Disaster Preparedness Quiz

How prepared is your television station for a disaster?  Take a few minutes to answer the following questions. Give honest answers – ones that are true, and not ones you wish were true – and we’ll immediately email you with your results. We’ll let you know how you stack up.  It’s free from Thunder & Lightning News Service.

1.	We’ve prepared ourselves for the kind of disasters likely to strike our viewing area by:
	a.	Compiling a list of every possible type of disaster, ranking the likelihood of such a disaster striking our area, outlining our response in general terms, and communicating our response to key staff members in every department
	b.	Knowing what’s likely to happen in our viewing area and having a staff smart enough to figure out how best to respond to it
	c.	Having department heads submit general written plans periodically to the General Manager or executive committee on contingencies for covering major disasters
	d.	Figuring that every disaster is different enough that we’ll come up with a plan for covering it once the disaster strikes
2.	Most disasters that would be considered newsworthy are likely to strike:
	a.	During normal work hours (9 am to 5 pm, Monday to Friday)
	b.	Sometime during the broadcast day
	c.	Any time
	d.	In a place and at a time that we’re likely to be able to respond without too much difficulty
3.	Most often, disasters worthy of continuous or other special news coverage
	a.	Give advance warning that will allow us to prepare for them
	b.	Strike without notice
	c.	Sometimes present themselves without warning, but can usually be predicted with reasonable accuracy
	d.	Can sometimes be predicted, but occasionally crop up without warning
4.	My station has
	a.	No written policy or plan on how disaster coverage will be handled
	b.	A basic idea on what we will do if certain disasters come to pass, but a more general reliance on the bright people we hire to pull us through
	c.	A detailed written plan for disaster coverage that has been updated within the last three months, distributed to all members of the staff, and discussed at meetings in every department at least once each quarter
	d.	An outline that has been developed and communicated to all department heads on what is expected of them during an emergency

5.	The staff at my station
	a.	Is very bright and will figure out what they need to do once a disaster has struck
	b.	Has been divided into teams, given a special phone number to call where they can learn if a news emergency has been declared and given an assignment, a shift, and a place to report to in advance of a disaster
	c.	Will be notified as to what they are to do once a disaster has struck and station executives have assessed the situation
	d.	Has been told they may be needed in the event of a disaster, but not given specific tasks to perform
6.	Our basic philosophy of news coverage is that
	a.	We will cover disasters in our viewing area within our normally scheduled news programming
	b.	Our obligation to our viewers is to keep them informed of disasters, and that our obligation to our stockholders is to keep the newsroom within budget
	c.	We will cover all disasters within sweeps months, but will decide on a case-by-case basis whether disasters outside of sweeps are worthy of continuous coverage
	d.	We owe it to our audience to aggressively cover anything that constitutes a disaster in our viewing area, whenever and wherever it might occur
7.	If my station’s transmitter or studio-transmitter link (STL) is interrupted by a natural or man-made disaster, we have made the following provisions for staying on the air:
	a.	We know some of the possibilities, but figure it’s a technical bridge we’ll have to cross when we get to it
	b.	We have a detailed plan that has been written down, with copies kept in our master control; everyone working in master control has been briefed about the plan; and we practice implementing the plan at least once every three months
	c.	We have a rough idea of what might be done, but don’t have anything written down
	d.	We haven’t considered it
8.	Our plan, however developed, for covering disasters includes and has been communicated to
	a.	Only the station’s news department
	b.	Engineering and news departments
	c.	Department heads throughout the station, but no one outside of management
	d.	Every individual working in the station

9.	At my station’s news Assignment Desk, we keep
	a.	A more or less up-to-date list of staff phone numbers, written on paper
	b.	A staff address list updated no more frequently than once a year and stored in the station’s computer system
	c.	A complete address and phone number list on computer as well as hard copy, updated at least quarterly
	d.	A complete staff roster of every employee throughout the station, stored on computer and hard copy, as well as a map with employee homes plotted and color-coded by employee skills
10.	The emergency generator at my TV station
	a.	Can power Master Control and a limited part of the rest of the station for a few hours
	b.	Can power Master Control and the transmitter only
	c.	Can provide full electricity to the entire station, and has backup fuel to keep it running for several days if necessary
	d.	Does not exist
11.	In the past, my station’s news coverage of major breaking events has
	a.	Been the best in the market by a long shot in terms of immediacy, quality, and scope
	b.	Been solid, but neck and neck with our competition in terms of ratings and quality of coverage
	c.	Been competitive, but lacked some of the resources our competitors have and thus not as wide-ranging or far-reaching as we may have wanted it to be
	d.	Been spotty, with us occasionally leading the pack but more often playing catch up to another station
12.	In the last 12 months, my station has initiated extended news coverage of a breaking event outside of regularly scheduled news programming
	a.	Never
	b.	One time
	c.	Two times
	d.	Three or more times

13.	We have a policy at my station of fueling news vehicles
	a.	At the beginning of every shift
	b.	As needed
	c.	At the end of every shift
	d.	We have no policy
14.	In the event of a disaster that is a widespread threat to life and property in our viewing area (such as a hurricane, an earthquake, or a major flood), we have made the following provisions for the families of our employees:
	a.	None
	b.	We expect employees to report immediately to work, leaving their families to fend for themselves at their homes
	c.	We have prepared and provisioned for employees bringing their families to the station with them when they report for work
	d.	Figured that some employees may bring their children and spouses to the station, but will deal with the situation when a disaster arises and we see what the actual needs are
15.	Which of the following phrases best describes the quantity and condition of disaster provisions you have on hand right now at your TV station?
	a.	We have some supplies, such as special weather gear, to be used by our personnel during coverage of a disaster
	b.	We have no supplies on hand at the present time
	c.	We have food, water, cots, blankets, special weather gear, and other items to be used during extended disaster coverage; have a full inventory of such items; and have a regular inspection schedule to make sure the supplies are in good condition
	d.	We know what supplies may be needed, and plan on obtaining them once we know what the disaster is and where it is likely to strike
16.	In the event of a major disaster in our viewing area, our sales, traffic, and business-office personnel
	a.	Will continue selling spots, booking time, and running the business
	b.	Know that they will shift over to special disaster-coverage assignments, and periodically receive some training so they have an idea as to what they are supposed to do and where they are supposed to do it
	c.	Have been told that they may be needed to handle responsibilities other than their usual jobs, but have not been told what those special responsibilities may be
	d.	Will be utilized in the most efficient manner at the station’s discretion, but have not been told that

17.	My station has a policy, either written into the work rules or as part of a collective-bargaining agreement, that employees
	a.	Can be called back to work from vacation or days off in the event of a news emergency, with the station agreeing in advance to compensate them for any vacation expenses such as plane tickets and hotels
	b.	Can under no circumstances be disturbed on their days off or vacations
	c.	Have the option of coming to work during a major disaster in the viewing area, but will not be compensated for vacation days lost or travel plans changed
	d.	Are on their own about deciding to change their personal plans for a news emergency
18.	Regular programming at my TV station can be interrupted with breaking news developments
	a.	Only by the News Director, after consulting with the General Manager
	b.	By the News Director, on his or her own authority
	c.	By the senior news person with line authority in the building at that moment
	d.	By any news manager
19.	The petty cash fund at my TV station can be accessed
	a.	Only by the News Director
	b.	By any manager, through access to a special automatic teller machine (ATM) account to get cash as it is needed
	c.	By any employee, who can take cash from his or her own bank account and then be reimbursed by the station through a standard business-expense system
	d.	By any manager, by going into a special safe on the station premises that contains a sufficient amount of cash to take care of staff needs for several days
20.	The chances of a natural or man-made disaster striking my station’s building, transmitter, or both, and interrupting our ability to broadcast are
	a.	Negligible and not worthy of consideration
	b.	About the same as a disaster striking anywhere else in our viewing area
	c.	At least as high, and possibly even higher, than at other places in our viewing area
	d.	Relatively small and prohibitively expensive to try to protect against

21.	The reason for broadcasting information about catastrophic and cataclysmic events in our community is
	a.	To fulfill the requirements of our FCC license
	b.	Because the events in our community are of great interest and importance to the people who live here, and the business of my television station is built on serving the needs and interests of the people here by providing timely and responsible information
	c.	Both of the above
	d.	Neither of the above – there’s no reason to broadcast such information, and many reasons not to broadcast it
22.	We fuel station vehicles
	a.	From a pump on the premises of our station
	b.	At a nearby service station, where we have a standing account for station vehicles
	c.	At a variety of service stations, where our personnel use company-issued credit cards, or cash for which they are reimbursed
	d.	All of the above
23.	My station owns or leases a helicopter able to broadcast live video from anywhere in our viewing area, and
	a.	A backup helicopter that can quickly (within one hour) be outfitted with transmitting equipment and camera already contracted to fill in as needed
	b.	A list of aircraft charter facilities in the area from whom we might be able to obtain additional aircraft if needed
	c.	No other plans for aircraft
	d.	At least one other helicopter already outfitted with equipment to immediately enable live broadcasting
24.	My station has sought out the disaster-coordination authorities in the state or states we cover, as well as in each of the counties in our Designated Market Area, and
	a.	Reviews at least once each year the major disaster-planning documents of these agencies
	b.	Meets in person with officials of each of these agencies at least once each quarter to find out about changes and developments in disaster planning, and to make appropriate changes to the station’s preparedness plans
	c.	Is aware that such agencies exist and what their telephone numbers are
	d.	Knows that government officials must be keeping a close watch on the situation, and will be in touch with our station when circumstances warrant
25.	Which statement best exemplifies your station’s attitude toward preparing for a disaster in your viewing area?
	a.	It is our obligation to cover disasters, and we will meet our obligation, though we don’t have a definitive plan in advance on how to do that
	b.	When a disaster hits our viewing area, we will do what is necessary to provide our viewers with information about it
	c.	We pride ourselves on being first in our viewing area with all pertinent information, on being best, and on being the most complete; and our preparations for disaster coverage reflect that
	d.	We are aware that there is always the possibility of a disaster striking our viewing area, and have communicated to our staff and viewers that they need to be prepared; we have built the maximum amount of flexibility into our operation to allow for full disaster coverage when it is warranted.

 

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Thanks for taking part in the Thunder & Lightning News Service "How Ready Are You for The Big One?" Quiz. Your score will be emailed to you immediately.

 

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