Practical Walkthrough: How to Run a Crisis Comms Drill

Crisis communications look very different on paper than in practice. When the phones are ringing, social media is blowing up, and leadership wants a statement five minutes ago, a written plan alone won’t save you. The only way to truly test readiness is to drill.

A crisis comms drill doesn’t need to be complicated, but it does need to be realistic. The point is to stress-test your systems and your people before the pressure is real.

Why Drills Matter

Many agencies run tabletop exercises for operations but forget to include communications. That’s a mistake. Without a drill, you don’t really know: