| Crisis communications case study
The statement was released as a press release on May 15th 2008 following a fire which caused serious damage at the company’s head office on May 14th. The statement is published verbatim below. Comments are welcome on its perceived good and bad points : email to editor@continuitycentral.com Sigue's Business Operations Drive Forward Despite Fire; No Interruption in Customer Service Proactive Initiative Preserved Company's Robust 2008 Growth and Expansion Trend SAN FERNANDO, Calif., May 15, 2008 Sigue's money transfer services continued uninterrupted domestically and internationally today despite a fire in one of its offices located in San Fernando, California. The fire, which seriously damaged Sigue's administrative headquarters, began at approximately 1:30AM Wednesday. Sigue Management promptly invoked its Disaster Recovery/Business Continuity Plan while the fire still burned. By 5AM, at the opening of business, the fire was completely contained and there was no affect on business operations. "Through focus and tenacity over its 12-year history, Sigue has gained an industry-wide reputation as one of the principal players in the U.S.-to-Latin-America money-transmission industry. Our approach to achieving both business objectives and implementing risk management solutions led us to implement a comprehensive Business Continuity Plan," said Sigue Chief Operating Officer Joseph Aguilar. "Thanks to this forward-looking initiative, Sigue and its dedicated employees shined brightly this Wednesday morning and led the Company through a situation that otherwise could have been devastating. We are pleased that none of our valued employees, customers or agents were affected by this event." The building affected by the fire was the working campus of approximately 400 of Sigue's 1,200 employees. "My first concern when I received the call notifying me at 2:00AM this morning was whether any of our employees were in harm's way," said Sigue President Leandro Miguel. "Our family of employees is our most valuable asset and resource. The news all employees were safe provided an immediate positive emotion to the challenging situation around which the entire Company rallied." "San Fernando is Sigue's home. We built this magnificent company from the ground up in partnership with the community," stated Sigue Chief Executive Officer Guillermo de la Vina. "We are very thankful for the overwhelming support we have received from the City, as well as the charities we support in the area such as Providence Holy Cross Hospital." "Thanks to the dedication and commitment of Sigue's employees and the courage of the finest members of the Los Angeles Fire Department, we overcame this challenge," stated Mr. Miguel. "We are fortified by this experience and are moving forward into the future with renewed vision and vigor." About Sigue Contact: Robert Pargac I felt it started ok although a little verbose however, the last paragraphs left me feeling quite ill! I don’t know if it is a British thing but I did not believe the comments and the cynic in me felt that they were not sincere. The title should read - ....; No loss of life, no interruption... I feel this statement might be taking the old mantra of `every crisis is an opportunity' to something of an extreme. This is almost a celebration of a fire rather than a measured description of a live crisis incident well managed. It would be interesting to know the full strategy behind this treatment.
•Date: 16th May 2008• Region: US/World •Type: Article •Topic: Crisis comms
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