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An Action Plan for an Extended Communications Failure

Communication Conditions

Defines ComCon concept.

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Communications Conditions (ComCon)

Long ago when I was an Air Traffic Controller in the Air Force, I was introduced to various techniques or checklist methods which documented almost everything we did. From alert status to accident response, every action was scripted. They all had cryptic short names. I adapted that concept to the following section about Communication Conditions or ComCon. Having a well thought out and practiced script to follow when things go bad is very much worth the effort to create.

Creating a protocol for dealing with a communications emergency has two immediate benefits. The first is that the process of creation a plan encourages you to think about the situation and the probable things you can do to mitigate the threat. If a disaster happens, you may not follow the plan you have devised, however you will be better prepared than if you had done nothing.

Secondly creating a plan means that during a disaster you can focus your energies on more important things. So here is my take on a generalized Communication Plan (ComPlan). So lets have a look at my interpretation of the trigger points for action or ComCon's.

This method of structured response for reacting to a communications emergency provides;

There are 5 Communications Conditions.

ComCon 5: No Event Likely. Life as we normally live it.

ComCon 4: Event Probable. First indication of potential situation.

ComCon 3: Stand By: High probability of situation in near future.

ComCon 2: Imminent: Not IF, but WHEN?

ComCon 1: Activate.

Each has a trigger condition, a set of circumstances that indicates the situation has changed, and an action plan which describes, in detail, what must be done at that time.

NEXT: ComCon 5: No Event Likely.

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