CalAPA is pleased to welcome its newest producer member, J.F. Shea Construction, Inc.

 

Based in Redding, J.F. Shea is one of the most storied names in the heavy construction field, having participated in the building of Hoover Dam, the Golden Gate Bridge, segments of the Interstate Highway System and other landmark projects.

 

J.F. Shea's Redding division operates aggregate, asphalt and ready-mix plants in California and Oregon, and conducts construction operations in Northern California. The division began in 1956, and has expanded over the years with several acquisitions. The company's main focus has been on highways, bridges, paving and earthwork, and its emergency repair work has made national headlines. Recent major projects include the excavation and straightening of Highway 299, widening of travel lanes and bridge work in Bella Vista, a project that was completed one year ahead of schedule.

 

The company also won awards for its work on the Long-life Asphalt Pavement Project on Interstate 5 in Siskiyou County near Weed, Calif. The 6-mile, $17 million project was completed ahead of schedule and under budget in 2014, and was awarded a Caltrans Partnering Leadership Award. The long-life asphalt design strategy employed on this project also earned Caltrans a national "Pavement Pioneer Award" by the Asphalt Pavement Alliance.

 

Be prepared . Have policies and procedures in place on how to handle a crisis situation, and train employees on them periodically. Have a designated spokesperson, and a backup person, who are trained in dealing with such inquiries. Make sure they have studied up on appropriate briefing materials in advance and have practiced with an expert. All media/legislative/community inquiries should be coordinated with your company's designated media/legislative/public affairs specialist, if you have one. Sometimes it is a safety & health professional.

 

Be quick . Inquiries, particularly from the media, must be handled quickly due to crushing deadlines. Even if you don't have much information to report, such as in an accident situation, it is better to say something (such as that the situation is under investigation and highlight your company's commitment to safety) rather than to have a one-sided story that may contain inaccuracies.

 

Be truthful . Never make up facts, guess or speculate. Don't be drawn into answering questions that are outside of your area of expertise. Be very careful in rendering opinions. In an accident situation, emergency personnel or safety regulators will release official information. On private or public works jobs, the owner or agency representative is typically the designated spokesperson. Know in advance. Confine your remarks to verifiable facts about your company, your commitment to safety, being a good neighbor, etc. Sometimes it is prudent to withhold information, such as when it is incomplete or in a state of flux. In situations like this, it is OK to say "we have no information to release on that at this time" until more sound judgements can be made. No member of the media wants to report a "fact" that later turns out to be wrong. Stress that you are working to verify information to ensure it is accurate.

 

Be brief. Speak in short, concise "sound bites" whenever possible. Don't ramble. Stay on point. Take some time to collect your thoughts before speaking to someone, even if it means that you must call them back in a few minutes. Review some speaking points and run it past your media/legislative/public affairs specialists, if you have one. Never say "no comment" -- it comes off as evasive and rude. A statement made to the media may end up in a lawsuit, so be mindful of legal implications of what you say. Consult with your attorney if appropriate. Remember, "e-mail is forever" so be extra careful with written communications.

 

Be professional . Always be professional and courteous when dealing with an elected official or staff person, member of the media, regulator or concerned citizen. Avoid the temptation to be argumentative or defensive. Listen clearly to questions or statements, express genuine concern, be sure you fully understand the questions, and share appropriate information that may help ease the concerns of the person contacting you. Follow up with any commitments, including calling back with additional information. This is a branch off the customer service tree, so adopt a customer service mindset: be friendly and helpful. At the same time, be careful not to admit fault in the heat of the moment, which could lead to legal exposure. There will be plenty of time for investigations and the collection of facts, and rendering of judgments later. Be supportive of a thorough and fact-based inquiry, if appropriate, but avoid offering opinions until all the facts are in.

 

Remember, reputations are built and destroyed based a response to a crisis, including the perception of the response. An effective crisis communications plan and strategy goes a long way toward protecting or enhancing a company or organization's reputation and effectiveness, and building confidence with stakeholders.  

COARSE GRADED AGGREGATE: An aggregate having a continuous grading in size of particles from coarse through fine with a predominance of coarse sizes.