Roanoke College Crisis Management

Project Overview

When carbon monoxide poisoning killed one and sickened dozens of guests attending a conference on the Roanoke College campus, the college’s seasoned PR staff moved into high gear, writing news releases, fielding media calls, coordinating information with local hospitals, and holding media conferences. As the story developed throughout the day, the college called upon AccessU to assist its efforts and supplement its staff. Within hours of the crisis, AccessU arrived onsite to help outline strategy, define audiences for communication, and provide national media distribution, freeing Roanoke College’s PR staff to gather information on the college’s response to the accident, talk with media, and coordinate a memorial service in the critical first two days of the crisis.