APPENDIX B
The Crisis Response Kit
Pull This Out and Post It in the Manager’s Office
Chapter 29 explained how to think about a crisis. This is the grab-it-in-the-moment version — the fill-in-the-blanks kit to complete now, while things are calm, and tape inside the manager’s office door. When something goes wrong at 11:40 on a Saturday night, nobody has time to reread a chapter; they need the contacts, the first words, and the one rule, right now. Fill in every blank below, walk your managers through it once, and update it twice a year.
One caution before you use any of it: the holding statements here are starting templates only. In any incident involving injury, death, or potential liability, your first move is to call your attorney and insurer (see the one rule), and your public words should be shaped with counsel — not fired off from this page. These drafts exist so you say something caring and responsible fast without admitting fault; they are not a substitute for the professional advice Chapter 29 and Appendix G insist on.
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The One Rule
BEFORE YOU SAY ANYTHING PUBLIC In any serious incident — an injury, a death, an arrest, an accusation, anything that could become a lawsuit — call your attorney and your insurer FIRST, before you post, comment, or make any public statement. Lead with genuine care for people; do not speculate, assign blame, or make legal admissions; provide confirmed safety information, preserve all evidence and footage; and route every press and customer question to the one designated spokesperson. Fast and caring, yes. Reckless, never. When in doubt, say less and call counsel. |
Who Does What (Fill In Now)
Role | Person & number |
|---|---|
Designated spokesperson (the ONLY voice) | _______________________________ |
Backup spokesperson | _______________________________ |
Who calls the attorney | _______________________________ |
Who calls the insurer | _______________________________ |
Who handles staff / internal comms | _______________________________ |
Who monitors phones & social | _______________________________ |
Emergency & Crisis Contacts (Fill In Now)
Contact | Number |
|---|---|
Emergency | 911 |
Local police (non-emergency) | _______________________________ |
TABC attorney / hospitality attorney | _______________________________ |
Insurance carrier (24-hr claims line) | _______________________________ |
Insurance agent | _______________________________ |
TABC local office | _______________________________ |
Nearest hospital | _______________________________ |
Fire marshal | _______________________________ |
Local newspaper / TV (your media contact) | _______________________________ |
Building / maintenance emergency | _______________________________ |
Seven Holding Statements (Adapt with Counsel)
Short, caring, fault-free first responses to buy time while you gather facts and reach your attorney. Replace the brackets; keep them brief; post only the right one for the situation — ideally after a quick call to counsel.
1. General incident (immediate, public)
“We’re aware of an incident at [venue] tonight. The safety and wellbeing of our guests and staff is our first concern, we’re cooperating fully with [authorities/first responders], and we’ll share more as we’re able. Thank you for your patience.”
2. Injury to a guest
“Our thoughts are with everyone affected by tonight’s incident. We’re focused on their wellbeing and are cooperating fully with first responders and authorities. Out of respect for those involved, we won’t share details at this time.”
3. Incident still developing / few facts known
“We’re aware of the situation and are still gathering the facts. We don’t want to speculate before we know what happened. We’ll provide an update as soon as we responsibly can.”
4. Online rumor or viral post
“We’ve seen the posts circulating. We take this seriously and are looking into it. We care deeply about our guests and our community, and we’ll follow up properly rather than hash it out in the comments.”
5. Health / food-safety concern
“The health and safety of our guests is our top priority. We’re taking the concern seriously, are reviewing it with [the local health department / our food-safety team], and will act on whatever we find.”
6. Severe weather / forced closure
“For everyone’s safety, [venue] is closed [today/tonight] due to [weather/conditions]. We’re grateful everyone is safe and will announce reopening here as soon as we can. Take care of each other out there.”
7. After-the-fact acknowledgment / thank-you
“Thank you to our staff, our first responders, and this community for the way you showed up [during/after] [the incident]. We’re grateful, we’re recovering, and we’ll keep you posted. It means everything.”
Performer- or Stage-Incident Statements
For incidents involving an artist, band, or the stage (a cancellation, an onstage emergency, an artist controversy). Keep them respectful and brief; coordinate with the artist’s team where relevant.
• Show stopped / medical emergency on or near stage: “Tonight’s show has been paused/ended out of an abundance of caution for everyone’s safety. Thank you for staying calm and following our staff’s direction. We’ll share information about [refunds/rescheduling] here.”
• Performer cancellation (last minute): “Due to [reason], tonight’s performance by [artist] won’t go on as planned. We’re sorry for the disappointment. Here’s what happens with tickets: [details]. We’ll make it right.”
• Artist controversy / something said or done: “The views and actions of performers who appear at [venue] are their own and don’t represent us. [Venue] is a place for everyone, and we’re committed to that.” (Coordinate this one with counsel.)
Staff Briefing Script (Read to the Team)
Within the first hour, gather whoever’s on and say, in your own words, something like this. An informed, aligned staff is your steadiest asset; an uninformed one fills the silence with rumor.
SAY THIS TO THE STAFF “Here’s what we know so far: [brief, factual summary]. Here’s what we’re doing: [the steps]. I need a few things from each of you. One: [name] is the only person who speaks for us publicly — send every question from press, customers, or anyone else to [name], and don’t comment yourself. Two: please don’t post about this on your personal accounts or argue about it online — it can hurt people and the venue, even with good intentions. Three: if you saw or know anything relevant, tell [manager] so we have the facts straight. Four: take care of yourselves and each other tonight — this is hard, and if you need a minute or someone to talk to, come find me. Thank you. We’ll get through this the right way.” |
First-Hour Checklist
• Ensure everyone’s safety first; call 911 if anyone is hurt or in danger.
• Call the attorney and the insurer before any public statement.
• Designate the single spokesperson; route all questions there.
• Preserve evidence: secure and back up security footage; don’t delete anything; note names of witnesses and what happened, with times.
• Brief the staff (script above); assign someone to monitor phones and social.
• Post the right holding statement (adapted with counsel) — caring, brief, no admission of fault.
• Document everything as you go: a written timeline of what happened and what you did, started now.
• Check on the wellbeing of any staff who witnessed or handled the incident; line up support if needed (see Appendix F resources).
REMEMBER This kit helps you move fast and humanely in the first chaotic hour — it does not replace your lawyer, your insurer, or the judgment of Chapter 29. Every statement here is a draft to be adapted (ideally with counsel) to the actual facts, and the legal cautions in Appendix G still apply in full. Fill in the blanks now, while it’s quiet. The worst time to build a crisis plan is in the middle of a crisis. |
Put this chapter to work
Continue the lesson with connected resources
The chapter explains the principle. These resources help you practice it, document it, calculate it or train it in the room.
Use the resource that matches the decision in front of you. A tool supports judgment; it does not replace current law, venue policy, qualified professional advice or the person responsible for the operation.