The reader should expect to gain the following understanding: _ The reasons that organizations must integrate effective emergency risk and crisis communication planning and resources into overall emergency operational planning at the community, state, and federal levels _ Accepted definitions of emergency risk and crisis communication concepts _ Nuts and bolts of crisis communication planning and tools, including problem definition, analysis, implementation of intervention, evaluation, and feedback _ How emergency risk and crisis communication concepts apply to a possible or declared bioterrorism event _ The psychology of a public health emergency and what messages the public will need from their public health professionals _ How local, state, and federal emergency response and recovery operations (including governmental and nongovernmental organizations) should communicate among themselves, to the public, and to their stakeholders