I’d take the Blackberry Curve. It’s got good battery life and an excellent colour screen. A smartphone is a must. You can not only make calls, but receive email and check the internet. You can also have essential documents pre-loaded. Another key benefit is that the smart-phone networks are less likely to be overloaded, or blocked in a major incident. But remember to take a charger and a spare battery.

 

Office keys and/or access card so you’re able to get into the location you are heading for. I always pack identification such as passport or driving license. Some clients have not been allowed access through a cordon by police (for example at Buncefield or during 7/7) because they were unable to prove their identity.

 

Crisis management plan (a hard copy and an electronic copy on a USB memory stick). Your crisis management plan should identify all the most important stakeholders and sources of help, as well as provide the essential contact numbers. Take a hard copy in case of power failure.

 

I take a Lenovo X200s. It’s small and light, easy to sling in a bag. It’s also pretty resilient to being bashed around and with the right settings the battery can last up to five hours before swapping to the spare. The laptop is important for drafting staff communiques, press releases or stakeholder information updates. Mass communication in any form other than a professional written briefing leaves open the potential for negative interpretation. One criticism levelled at transport firms is that they still try to communicate verbally through staff on the ground, and yet customers hear conflicting messages or sometimes nothing at all. Don’t forget a memory stick and power charger.

 

The need for money during a crisis cannot be underestimated. So in addition to physical funds (cash, credit etc), you’ll also need agreed sign-off values for the firm and the crisis management team.

 

Crises don’t always go away quickly - you might need a change of clothes, wash bag, and torch. Although these items are important, they are ultimately useless without an excellent working relationship within the crisis management team. One based on experience, trust and mutual