Behovet alltid större än möjligheterna : En fallstudie av de drabbade kommunernas kriskommunikation i samband med branden i Västmanland

Sammanfattning: The tsunami in Thailand in 2004, 9/11 and hurricane Katrina in New Orleans 2005 are all reminders that no organization is immune to crises, which also means that all organizations should be prepared and know how to handle a crisis if one was to occur.   A case study has been conducted, on a crisis regarding a fire that occurred on the 31st of July 2014 in Västmanland, Sweden. Through Qualitative interviews empirical data was gathered and then analyzed together with our theories and previous research. The purpose of the study is to analyze how the municipalities affected and the County Administrative Board of Sweden handled and communicated with/to the public during the fire that spread in Västmanland 2014.   Our study shows that a risk analysis and analysis of surroundings is crucial in anticipating a crisis event and that it is essential for organizations to undergo training to prepare organization members on how to handle a crisis. Another conclusion is that the need for information is large during a crisis event and grows throughout the entire course of the crisis. The crisis that we studied had a lack of information, but at the same time the public’s need for information is a need that can’t be satisfied during a crisis. And if the organizations concerned do not satisfy the public’s need for information, rumors will start to disseminate to cater to the public’s needs. Rumors have always been a part of crisis communication but has with today’s technologies assumed a digital form which means that they can spread to a wider group of people. The digital and social media constituted of an essential tool for the affected stakeholders crisis communication and the local radio played an important role in managing the crisis.