ROCHELLE — On Tuesday, City of Rochelle staff took part in crisis communication training, which included hearing a presentation, learning about case studies and best practices for social media, and a mock press conference.

The training was led by Vicarious Multimedia, a small business that conducts training for local governments on communications topics.

“It prepared us to share public information in the most timely and accurate manner in the event of a major incident,” City Director of Community Engagement Jenny Thompson said. “We heard about case studies from other communities and how they dealt with tragic or intense situations. Any training like this that we can do to improve our communication or better our response times for our residents is worthwhile and important to all of us. Some of our department heads don't always work in communications, so for them to have the opportunity to experience that kind of training was different for them and I'm sure they all learned something new today.”

The mock press conference saw Mayor John Bearrows, City Manager Jeff Fiegenschuh and Rochelle Fire Department Chief Dave Sawlsville field questions about a hypothetical scenario from members of the local media and members of city staff playing the role of additional media members. 

The hypothetical scenario consisted of a fatal motor vehicle accident that involved hazardous materials. City staff was able to prepare the information on the scenario before presenting it to the community. The city has crisis communications plans in place.

“Thankfully it's something we don't see everyday here,” Thompson said. “But that's all the more reason that we should be practicing and preparing. Like the saying goes, 'It's not if, it's when something happens.' There will be a day where something major happens, whether it's a vehicle accident, a large fire, a tornado or another weather-related event. Not only does the training help us with those major events, but it gives us some tips to use day-to-day.”

Vicarious Multimedia also provided feedback on the city’s social media footprint and provided an outside perspective. 

Thompson said the training reemphasized the importance of getting information out to Rochelle residents as quickly as possible.

“In an emergency-type situation, sharing information in a timely manner could be the difference between life and death,” Thompson said. “We could be dealing with an evacuation or other important information that we need to get out to our residents immediately to protect their health and safety. And in general, we have a responsibility to be transparent and share what happens in the city every day with our residents. We try to do that through live streaming our council meetings and social media and our email newsletter and our text alerts. We want people to know how their money is being utilized and want them to be part of the process and be engaged citizens.”