Every organization faces the risk of disruption. Whether during a natural disaster, violent incident, cyberattack, or reputational crisis, how an organization navigates these critical moments defines its level of resilience and reputation. Drawing from over 40 years of crisis response experience, the author created the following framework, which outlines a seven-phase roadmap to help organizations prepare for the unpredictable, respond with confidence, and recover with strength.
Phase 1: Immediate Crisis
Phase 1 marks the onset of a critical event that disrupts normal operations and demands swift action. Whether it’s an act of violence, a natural disaster, or a system failure, this is the moment when chaos unfolds, and response systems are activated. Quick decision-making, clear communication, and coordinated emergency protocols are crucial to mitigate harm. For example, during the 2018 Camp Fire in California, emergency responders faced rapid-onset firestorms that required immediate evacuation orders to save lives.
Key areas of this phase include
Life Safety & Rapid Response. When a crisis strikes, responders’ first priority is protecting people and securing the environment.
Evacuation readiness: Only 20% of individuals act immediately in a crisis. The rest hesitate or freeze—often due to the natural denial response, “That won’t happen to me.” Routine drills and scenario-based training help break through that denial, preparing staff and others to respond quickly and calmly when every second counts.
Real-time accountability: Implement a centralized system for quickly accounting for employees, visitors, or customers. This is vital for first responders and families.
Compassionate leadership: Leaders must act swiftly and empathetically. Activate support centers in collaboration with external partners to provide emotional assistance, reunification, and logistical help (e.g., return of personal items).
Timely, transparent communication: Proactively communicate accurate updates via internal systems and trusted external call centers to reduce confusion and limit reliance on media coverage. To reach individuals who may not engage with traditional channels—such as non-English speakers, the elderly, or those without digital access—work with trusted community connectors, including local leaders, faith organizations, and culturally competent outreach workers.
First responder coordination: Assign liaisons to coordinate access and resources for emergency services, behavioral health teams, and support personnel.
Phase 2: Aftermath
In Phase 2, the initial threat has passed, but the organization faces disruption, trauma, and uncertainty. This period involves accounting for people, damage assessment, and initial psychological support. Emotions often run high, and stakeholders may experience confusion, grief, or fear. After the 2013 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, the community entered a prolonged aftermath, requiring coordinated mental health support, security reviews, and public communication. This stage sets the tone for how individuals and organizations will process and recover from the crisis.
Key areas of this phase include
Priority: Medical and Emotional Support. Once the immediate threat has passed, shift the focus to assessing impacts and initiating support.
Impact triage: Identify individuals who seem to be struggling physically or emotionally—such as those too stressed to function—and put a plan in place to get them the help they need quickly.
Family and employee liaison support: Facilitate travel, assist with funeral planning, and provide updates to affected families.
Hospital support and item retrieval: Assign staff or partner with an organization experienced and trained to support families at medical facilities and manage the retrieval of essential belongings.
Ongoing support access: Ensure employees and stakeholders know how to access counseling, support lines, and additional resources.
Phase 3: Recovery
Phase 3 is focused on regaining functionality and providing support to those affected. This includes operational continuity efforts, mental health interventions, and rebuilding physical infrastructure. Recovery timelines vary greatly depending on the crisis scope. Following Hurricane Harvey in 2017, Houston schools and businesses began phased reopenings while offering trauma-informed services to staff and students. Successful recovery emphasizes compassion, resilience, and sustained attention to both logistics and people.
Key areas of this phase include
Priority: Operational Reassessment and Structured Communication. The week following a crisis is critical for establishing momentum and trust through post-event assessment and open communication.
Safety audits and adjustments: Review what happened, identify vulnerabilities, and implement changes to reassure employees and customers.
Strategic reopenings: Align reopening timelines with operational readiness and consider organizing memorial or recognition events where appropriate.
Clear communication: Regularly update internal and external stakeholders with practical information and available resources.
Phase 4: Re-Engagement
Phase 4’s focus is to reconnect with individuals and communities impacted by the crisis—staff, clients, partners, and the public. This process acknowledges trauma, restores trust, and opens communication about the path forward. After COVID-19 lockdowns, many healthcare systems re-engaged with frontline workers through listening sessions and feedback loops, ensuring their voices shaped the reintegration process (Harvard Business Review, 2021). This phase is crucial for healing and rebuilding relationships.
Key areas of this phase include
Priority: Rebuilding Confidence & Culture. Returning to business as usual requires rebuilding trust and demonstrating organizational care.
New safety measures: Communicate and provide training on new policies or infrastructure improvements made in response to the crisis, and regularly practice these measures to identify areas where improvements are still needed.
Human-centered leadership: Equip leaders with strategies to check in with employees and maintain visibility, empathy, and responsiveness.
Phase 5: Reentry
Phase 5 marks the physical return to spaces that were abandoned or closed during the crisis. It often includes safety inspections, environmental assessments, and adjustments to space usage. Equally important is the emotional impact of re-entering a site where trauma may have occurred. After the 9/11 attacks, many office workers in Lower Manhattan faced psychological challenges returning to their buildings, prompting mental health outreach and phased re-entry strategies. Thoughtful planning and communication are vital in this phase.
Key areas of this phase include
Priority: Emotional Safety and Transparency. Reentry is not just operational. It is emotional.
Resuming operations: Communicate reactivation plans clearly, including timelines and support resources.
On-site support: Make counseling and emotional support visible and accessible in order to normalize use.
Commemorative acknowledgment: Depending on the nature of the crisis, offer meaningful moments of remembrance or recognition before full reentry.
Phase 6: Stabilization
In Phase 6, routines begin to resume, though often under a “new normal.” Policies may change, roles may shift, and expectations may be recalibrated. This phase is not about returning to the past but rather about adapting to current realities. Following the 2005 London bombings, public transit resumed under heightened security and revised procedures, representing a new normal for urban safety. Leadership should emphasize flexibility and well-being during this transitional period.
Key highlights of this phase include
Priority: Reinforcement & Long-Term Wellbeing. Organizations begin to adapt to a new normal while reinforcing culture and values.
New norms: Acknowledge the ongoing impact and provide a space for feedback, adjustment, and shared healing.
Commemorate and reflect: Mark anniversaries with appropriate recognition to honor both loss and resilience. Memorials, dedications, or quiet acknowledgments can have a lasting impact.
Phase 7: Preparation
Finally, Phase 7 is about reflection, evaluation, and planning. Organizations assess what worked, what did not, and how to improve. This can include updating emergency plans, investing in training, and strengthening systems. After the SARS outbreak in 2003, Toronto’s public health system conducted extensive reviews that led to stronger outbreak protocols, which helped during the COVID-19 response (Ontario Ministry of Health, 2004). Transforming crisis into insight ensures better outcomes in the future and reinforces long-term resilience.
Key areas of this phase include
Priority: Future-Ready Infrastructure. True resilience is never done. It is sustained by preparation and continuous improvement.
Remote command capabilities: Set up an off-site crisis command structure equipped with secure communication tools and situational monitoring capabilities.
Accountability systems: Implement systems for tracking and confirming the safety and location of personnel during events.
Dedicated hotlines and support centers: Ensure scalable access to crisis response lines, survivor assistance services, and information centers.
Media preparedness: Designate and train media spokespeople in advance. Consider partnering with a public relations firm for readiness planning and message development.
The Path Forward
Whether responding to an incident, active threat, or natural hazard event, organizations cannot always control the crisis, but they can control their preparedness and response. This seven-phase approach empowers organizational leaders to safeguard their people, uphold their mission, and recover with strength.
Michelle Colosimo
Michelle Colosimo is the executive director of Critical Support Services at Empathia, where she leads with empathy, expertise, and unwavering commitment to those affected by tragedy. With over 20 years of experience, Michelle has led responses to some of the most high-profile and complex crises across the globe. Her expertise spans mass casualty events, survivor aviation accidents, cruise ship emergencies, natural disasters, active shooter incidents, major federal crimes, and the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Her work has positioned her as a trusted expert in navigating highly visible and emotionally charged situations with precision, compassion, and resilience. Whether supporting survivors and families following a disaster or guiding organizations through emotionally charged incidents, Michelle brings a calming presence, strategic insight, and a human-centered approach to every situation. Michelle has been instrumental in shaping Empathia’s nationally recognized response framework, working hand in hand with airlines, corporations, and government agencies to ensure immediate, respectful, and effective support is available when the unimaginable occurs. At the heart of her leadership is a belief that strength is often born from compassion—and that no one should face crisis alone.
