This lesson presents strategies for communicating effectively in emergency situations. At the completion of this lesson, you should be able to:

• Indicate how day-to-day communication differs from communication during an incident.
• Identify strategies for communicating effectively in an emergency situation.
• Select the most appropriate form of communication for a given situation.
• Indicate how social media and other communications technology can be used to communicate with members of the community.

Audio Transcript, Communicating in an Emergency

Emergency communications differ from routine communications in several ways:

Barriers

It is more difficult for people to hear messages during an emergency. Stress, change of routine, and lack of sleep all can be hurdles to overcome when communicating during emergencies.

Timeliness

If official answers are not available, rumor and speculation quickly fill the information vacuum. Then, not only must you disseminate correct information, but you also need to counter any misinformation that circulated. To use media in a timely fashion, learn local media news cycles and deadlines. For example, if news occurs at 4:00 p.m., you can most likely get it on the radio immediately, on television in time for the evening report, and into the next morning’s edition of the local paper. Online news outlets can be updated at any time.

Required Response

Emergency warnings differ from other kinds of messages because their purpose is to elicit a specific response from the public, rather than merely raise awareness or provide knowledge.

Type of community

Residents of rural communities may have more difficulty receiving warnings than those living in urban areas.

Level of community interaction

People who have more contacts in the community will receive more warnings and are more likely to act; also, they are more likely to trust officials.

Family composition

Families, more than individuals, tend to heed evacuation warnings. Research indicates that people tend to confer with family, extended family, and friends prior to making a decision. They do this to ensure that their loved ones are safe and also to determine whether they may need to provide protection for their loved ones. Their decisions are based on the following factors related to family composition:

• Family network: People are more likely to act if they have relatives nearby who may warn them and offer them short-term shelter.
• Presence of children: Concern for children’s safety will elicit quicker response from parents.
• Presence of pets: People often view their pets as they would their children and will take action to protect them. However, whereas families with children usually act more quickly to take precautions, in emergencies requiring evacuation, people with pets may endanger their own lives by refusing to evacuate, because many public shelters do not allow pets.

Interpretation of message

When different people listen to the same message, there may be a variation in what they hear, leading to different interpretation and response.

Previous experiences

Often people will rely on their previous experiences with the hazard to determine what actions they initially take (or don’t take).

Observations

Individual responses to warnings vary, but most people will seek some form of confirmation. For example, some people will look for more information through environmental cues, while others will seek to contact other trusted sources. Optimism bias (thinking that “disasters happen to other people”) is overcome with confirmation.

Perception of risk/proximity

People tend to make a rapid assessment of the relative safety of their location, producing an emergent perception of risk. If their perception of personal risk is high, people will act quickly. When the perception is low, they will delay acting.

Age

Children and older adults may not be able to receive and/or respond appropriately to alerts and warnings. Many in this group may also need assistance.

Language

Non-English-speaking persons may not understand warnings that are provided in English. Communities with high percentages of non-English-speaking people should issue warnings in the primary language(s) of the population as well as in English.

Length of residency

Transients, tourists, and newcomers to the area lack knowledge of local hazards and the history of local disasters, so they may react differently.

Access and functional needs

Individuals with access and functional needs may need alerts in accessible formats and additional time and assistance for evacuating. Accessibility of alert and warning messages refers to whether individuals hear and understand them. Alternative alert and warning methods are needed for individuals with access and functional needs such as those who are blind or deaf or have low vision or hearing. Both audio and equivalent text messages should be available.

Level of individual preparedness

People who have taken the time to prepare for hazards (i.e., they have a plan and disaster supply kit, and have exercised the plan) are more likely to heed warnings and act appropriately. Getting the preparedness buy-in is often the challenge.

Successful warnings are those that are taken seriously and responded to in a timely and effective manner. Multiple factors may have an impact on whether people respond to a warning, including:

• Individual characteristics—Age, education, language, access and functional needs, family composition, and length of residency, among others.
• Perceptions—Previous experience with a hazard and perceptions of proximity and risk.
• Message source—Who issues the warning, credibility of the warning source, and the level of trust in that source.
• The message itself—Accuracy, clarity, timeliness, consistency, and specificity of the message, and focus on immediate needs.

A key decision in planning emergency communications is how you will get the message to the audience. This decision is influenced by several factors, including:

The Audience

• Select media that have the greatest likelihood of reaching the intended audience:
• Are you sending your message to the general public? How many people does the information need to reach?
• Does your message apply only to people living in a specific geographic area?
• Is your message intended for emergency management personnel only?
• What is the primary language of the intended audience?
• Are there other languages that must also be accommodated?
• Where does this audience usually obtain news—TV? Radio? Newspapers? Community venues? Online? Social media?

Urgency

Match the speed and frequency of the media to how quickly and often your audience needs to know:

• Is this information related to immediate safety?
• Is this referral information for future recovery?
• Should urgency take priority over style and format?
• When do various media air, publish, or broadcast information? How long will this information be useful to the audience?
• How many times do you think your audience needs to see or hear your information before they act on it?

Reliability

• Ensure that your choice of media is reliable during the emergency:
• During this emergency situation, which media are functional?
• Are the radio, television, and newspaper companies functioning normally?
• Are residents currently located at their normal mailing addresses?
• Is mail delivery interrupted?
• Are there widespread power outages that affect some or all media outlets?
• Can you identify public places where your audience can assemble?

Appropriateness:

Choose appropriate media to enhance comprehension:

• Is your message too sensitive to send via fax?
• Is your audience geographically concentrated enough to make a public meeting possible?
• Can you make your point on a billboard?

Resources

Consider your resources in your media choice:

• Which staff will you need to implement this media approach?
• Can your budget afford a televised public service announcement?
• Can you deliver an effective public speech?

During an incident, a wide variety of communication tools are available to provide vital information to the community.

This section of the lesson will focus on the various tools available and factors to consider in choosing among them.

Choosing the right communication tool is a matter of getting the right information to the right people at the right time so they can make the right decisions. Remember, the most effective communication tool is one that:

• Reaches the target audience.
• Gets information to the audience when they need it, for as long as they need it.
• Can be expected to deliver the message reliably.
• Enhances comprehension of the message content.
• Can be accessed within resource limitations.

Most often, you will use a combination of high and low technology methods to deliver a consistent message to the whole community.

Tools and methods for emergency communications include:

• In-person events—briefings and public meetings.
• Print media—newspapers and magazines.
• Broadcast media—television and radio.
• Internet and social media.

The following screens present information about advantages, limitations, and requirements of each.

In-person events such as media briefings and public meetings can be used to get information to the media and the public. When properly planned and executed, these events can be a powerful tool to aid you in communicating the messages you want disseminated to the public while guiding the news media to important information for the public.

Advantages:

• Interactive, allowing participants to voice their questions and concerns and giving you the opportunity to respond.
• Can be targeted to specific populations.

Limitations:

• Require the ability to stay on message when the audience becomes vocal.
• May expose you to difficult questions.

Requirements:

• An appropriate, accessible venue.
• Public address equipment.

Print media such as newspapers and magazines can be used to disseminate information that is not time-critical. These media are especially effective for presenting indepth analysis of developing situations and for educating the public about preparedness. Most newspapers and magazines have Web sites where they will also post your story.

Advantages:

• Allow for more detail and indepth treatment of the subject.
• Permit a variety of approaches—e.g., news story, interview, background piece.

Limitations:

• Take longer to get the message out.
• May be filtered through another spokesperson.

Requirements:

• Details and background information.
• Access to subject-matter experts.
• Access to photo opportunities.

Television and radio can be used to disseminate information quickly, through the Emergency Alert System (EAS), Public Service Announcements (PSAs), and news programs. More indepth features can also be presented. Stations that broadcast in other languages can be used as an avenue to reach specific populations within the community.

Advantages:

• Immediate broadcasting of urgent messages.
• Varied programming.
• Can reach a wide audience and be tailored to specific populations.

Limitations:

• Reporting may be less detailed, especially on television.
• Messages may be filtered through a reporter or other spokesperson, and may be edited or cut to fit available time.
• Listener/viewer must choose to turn on the TV or radio in order to receive the message.

Requirements:

• Television—visuals, sound bites, staging area.
• Radio—audio sound clips, recorded interviews, recorded PSAs.

The key to using emerging technology is staying on top of what is out there, because “new” media is a relative term and technology doesn’t slow down for anyone.

Ultimately, new communication technology is all about speed. People have an expectation of being engaged and involved and they don’t want to wait for it. They expect that their government agencies will not only be transparent and responsive, but that the response will be customized to the incident and as rapid as the flow of electrons.

This section of the lesson has presented advantages and limitations of different types of media you can use for emergency communications.

Select this link to access a table that summarizes the key points about each type of communication tool.

All emergency communications—regardless of the medium—should conform to general principles of effective communication.

In a crisis, clarity, specificity, and consistency are vitally important. Be sure to:

• Present the information in sequence. Present the reason for the message, the supporting information, and the conclusion.
• Word the message precisely, making every word count.
• Avoid jargon, codes, and acronyms.
• Use common terminology for all personnel and facilities.
• Omit unnecessary details.
• Speak in sync with other related authorities.
• Keep messages consistent across various media.

The remainder of the lesson will focus on strategies for preparing two key types of emergency communications:

• Alerts and warning messages.
• Briefings and public meetings.

Alerts and warnings are products or messages intended to get the attention of the public and to prompt some type of action—whether protective actions or a continued state of alertness.

In practical usage, there is little distinction between the two. In this course, “alert” and “warning” are used interchangeably when referring to messages issued to the public.

Select this link for more information on terminology related to warnings.

Effective alerts and warnings are those that result in members of the public taking recommended actions to protect themselves. To help ensure that messages are effective, they must be issued in a timely manner and should include the following components:

• Specific hazard: What hazard is threatening? What are the potential risks for the community? 
• Location: Where will the impacts occur? Describe the location so those without local knowledge can understand their risk.
• Timeframes: When will it arrive at various locations? How long will the impacts last?
• Warning source: Who is issuing the warning? Identify an official source with public credibility.
• Magnitude: What impact is expected, and how bad is it likely to get?
• Likelihood: How probable is occurrence of the impact?
• Protective behavior: What protective actions should people take and when? If evacuation is called for, where should people go and what should they take with them?

Warning Message Example:

" A dangerous wildfire is moving toward North Haverbrook and is expected to reach the north edge of town by 2 p.m. All persons remaining within the hazard area must evacuate now to a safe location to the west or east. A shelter is now open at Waverly Hills High School gym. Pets are permitted."

Ensure that alert and warning messages are accessible to all audiences by:

• Using clear and simple language.
• Providing information in multiple languages.
• Taking care with text-to-speech conversion. Avoid nonstandard language formats and terminology when using conversion and translation technologies.
• Ensuring that the audio is consistent with the text.
• Providing ample text and audio to explain images and maps.
• Delivering the message through multiple channels to reach all recipients.

One way to help prevent errors or omissions that can occur in moments of urgency is to use templates that are tailored to threats and hazards likely in your warning area.

Using a template that incorporates pre-approved language can reduce delays in issuing alerts and warnings. Another advantage is that, if you need to use a language in addition to English, your templates can be translated in advance.

Select this link to access an example of a warning message template.

Briefings and public meetings enable you to bring a carefully developed message to the media and the public and to build important community relationships in the process. When planning these public events, remember:

• Use news briefings for important events or significant new information—not just to say there is nothing new to report.
• Don’t delay the release of important information for a scheduled briefing—especially if it impacts life and safety. Release it as soon as possible.

When preparing for and conducting a media briefing or public meeting:

• Identify objectives. Know what you want to accomplish.
• Prepare officials and experts in advance. Ensure that they have all the information and are prepared to address the media.
• Prepare a statement and handout materials. Materials should be focused, concise, informative, and cover the basics: who, what, when, where, how, and possibly why.
• Anticipate difficult or sensitive questions. Address rumors and incorrect news statements. Prepare brief, honest responses.
• Make provisions to comply with all legal requirements. Ensure physical and communication access by all.

This lesson presented strategies for communicating effectively in an emergency situation. You should now be able to:

• Indicate how day-to-day communication differs from communication during an incident.
• Identify strategies for communicating effectively in an emergency situation.
• Select the most appropriate form of communication for a given situation.
• Indicate how social media and other communications technology can be used to communicate with members of the community.