Never do anything that you would not be able to justify later to your boss, or to his boss, or in a court of law.
Never get yourself into a situation that you can not get yourself out of.
Never lie to the passengers with regard to the reasons for delays. But that is not to say that you should tell them so much of the truth that they all want to get off before you have even started the engines.
And no matter what happens, never ever ever speak to the media.
Best of luck.