Know a Crisis When You See One

A phone call from your public relations director in the middle of the night wakes you to the news that food contamination caused by E. coli, botulism, or some other toxin has been associated with your food product. Neither the specific source nor the cause is known, but CNN is on the story as are all the other major wire services and news outlets. People are sick. Some have died. The next morning, your call center is inundated. The news is on page one in the morning editions.

Precautionary recal…