0:00:01 – Announcer

You are listening to the National University Podcast.

0:00:09 – Kimberly King

Hello, I’m Kimberly King. Welcome to the National University Podcast, where we offer an holistic approach to student support, well-being and success: the Whole Human education. We put passion into practice by offering accessible, achievable higher education to lifelong learners. Today we are talking about building trust during emergencies and crisis management. And a really interesting and relevant topic today.

According to a recent article in Medium Digital Magazine, in 2025, the digital age has raised the stakes for companies when it comes to crisis management. Crisis management is no longer merely about damage control. It is an opportunity for organizations to demonstrate their values, showcase leadership and build trust with their stakeholders. In this age of social media and instant information, how a company handles a crisis can determine its future success. A very relevant topic in real time. Stay with us.

On today’s episode, we’re talking about building trust and communication during crisis, and joining us is Dr. Irma Diaz-Martin. She’s retired in 2021 as a Corporal Law Enforcement Officer for the state of California. After 21 years as a corporal and leader of her organization. She not only provided training through the field training program for newly hired officers, but also served as a board of director for nonprofit organizations.

Dr. Diaz-Martin also served as a board of director for the California Association of Criminal Investigators for 14 years, serving in the capacity of vice president, treasurer and secretary and board of director for Epiphany Prep Charter Schools for four years. In San Diego, she attained the Master Instructor Certification as Instructual Designer for the state of California and has used her skills to help others by designing a hate crimes course for the state. She also designed and taught a bias stereotypes course for the National Emergency Number Association, where she taught 911 telecommunicators nationwide for four years during her tenure in law enforcement. She expanded her professional leadership as a part-time professor for National University and has been serving in this capacity for over eight years.

Dr. Diaz-Martin’s passion has always been helping others and she seeks to not only share her experience and expertise, but also to help others deepen their knowledge through education so that they can attain a lifetime profession that they are passionate about and is life-changing, not only for themselves but for others around them. And we welcome you back to the podcast, Dr. Diaz-Martin, how are you?

0:02:55 – Doctor Irma Diaz-Martin

Hello, thank you so much. Thank you for having me back. It’s an honor to return again.

0:03:01 – Kimberly King

Oh, excellent. We’re looking forward to having you. Today, we’re talking about building trust and communication during crisis, and so why don’t you fill our audience a little bit on today’s topic?

0:03:13 – Doctor Irma Diaz-Martin

Sure. So today, what we will be discussing is crisis management, communication, and building trust with the communities we serve. As you know, in current day, with all of the changes in weather and natural disasters, I think this is a topic that is very much at the forefront. I know of my students, I teach Homeland Security Emergency Management courses as well as criminal justice, so this is a topic that actually could transcend both disciplines. When we look at criminal justice, we’re always thinking of active shooters, and when we’re looking at emergency management on the federal side, well, of course, we have just a plethora of natural events to choose from. I mean, yearly hurricanes up in Florida and so on, and they seem to be increasing much more as time goes on. So I’m really excited to just have a conversation on how we can better plan for these events, using communication as a trust builder.

0:04:20 – Kimberly King

Yeah, and I think that’s so true, especially now that everybody has a cell phone and everybody is always online all the time, right? So I think it’s such a different world we’re living in now. You have to be transparent. And so I’m excited to hear about your podcast today. So why are consistent updates and crucial in maintaining trust during a crisis?

0:04:40 – Doctor Irma Diaz-Martin

Well, as we know, the unknown is what causes fear, personally. So if you compound this in communities and there’s a disaster, not providing information is detrimental. They’ll be inferring as to what is occurring. There’ll be confusion as to where to find resources. So, as managers during these events, what we need to ensure is that we are very transparent.

Prefer not to happen, of course, because we do acknowledge the event and we acknowledge this with empathy. So when I say empathy, is letting our communities know that, yes, it is a disaster, we understand, and we understand that it’s affecting your life immensely. So, at the same time, we want to provide resources.

Now, what we have seen in the past is when there isn’t any transparency, you know, as humans, we can make mistakes. We may be behind the event that’s being reported in social media, for example. So we need to ensure that we acknowledge if there has been a maybe a miscommunication or a lack of which we really would- What we want to do is build trust with our communities prior to these events so that, when this does occur, we already have that trust-building foundation to start with, and then, as the emergency managers come in and then make sure that we provide that consistent information that’s transparent, that’s simple and clear- because we want clarity- we don’t want all that jargon that will confuse community members. So, definitely, we want to look at the relevance also because in our communities we have various populations, so we need to acknowledge that. For example, if we have a population who is homeless, you know, make sure we have the message, the information they need, and also for others that may be struggling with a home that is destroyed and they can no longer access.

0:06:43 – Kimberly King

So that was kind of leading into my next question about what role does transparency play in establishing trust during emergency situations? You mentioned the homeless, but there’s also areas where you know where I live in San Diego, it’s a very heavily populated Asian community, but there’s also, like in the South Bay here, Hispanics- So I think what you’re saying is really be empathetic to who is in your community,

0:07:11 – Doctor Irma Diaz-Martin

Absolutely. Culture. We need to take into account who our communities are. There are some cultures that prefer, for example, to rely more on their own community, in their own areas, and if that’s the case, we need to definitely have that communication and that trust with community leaders. Community leaders can help us bridge that gap, right, of communication. They can help us reach those communities that are a bit more difficult to find and to build trust with them.

0:07:44 – Kimberly King

Okay, so what are some examples of successful strategies for engaging communities and preparedness activities?

0:07:51 – Doctor Irma Diaz-Martin

Engaging communities- Like I said, we need to look at the community themselves, those who want to be engaged, but we also have those communities that prefer not to, right. So, when we work with communities that actively seek engagement, what we want to do is definitely use our leaders in the communities. For- how about, like a town hall meeting, meeting with them personally, in person, if possible; ensuring that we have written communication or social media is being used, using every tool possible to engage with them; organizing meetings that’s a great idea if we have the location and the time.

And, of course, when I’m talking about these tips or these strategies, we want to also ensure going a bit, taking a few steps back here ensure that we have a team. So, if we have a team that is designated as a communication team, then of course, we can all together tackle this communication. So, you may have certain individuals that are assigned to work, for example, with a community located in a certain area that may have a language barrier. So we need to consider different languages also. You know, as you said, in California, southern California specifically, where I lived many, many years, it’s not uncommon to hear four or five different languages as you go from one side of the city to the other, so that is something we need to consider.

0:09:27 – Kimberly King

You know, so I was the PIO for the sheriff’s office in San Diego not too long ago, and it’s every time we would put a press release out, we would put it in several languages- Tagalog and Spanish, of course and then for press conferences, we would hire in somebody that could do the ASL for the deaf as well. So really just trying to make sure that the message was getting out, especially as the immigration has come to the forefront.

0:09:57 – Doctor Irma Diaz-Martin

You bring up such a great point. Disabilities, persons with disabilities. We have seen in the past, in past emergencies such as Katrina, where it wasn’t planned for persons that were unable to, who didn’t have access to internet, who were unable to transport from one side of the city to the other on their own. So extremely important that we learn from our past experiences and bring those lessons to present and make sure that we address them. And persons with disabilities. We need to make sure we have somebody, like you said, that can provide that communication.

0:10:36 – Kimberly King

Right, exactly, so those would be considered the key elements of clear messaging during a crisis. Are there any other kinds of key messaging elements?

0:10:47 – Doctor Irma Diaz-Martin

I think one that I touched a bit on is empathy and support. There’s a fine line in communities, when they’re suffering, in being empathetic and providing support and providing updates, and then there comes that point where it’s too much. So too much information can also paralyze a community. So finding that fine balance of knowing who your audience is, providing them the communication they need and yet at the same time, also engaging them to receive feedback so they can tell you we’re not receiving the resources, or, we don’t know where to go and find assistance with rebuilding, for example. So always make sure you have that two-way communication and you need to be ready to pivot right? If something’s not working. Let’s see what we can do. How can we better open the communication lines?

0:11:53 – Kimberly King

And I would imagine that would enhance the communication by having that open feedback, whether it be, you know, in the form of a survey or just that open forum. What are some of the key elements of clear messaging during a crisis?

0:12:06 – Doctor Irma Diaz-Martin

When we’re discussing clear messaging during crisis, what we’re looking at are a few steps. We want to ensure the message is simple and clear, so we want to use plain language. We want to get straight to the point so that we minimize any confusion. You know, the more information we provide, sometimes and if we flood somebody with too much information, it could actually be a lot more confusing. Consistency: we want consistency. So if we are providing updates, and if we’re providing them, let’s say, daily, then we want to be consistent and provide those daily. We want to ensure the community continues to be informed regularly because we want to prevent misinformation and rumors, especially when we discuss social media, and once there are rumors that are spread, we definitely want to ensure we provide the facts so that the public has that information.

Transparency: we want to be honest, be upfront, let the community know what we know and what we still don’t know. Now, there is the standard of providing the messages, and it’s important that we continue in order to have a clear message, that we continue to evolve as the event is also changing, for example. The 15-20-60-90 is a formula that’s used right and it’s within the 15 minutes we want to acknowledge the crisis that it occurred. Within 60 minutes we want to have follow-ups and within 90 minutes we need a press conference. So those are very short timeframes. So, as I was saying, we need to ensure that we don’t stay at the, for example, 15 minute if we need to provide further information. So we want to ensure that there’s that consistent messaging. So there’s updates.

Relevance. Tailor those messages to your audience, to your communities. What are their specific concerns? What are their specific needs? Every community will have a different need, so make sure you have that in mind. You want to also provide that information timely and, as I was saying, during the current stage of the crisis. I was a bit ahead of myself. You want to ensure that you’re providing the correct information at the stage that you are currently at. Again, empathy and support. So these can be very emotional times. Telling somebody I understand what you’re going through might not be the best message, but still find that line, that empathetic line and, at the same time, providing support, would be excellent. The way you can do this is preparation. So have those templates, have those messages that are pre-made so that, as these events unfold, you immediately have a fallback, right. [Crosstalk.] And, of course, if you have a public information officer-

0:15:14 – Kimberly King

Right, right, I always talk to the deputies with the sheriff’s office and have them always, as you said, have a template but really go back to what the mission and vision is of the organization, because everything can lead back to something that is on the line. Of course, public safety, and we’re here for you and so, yeah, that those are really good templates to have. I don’t know if you were saw that in the news recently with this, the explosion in Palm Springs, which really kind of caught everybody off guard, but I was looking back at the way they handled their communications and I think they did a really good job. As you said, that 15, 60, 90, you know template there as well. They got- it was definitely on social media before they could even tell it, so it is just getting ahead of it and being transparent. So how can we emergency management teams leverage social media, as we’re talking about that, to enhance communication during crises?

0:16:14 – Doctor Irma Diaz-Martin

Over 50% of persons use social media. I am one of the most uncommon that does not use social media as much. However, what I do notice is when there is something occurring in my neighborhood, if there’s a question about whether there’s an emergency, immediately I fall back to social media. So I think that just shows the power of social media and needing to leverage those tools. Use them as tools and find out which tools are being used by your community members. Which are the most effective? For example, is Facebook still effective or is it better to use Instagram? So use as many tools as possible. One of the other points that just came to mind is also, determine what information needs to be disseminated to bridge that communication, but also, when you’re looking at this from a law enforcement stance, what information needs to be held back. Right? So you’re always having that balance, trying to figure out how much is too much and how little is too little, right, so it’s a fine balance, as you said.

0:17:21 – Kimberly King

Well, and I know media always wants to be the first to get it out there. But there’s also, you know, the possibility that it’s an ongoing, you know investigation and that you don’t want to hurt something that’s in the courts for either side. So I know that’s always a tricky spot. How can local partnerships enhance communication and then trust during emergencies?

0:17:42 – Doctor Irma Diaz-Martin

Local partnerships are relationships that should be built prior to an emergency. Sometimes, in being caught up with the everyday tasks and responsibilities, we forget how important our local partners are. Local leaders, informal leaders and formal leaders are excellent partners to help in getting these communities to trust law enforcement at times. Sometimes there’s a problem of trust between community and the first responders because there may be some background events that have occurred or some just distrust.

So, use your community leaders as much as possible. Know who they are and reach out to them, right. Taking the time to meet somebody informally can go so far. Even if it’s just a cup of coffee. Let me know who you are, who’s in your community, and find out what they need so that if there ever is an event, that you need to react quickly and efficiently, you have those partners to help you.

0:18:50 – Kimberly King

Yeah, good, I like that. I think that’s a really great tool. How do digital tools speaking of tools and innovations influence community communication and then trust in modern emergency management?

0:19:02 – Doctor Irma Diaz-Martin

Okay. So digital tools are excellent. You can spread that information. It’s widespread quickly. You can quickly disseminate the information. You can ensure communities receive this information timely. Also, your updates.

Social media and mobile apps are excellent. If you remember COVID-19, when we had the mobile apps, those are excellent tools for communication. If we see how COVID-19 was handled and how they used media, how they used tools, I think it’s a great example on how we can reach more persons in a much quicker manner. For example, if we use text alerts. Text alerts are excellent. I always receive those and they’re very efficient. They do grab your attention, and you do read the information that’s being provided.

Use apps and, of course, there’s other social media platforms, as we were talking about Facebook, Instagram. Those are great places to post updates and to gather feedback, also. Because it’s a two-way- communication is a two-way road, right? We want to give information, but we also want to receive information. Right? We want to know whether what we’re providing is efficient or whether more information is needed, or if something we provided didn’t work, it’s okay. We need to know so that we can make any changes that are needed as the event develops.

Also, websites. If you are able to use your website, make sure it’s user-friendly. There’s nothing more frustrating than trying to find something in a website and you click 20 times and you still can’t find that information. So, make sure that information is right at hand, right at the forefront, where somebody can easily access what is needed.

Now, you also have to consider great tools, but always keep in mind that you do have those cases that are rare or that are not common. You need to consider your population. Who does not use these digital tools for information? Many times, we look at the elderly. That could be a population where you just go back to what we’ve done in the past right: flyers, knocking door to door, community meetings. That would work for them.

0:21:23 – Kimberly King

And we don’t want to discount that population. I think that’s a really key point. The other thing, though, as you’re mentioning, those that do use the apps. We have a wildfire app called Watch Duty, and it’s great, just like kind of like with even the maps, the Google Maps or whatever where you know the information is out there in real time, but people can always log on and you know add, oh, the accident’s still here or the fire is spread here, and so that’s what makes it interactive, and I think it’s just- It’s such a key tool in this new generation, this new era.

0:21:58 – Doctor Irma Diaz-Martin

Great examples, yeah.

0:22:00 – Kimberly King

So how do emergency management strategies vary between urban and rural communities?

0:22:06 – Doctor Irma Diaz-Martin

So we have our urban and rural and of course, our urban are those highly dense communities where we need more coordination. We need to have more of the social media in order to communicate. Those strategies work very efficiently there. Also, when we have our urban communities, we have to remember about, as we were talking, diverse populations, multilinguals, culturally sensitive communication. Especially, as I said, in California, specifically in San Diego, where I’m very aware of the communities. There are various subcultures within each community. It’s extremely interesting, but it’s something that we need to be aware of. Simple things, such as even how do you enter somebody’s home? If you’re there as a first responder, you’re knocking on that door. You know, be very aware of the persons and their culture and their beliefs so that we ensure that we don’t offend them. And then, of course, there goes the trust. That could break trust. Urban areas usually have much better communication platforms and tools.

Now, when we go to our rural communities, it can be a little bit more complicated. There’s different approaches that are needed, of course, Basically, the internet. Do they have high-speed internet? Are there mobile networks? So, we need to make sure that we keep this in mind. Is there possibly going back to radio? Can we use radio rather than always concentrating on what’s the fastest and newest mode of communication? We may need to go back and say radio may work in this situation. They’re also very close-knit communities.

So, if you’re talking about an area that’s rural, very close-knit, and they don’t usually have persons coming from the outside into their communities, we need to consider how are we going to break that barrier of trust, of mistrust, and how are we going to connect with them, provide that communication, those resources that are needed. A lot of times, word of mouth works great for communities that are smaller and rural. So, again, knowing a leader, formal or informal leader in those communities would be valuable, extremely, extremely valuable.

0:24:23 – Kimberly King

And you talk about those rural areas here in Southern California. A lot of those have the Native Americans and you’re right, they may not have the high-speed internet, but radio is a great tool and then just having those community forums, which has been working really well, at least in this area.

So thank you for your examples and for keeping us informed about how we communicate emergency plans and really sharing different ways in this new digital age during a crisis. Thank you for your time today. We really appreciate it and if you want more information, you can visit National University’s website at nu.edu. And thank you again for your time. Doctor, it was great to have you on.

0:25:06 – Doctor Irma Diaz-Martin

Thank you so much.

0:25:10 – Kimberly King

You’ve been listening to the National University Podcast. For updates on future or past guests, visit us at nu.edu. You can also follow us on social media. Thanks for listening.