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Crisis Communication Plan
Free crisis communication plan template for a business to prepare its response to a PR crisis, safety incident, or other reputational emergency.
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This free crisis communication plan covers Purpose, Crisis Team, First 60 Minutes, Approved Communication Channels, What Not to Do with 5 clearly marked [placeholder] fields to fill in — built for founders, freelancers, and small business owners formalizing a business decision or agreement without paying a lawyer to draft it from scratch. Copy it into your own word processor, fill in the placeholders, and review it — or adapt it — before use. It's part of docstoc's free document template library, alongside business, legal, real estate, finance, and HR templates. Every template here is free to copy with no signup required, and each one carries a plain disclaimer: this is a starting point for informational purposes, not a substitute for advice from a licensed professional in your jurisdiction.
Crisis Communication Plan
Company: [Company Name] · Effective Date: [Date]
Purpose
This plan defines how [Company Name] will communicate quickly, accurately, and consistently during a crisis affecting the company's reputation, safety, or operations.
Crisis Team
| Role | Name | Responsibility |
|---|---|---|
| Crisis Lead | [Name] | Overall decision-making authority |
| Spokesperson | [Name] | Sole authorized external voice during the crisis |
| Legal Review | [Name] | Reviews statements for legal risk |
| Internal Comms | [Name] | Communicates with employees |
First 60 Minutes
1. Assess the situation and confirm facts before any public statement. 2. Activate the Crisis Team via [Contact method — group chat, call tree]. 3. Draft a holding statement acknowledging awareness of the situation, even before all facts are confirmed. 4. Notify employees before they hear about it externally, where possible.
Approved Communication Channels
[List — company website statement, social media, direct customer email, press statement — and who owns each.]
What Not to Do
- Do not speculate on causes or blame before facts are confirmed.
- Do not let anyone outside the designated Spokesperson speak to media.
- Do not delete social media comments/posts about the situation (this often escalates the story).
Post-Crisis Review
Within [Number] days after the crisis resolves, the Crisis Team will conduct a review of what worked, what didn't, and update this plan accordingly.
Approved by: ______________________ Date: ____________
*A holding statement issued within the first hour — even a simple "we're aware and looking into it" — does more to control a crisis narrative than a perfectly worded statement that takes half a day to clear legal review, because silence in that window gets filled by speculation.*
Edit directly in the box above. Download PDF anytime — the docstoc.io footer is always included and cannot be removed.
What's included
- Edit online — click the document, fill in placeholders, download a PDF
- 6 standard sections: Purpose, Crisis Team, First 60 Minutes, Approved Communication Channels, What Not to Do, Post-Crisis Review
- 5 clearly marked [placeholder] fields for quick personalizing
- Free to use — no account or signup required
- Fully editable — adjust any clause to match your actual situation
- Includes a signature block, ready to print or sign digitally
- Fixed docstoc.io footer on every PDF (not removable)
Who this template is for
Freelancers & solo founders
Handling routine business paperwork without commissioning custom legal drafting for every document.
Small businesses
Standardizing recurring documents — leases, agreements, notices — across a growing operation.
Anyone reviewing before signing
Using a clear starting structure to understand what a document should cover, even if a lawyer finalizes it.
Early-stage businesses
Getting the basics documented before things get more complex.
FAQ
Is this crisis communication plan template really free?
Yes. Like every template in docstoc's library, this crisis communication plan is free to use, with no account or signup needed to view, edit, or download it.
What does this crisis communication plan cover?
This business template includes Purpose, Crisis Team, First 60 Minutes, Approved Communication Channels. Fill in the [bracketed] placeholders, edit any clause online, then download a PDF — the docstoc.io footer stays on every export.
Is this legal advice?
No. Templates like this cover the common ground most businesses need, but they can't anticipate your specific deal terms, jurisdiction, or industry rules. Treat it as a first draft to build from, and get a business attorney's eyes on it before signing anything that matters.
Can I edit the wording?
Yes. All 5 placeholder fields and every clause are editable right on the page — change what doesn't fit, then download an updated PDF anytime.
Where can I find more free templates like this?
Browse more free business and related document templates in the docstoc library at /document-templates/.
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Templates are drafted for general use, not a substitute for legal advice — check the note on each page for specifics.
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