Communication Skills Put to Test in Pipeline Explosion

Jeanine Brand's hectic schedule almost kept her from attending a risk communications course offered through Minnesota Emergency Readiness Education and Training (MERET). But Brand, a county attorney in Northern Minnesota, managed to make the class.

Little did she know that in the weeks ahead a deadly emergency would force her to put her new skills to use. On Nov. 28, 2007, Brand was informed that crude oil fumes had sparked an explosion at Enbridge Energy, near Clearbrook, Minn. Two workers were killed in the blast. Brand immediately went to the sheriff's office, listened to the 911 calls, and drafted a press release. She stayed at the emergency site until midnight, talking with local and national media.

The next day she toured the site with the sheriff and gathered updates about the smoke risk, evacuee status, and steps for cleanup. Next up: a press conference.

"As I learned in training, I thanked the responders," says Brand. "I also thanked the public and media for respecting the law enforcement boundaries at the site."

Brand says the MERET training provided her with the skills to create an informative press release that didn't cause panic. It also made her a confident public spokesperson.

"I had many residents thanking me for representing Clearwater County intelligently, and, in fact, I received compliments from the press about doing a good job," says Brand. "Thank you for providing this training, and may we never have to use it again."

To learn more about MERET, a joint effort of the School of Public Health and School of Nursing, go to http://cpheo.sph.umn.edu/cpheo/meret.