Let's talk about timing. As I mentioned before, if there is a major explosion leak fire at one of your facilities or something you're in charge of, you need to be there right away, not tomorrow, not in half a day, not in two hours, but you need to be able to have some spokesperson there right away or certainly within the first half an hour. So the reporters don't have this vacuum that they have to fill with other people attacking you with rumor within Uganda with gossip. You've got to react quickly. But you also need to get it right. That's why I urge and just beg you rehearse your messages, rehearse your interviews before you do that.
Now, this sounds a little crazy. You're like, TJ, it's three in the morning. This happened. I got to talk to the reporters at 330. I'm not even fully dressed. My eyes are half shut.
I've got reporters chasing you're telling me to schedule a rehearsal. I fly to Some others. That's not what I'm saying. All I'm saying is quickly come up with your three part 32nd message which you've already done. If you've been following these lessons, then pull out your cell phone and simply record yourself. I can confirm there was an explosion on one of our vessels at 330 this morning.
There was a fire We do not know the state of any injuries. We have notified the Coast Guard we've notified the local officials, the fire marshal and the state and federal authorities. We right now we have dispatched our engineer who is our chief investigator to the facility we'll let you know within the next half hour, any updates. Practice it once on video and watch yourself because then when you're doing it for real, two minutes later, or 10 minutes later, you'll be more comfortable. You'll be more confident you'll be more relaxed. Because it's still going to be a tense situation.
But the second draft of anything is easier than the first draft. If you're saying it for the first time with cameras in front of you and reporters yelling at you, it's gonna be hard. It's gonna be tough. So give yourself time for one practice. Now, I'm not suggesting use this as an excuse to postpone the press conference for a day, or six hours, or even three hours. I am saying.
Spend a minute talking it out on video watching it. And if you have other colleagues with you, other members of your crisis communications team, have them looked at it give you feedback, make sure you're comfortable with your primary message. And if you have time, practice a question or two. And then and only then hold your press conference and start answering questions from reporters but do not use as an excuse. There's a crisis and People are coming at us as a reason not to rehearse with modern technology. Every one of your executives, every one of your colleagues has a video camera.
It's in the cell phone. Use it to rehearse