and medical emergencies

Create a Risk Matrix

A risk matrix helps you rank events based on the likelihood that they’ll happen and the impact they’ll have. Focus first on high-probability, high-impact scenarios, but don’t automatically discount less probable emergencies.

Tip: Get your people involved, like department heads, technical leads, and frontline staff. They often see risks that leadership misses.

Step 2: Define Your Crisis Communication Team

A crisis plan isn’t effective unless everyone knows exactly what they’re responsible for. Your crisis communication team should include clearly defined roles and a chain of command.

Key Roles and Responsibilities

Crisis Leader

This person has final decision-making authority. They approve messaging, direct the team, and coordinate with leadership.

Spokesperson

Your spokesperson is the official voice of the organization and should be someone trained to handle public inquiries and press statements.

Internal Communications Lead

This person manages staff alerts, updates, safety instructions, and internal questions.

Legal & Compliance Advisor

They review messaging for accuracy, liability risks, and rules and regulatory requirements.

Establish a Contact Hierarchy

Your playbook should clearly document the following:

• Who is contacted first
• Who steps in if someone is unavailable
• How quickly each person has to respond
• Each person’s preferred contact method

Step 3: Develop Key Messaging Frameworks

You don’t have time to write entire messages from scratch when an emergency hits. Pre-approved templates help with consistency, improve your accuracy, and save valuable time.

Create Templates for Common Crisis Types

Templates might include:

• Weather alerts
• Lockdown notifications
• System outage updates
• Data breach disclosures
• Evacuation instructions
• Media holding statements
• Community notifications

Tools like DialMyCalls’ Community Notification System make it easy to store, update, and broadcast these messages fast.

Follow the “3C Rule”

Your messaging should always be:

• Clear: Keep it direct and easy to understand.
• Compassionate: Acknowledge uncertainty, fear, or frustration.
• Consistent: Make sure that everyone receives the same information.

Draft Internal and External Versions

Employees need different details than the public or the media. Preparing internal and external versions helps you target each audience the right way.

Pre-Approve Sensitive Language

Run delicate wording past legal or PR before a crisis happens. That way, you’re not stuck in time-consuming reviews during an emergency.

Step 4: Select Your Communication Channels

A crisis demands a multi-channel communication strategy. Relying on just one method leaves you vulnerable to missed messages and delays.

Channel Options to Include in Your Playbook

SMS and Voice Alerts

For immediate or high-priority updates. Mass texting systems like DialMyCalls Emergency Texting and our voice broadcast tools let you reach thousands of people instantly.

Email

Email is good for detailed updates, follow-up instructions, or post-crisis communication.

Website or Intranet Alerts

Website and intranet alerts are great for posting public updates, FAQs, or longer statements that can be referenced repeatedly.

Social Media

Social media platforms are useful for real-time public engagement and reaching a wide audience. However, because of the way these platforms’ algorithms work, you can’t count on them for fast notifications or even guarantee that every follower will see your alerts.

Weather Alert Integrations

If you’re in a region prone to storms, wildfires, floods, or tornadoes, integrate automated updates from tools like DialMyCalls Weather Alerts.

Why Automated Notification Systems Matter

During a crisis, manual communication is slow and error-prone. Automated systems help you:

• Deliver accurate updates instantly
• Reach multiple channels at once
• Ensure everyone gets the same message
• Track who received and opened alerts
• Eliminate outdated or incomplete contact lists

Systems like DialMyCalls are designed specifically for real-time alerts, making them a powerful addition to your playbook.

Step 5: Create an Escalation and Approval Workflow

A communication plan isn’t complete without a clear workflow to tell you who does what, when, how, and in what order. It guarantees accountability, improves accuracy, reduces confusion, and speeds up decision-making.

Document Who Approves What

Your playbook should state explicitly:

• Who writes messages
• Who reviews them
• Who has final approval
• Who pushes them out across each channel

Build a Visual Workflow

A flowchart or diagram helps your team understand:

• When messages are triggered
• What criteria are required
• Who needs to sign off
• How information moves from one step to the next

Set Time-Based Escalation Rules

Crises evolve quickly. If someone doesn’t approve a message within a set timeframe, the playbook should automatically elevate the issue.

For example:

• If no approval within 10 minutes, escalate to the Crisis Leader.
• If no response from the Crisis Leader within 5 minutes, escalate to the next person in the chain.

The goal is to prevent bottlenecks that delay communications that could potentially save lives.

Step 6: Test and Train Regularly

A crisis communication plan only works if your team knows how to use it. That’s why testing and training are such important parts of your preparedness planning.

Schedule Quarterly Drills

Run simulations for scenarios like:

• Severe weather approaching
• Active security threats
• Major IT outage
• Health emergencies
• Utility failures

These drills help you spot the strengths and weaknesses in your plan.

Review Key Metrics

After each test, review:

• How quickly messages were drafted
• How fast they were approved and sent
• Delivery success rates
• Engagement or response rates
• Staff understanding and reaction

Refine the Playbook Based on What You Learn

Every drill teaches you something new. Use those insights to update processes, improve templates, refine roles, or strengthen your workflows.

Tip: Use scenario-based training to help your staff practice real-life decision-making under pressure.

Step 7: Review, Update, and Distribute the Playbook

A crisis plan isn’t static. It’s a living document that needs to evolve with your organization, technology, staffing, and the risks you face.

Keep Multiple Versions Accessible

Store:

• A digital version on your intranet or shared drive
• A printed version in key offices
• A mobile-accessible version for remote staff

Review Every 6 to 12 Months

Update the playbook whenever:

• Roles change
• New communication tools are introduced
• Regulations shift
• New threats emerge
• You complete a major drill

Make Sure Everyone Knows Their Role

Communicate any changes and review responsibilities regularly (staff meetings, training sessions, or annual safety briefings, for instance).

The Ability to Act When It Counts

When you build a crisis communication playbook, you give your organization something invaluable: the ability to act when it counts. You’ll protect people, reduce confusion and chaos, and improve coordination and accuracy.

Every minute counts in a crisis, and your ability to communicate clearly can completely change the outcome. That’s why now is the perfect time to create or update your own playbook.

If you’re ready to simplify the process of sending fast, reliable alerts, explore how DialMyCalls helps organizations deliver real-time emergency notifications when they matter most.

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Crisis Communication FAQs

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What is a crisis communication playbook?

It’s a predefined, step-by-step plan that outlines how your organization communicates during an emergency. It includes templates, roles, workflows, communication channels, and escalation procedures.

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Why is a crisis communication playbook important?

It makes sure that you can communicate quickly, clearly, and consistently when a crisis happens. This helps you reduce confusion and protect people.

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What types of crises should organizations prepare for?

You should prepare for natural disasters, cyberattacks, data breaches, utility failures, safety threats, reputational issues, accidents, and emergencies specific to your industry.

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What communication channels should be included in a crisis plan?

Use SMS, voice broadcasts, email, websites, intranets, social media, and weather alert integrations. Systems like DialMyCalls help you deliver alerts instantly across multiple channels.

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How can technology help in crisis communication?

Technology automates message delivery, reduces human error, helps make sure there’s consistency, tracks message engagement, and lets you reach large audiences quickly through tools like emergency texting and weather alerts.

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