Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09STATE44543
2009-05-01 16:28:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Secretary of State
Cable title:  

CONSULAR CRISIS MANAGEMENT: 2008-2009 LESSONS

Tags:  CASC CMGT AEMR AMGT ASEC 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO4509
RR RUEHAG RUEHAO RUEHAP RUEHAST RUEHAT RUEHBC RUEHBI RUEHBL RUEHBZ
RUEHCD RUEHCHI RUEHCI RUEHCN RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDE RUEHDF RUEHDH
RUEHDT RUEHDU RUEHED RUEHEL RUEHFK RUEHFL RUEHGA RUEHGD RUEHGH RUEHGI
RUEHGR RUEHHA RUEHHM RUEHHO RUEHHT RUEHIHL RUEHIK RUEHJS RUEHKN RUEHKR
RUEHKSO RUEHKUK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLH RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHMA RUEHMC
RUEHMJ RUEHMR RUEHMRE RUEHMT RUEHNAG RUEHNG RUEHNH RUEHNL RUEHNP
RUEHNZ RUEHPA RUEHPB RUEHPD RUEHPOD RUEHPT RUEHPW RUEHQU RUEHRD RUEHRG
RUEHRN RUEHROV RUEHRS RUEHSK RUEHTM RUEHTRO RUEHVC RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHC #4543/01 1211648
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 011628Z MAY 09
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO ALL DIPLOMATIC AND CONSULAR POSTS COLLECTIVE
RUEHTRO/AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI 7080
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 044543 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: CASC CMGT AEMR AMGT ASEC
SUBJECT: CONSULAR CRISIS MANAGEMENT: 2008-2009 LESSONS
LEARNED

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 044543

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: CASC CMGT AEMR AMGT ASEC
SUBJECT: CONSULAR CRISIS MANAGEMENT: 2008-2009 LESSONS
LEARNED


1. SUMMARY: Consular sections respond to individual
crises daily, but larger scale crises add layers of
complexity. 7 FAM 1800 and 12 FAH-1 should be the basis
for your plans, but this cable provides examples of
common lessons learned in different types of crises
including the 2007 Lima earthquake, the 2008 Yaounde and
Tbilisi evacuations, the 2008 terrorists attacks in
Mumbai, and the 2009 Turkish Air crash in Amsterdam.
Post lessons learned cables are available on CAWeb at:
http://intranet.ca.state.gov/services/cables/ 12709.aspx
and on the Office of Crisis Management Support's
website:
http://poems.ses.state.sbu/sites/portal/seso/ cms/WebPage
s/Lessons_Learned.aspx END SUMMARY.


2. FIRST RESPONSE: It is important to decide who will
be your first responders in an after hours crisis.
Balance residential proximity to post with making sure
that you will have experienced personnel for a second
shift. Split into teams within the section. Some
sample duties that could be given to different teams:
incoming phone calls, confirming facts through contacts,
processing related emergency ACS services, traveling to
hospitals and morgues, casework with affected Americans
and families, and interactions with the Department. See
the Crisis Quick Response Guide on CAWeb for one post's
general plan. Make sure that everyone in the consular
section knows when and whether they should report and
what their responsibilities are. Work with the public
affairs section which should be monitoring how the local
press is reporting the crisis and whether or not post's
consular statements are being carried.


3. ESSENTIAL SUPPLIES: Don't underestimate the
importance of office supplies. Dry erase boards, flip
charts, poster boards, markers, tape, different colors
of paper, clipboards, and pens were all "must-haves" for
Mumbai and Tblisi when sharing information in a consular
control room or phone bank. Pre-printed Privacy Act
Waivers came in handy in Tbilisi and were cited as a
"lessons learned" in Amsterdam. If an evacuation is a
possibility, pre-print the DS-3072 promissory note.
Have a sheet outlining the location of the U.S. mission,
hours of operation, and what services are available in

the Consular "go-kits" or backpacks to be distributed at
hospitals, hotels, or other locations.


4. Alternate communication tools are also essential. In
some situations, landlines will work, in others cell
phones will. In a country with multiple cell phone
providers, when one doesn't work, another may. In still
others, text messaging may be your only option. Posts
agreed that having an internet-based PDA in your crisis
kit is important; so is having cell and satellite phone
chargers. If possible, also purchase chargers that you
can use in your car. You should also have a list of
official personnel's personal emails for backup
communications. Check 7 FAM 1800 Appendix B for other
ideas.


5. SECTION SUPPORT: Whether it was by soliciting and
scheduling volunteers from the wider official community
for consular phone work, bringing in food and water for
an all-hours operation, providing mattresses and pillows
for staff bunking at post, arranging transportation for
response teams, or activating maintenance shifts 24/7 to
keep the section clean and restroom facilities stocked,
post management sections were essential partners in the
consular crisis response. Work through potential needs
in advance. Test out your consular control room. Does
GSO know how you'd like the room set-up? Does IPC?
What are the arrangements for quickly allowing LE staff
to log on to computers after normal working hours, or
for giving international dialing access to every phone?
Are the landlines and the computers in your designated
command center located near one another? Can post's
cafeteria open for extended hours? Who will bring those
much-needed office supplies, and what are they?


6. Don't forget your private partners and the value of
nurturing contacts. Amsterdam noted that the private
companies of the deceased were able to provide victims'
family members with resources like cars and drivers.
Mumbai took advantage of extensive LE staff contacts
within the police and hotel industry. And of course,
contacts with your counterparts at other foreign
missions and a way to communicate with them, are

STATE 00044543 002 OF 002


critical in a mass casualty situation or evacuation
involving different nationalities.


7. CA/OCS is always prepared to run PIERS checks for
post so that consular staff on the ground can focus on
other tasks. If the Consular Section is stretched thin,
CA/OCS can help make preliminary identification of
remains by comparing pictures sent digitally from
post/country with passport photos. Amsterdam noted that
its LEGATT was able to obtain fingerprint information
from certain databases that was then used by Dutch
authorities to identify American victims. The FAM and
FAH provide guidance, but consular sections are always
encouraged to contact CA for additional clarification.
If, given the particular circumstances, something like
charging for passport photos "doesn't feel right," check
with Washington.


8. HANDLING INFORMATION: Tasking and information
requests from Washington can be overwhelming. Make sure
to provide the Department with a central phone number
for all official consular-related calls so that previous
shift leaders aren't inadvertently woken up. Post can
then triage as appropriate. Post should also set up a
Collective E-mail Mailbox on the GAL so that email
traffic can be centralized and tracked. (This mailbox
can be set up in advance and added to every user's
profile.) Make sure that every volunteer has access to
the inbox, but assign oversight specifically to certain
individuals.


9. Use the flagging or category system to avoid
duplicate responses. In Task Force 2, we ask volunteers
to assign a blue "in use" category tag when they are
working on an email. When the email is answered or
action completed, the email is tagged green "completed"
and moved out of the inbox into a folder in that
mailbox. If an email will need follow-up, TF2 tags it
with a red "action required" tag and leaves it in the
inbox. Feel free to remind Washington to direct
requests or taskings to whatever address you create.
Automatic email responses on individual accounts with
standard talking points can also be helpful.


10. PUT PLANS INTO PRACTICE: Finally, as Yaounde noted,
"while tabletop exercises are useful in refining plans,
drills that require staff to actually execute the plan
are necessary to identify hidden difficulties and avoid
unnecessary delays during a real crisis." Contact the
ACS Crisis Management Unit at CA-Crisis-Mgt@state.gov
with questions, suggestions, or with requests for
Washington participation in consular section exercises
or drills.


11. MINIMIZE CONSIDERED.
CLINTON