Multimedia Alert Response Support Plan

1. Purpose

The purpose of this plan is to establish baseline responsibilities and expectations for Multimedia Office personnel providing photo support during alerts, emergencies, contingencies, significant incidents, and other time-sensitive events requiring immediate visual documentation.

Alert response is intended to ensure Space Launch Delta 45 maintains the capability to rapidly document significant events for operational, investigative, historical, leadership, and Public Affairs requirements.

2. Alert Response Capability

The Multimedia Office will maintain a 24/7/365 alert response capability to provide photography documentation when directed by Public Affairs leadership or other authorized officials.

Alert response may be required during or outside normal duty hours and may include nights, weekends, holidays, and periods of extended operations.

Personnel assigned alert responsibilities must maintain appropriate readiness to respond within established timelines (30 minutes during duty day and 60 minutes outside) and must ensure required equipment is available and operational.

3. Alert Activation

Multimedia personnel may be activated in response to:

• Launch anomalies or mishaps.

• Aircraft or ground emergencies.

• Significant accidents or incidents.

• Natural disasters and severe weather events.

• Security or emergency response incidents.

• Significant infrastructure or facility damage.

• Environmental incidents.

• Search and rescue or recovery operations.

• Emergency management or contingency operations.

• Significant events generating substantial leadership, public, or media interest.

• Other events requiring immediate official visual documentation as directed by SLD 45 leadership or Public Affairs.

Upon notification, the assigned alert photographer/videographer will acknowledge the tasking, obtain available incident information, determine required equipment, and respond in accordance with established procedures.

4. Photography Responsibilities

Alert photography will focus on timely and comprehensive documentation of the incident and response activities.

Photography responsibilities may include:

• Overall scene and establishing imagery.

• Incident location and surrounding environment.

• Damage to facilities, infrastructure, vehicles, aircraft, launch systems, or equipment.

• Emergency response and recovery activities.

• Actions of responding organizations and personnel.

• Significant changes in incident conditions.

• Leadership visits and command activities associated with the response.

• Recovery, mitigation, and restoration activities.

• Other imagery specifically requested by incident leadership, investigators, or Public Affairs.

Photographers should capture sufficient wide, medium, and detailed imagery to provide comprehensive documentation while avoiding interference with emergency response or investigative activities.

5. On-Scene Responsibilities

Multimedia personnel will comply with all safety, security, emergency management, law enforcement, and incident command requirements while operating at an incident location.

Personnel will:

• Report to the designated staging or coordination location when directed.

• Maintain communication with the Multimedia Office or designated PA representative.

• Coordinate access with appropriate incident authorities.

• Wear required personal protective equipment.

• Remain within authorized areas.

• Avoid interfering with emergency response, investigative, security, or recovery operations.

• Follow instructions from the Incident Commander, emergency responders, Security Forces, safety personnel, or other authorized officials.

• Protect sensitive, classified, controlled, personally identifiable, or otherwise restricted information encountered during documentation.

• Maintain accountability of government equipment and imagery.

6. Imagery Handling and Transmission

Following initial documentation, multimedia personnel will prioritize the rapid transfer and preservation of imagery.

Personnel will:

• Securely transfer imagery to the appropriate government system or designated repository.

• Preserve original files when required.

• Apply appropriate metadata and file identification.

• Clearly identify imagery associated with the incident.

• Maintain separation of releasable and potentially restricted imagery when directed.

• Provide priority imagery to PA leadership or required party as quickly as operational conditions permit.

• Maintain imagery for subsequent archival or accessioning requirements.

• Ensure imagery is not distributed through personal accounts, devices, applications, or unauthorized channels.

7. Product Review and Release

Alert photographers are responsible for documentation, not independent public release decisions.

All imagery associated with an alert or significant incident will be considered for appropriate review prior to public release. Imagery will not be publicly distributed until authorized by the appropriate release authority.

Multimedia personnel will immediately elevate concerns involving sensitive information, casualties, personally identifiable information, security vulnerabilities, investigative information, graphic imagery, or other potentially restricted content.

Public Affairs will coordinate additional reviews with Security Forces, Safety, legal, investigative organizations, operational units, or other stakeholders when required.

8. Equipment Readiness

Personnel assigned alert responsibilities will maintain an appropriate response kit capable of supporting immediate photo documentation.

At a minimum, alert equipment should include:

• Camera equipment capable of capturing professional-quality still imagery and video.

• Appropriate lenses.

• Charged batteries and backup power.

• Sufficient recording media.

• Basic audio equipment when required for video documentation.

• Low-light capability as appropriate.

• Government-approved equipment necessary to transfer imagery.

• Required personal protective equipment or other mission-specific equipment, when applicable.

Equipment should be inspected regularly to ensure it remains operational and ready for immediate deployment.

9. Extended Operations

Significant incidents may require continuous or extended multimedia coverage. When operations exceed the reasonable duration of a single responder, PA leadership will coordinate personnel rotation, additional equipment, or other resources as available.

Coverage priorities may shift throughout an incident from initial response and documentation to recovery operations, leadership engagement, investigative support, and historical documentation. This will be communicated from the Incident Commander or other authorized personnel to alert responder.

Contracted personnel should provide an effective turnover to replacement personnel, including incident status, imagery already captured, outstanding requirements, access limitations, customer requests, and equipment considerations.

10. Training and Readiness

Personnel assigned alert responsibilities should periodically participate in training and exercises to maintain familiarity with alert procedures.

Training should include:

• Alert notification and recall procedures.

• Emergency and incident response expectations.

• Photo and video documentation techniques.

• Low-light and adverse-condition documentation.

• Equipment readiness.

• Incident command and staging procedures.

• Operational security and sensitive information considerations.

• Imagery transfer and archival procedures.

• Safety and personal protective equipment requirements.

Exercises should be used to identify deficiencies in response procedures, equipment, staffing, communications, access, and imagery transmission.

11. Alert Response Standard

The Multimedia Office will maintain sufficient photo and video capability to provide timely visual documentation of significant incidents affecting SLD 45 missions, installations, personnel, or operations.

Alert response takes priority over routine multimedia requirements when directed. Routine assignments may be delayed, reassigned, or canceled to ensure sufficient personnel and equipment are available to support the incident.

The objective is to ensure qualified multimedia personnel can rapidly respond, safely document the event, preserve imagery, and provide Public Affairs and leadership with timely visual information while maintaining appropriate security, release, and investigative considerations.