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Crisis and Emergency Risk Communications: Addressing the challenges Stacey Thompson

Crisis and Emergency Risk Communications: Addressing the challenges Stacey Thompson. CONTEXT Emergency Communications vs Emergency Information Management (beware of much communications and little information)

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Crisis and Emergency Risk Communications: Addressing the challenges Stacey Thompson

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  1. Crisis and Emergency Risk Communications: Addressing the challenges Stacey Thompson

  2. CONTEXT • Emergency Communications vs Emergency Information Management (beware of much communications and little information) • Redundancy is the essence of EC, but along with that comes the need for a wide variety of protocols and skills for different Communications methods. • “Hi-tech” communications equipment is of little use during crises without adequate preparatory legislation, management, protocols, training and qualified operators. • Traditional communications methods are often ignored in favour of hi-technology, but they should not be considered mutually exclusive during emergencies.

  3. AIM To outline some EC challenges experienced during crises and to underscore lessons learned

  4. Challenge # 1 Plug in Turn on 

  5. Operations • Routine Operations • Crisis Operations • Deployment of equipment • Pre-positioning • Post-Impact deployment • Information Handling Protocols • Message Formats/Forms • Message Reporting Structure • Routing Priorities

  6. Operations • Diagram, Frequency, Codes, Radios, ANTennaS • Multi language warnings as most vulnerable (immigrants) often do not speak national broadcast language • Warning systems for special needs groups • Interoperability of equipment

  7. EC Legislation • Commandeer private facilities if needed • Public warning responsibilities for private Telecoms licensing requirements • Customs arrangements for Intl Assistance (Tampere Convention) • Authority

  8. EC Legislation • Enforcement of Responsibilities • Lack of legislation prevents adequate staffing • Regulations and Procedures needed to operationalize legislation • Telecommunications monopolies • MOUs for use of private / NGO human and material resources during crises • Needed to remove hurricane centered mindset

  9. Organization, Leadership and Management • Lead agency not accepting responsibility for EC • No ownership of EC • Lack of leadership • Lack of training of lead agency in DRM causes confidence gaps hence low priority given to EC

  10. Organization, Leadership and Management • Existence of EOC/ECC • Radio Room • Communications Area • Computer Room • Needed to confirm, coordinate, monitor and manage Information from many different sources

  11. Organization, Leadership and Management • Communications with and between • NEOC • Disaster Site • CEOC • Shelter • International donor • Victim • Agencies HQs

  12. Staff • Full Time Person(s) needed for EC Management • Career path needed for motivation • Qualified • Experienced

  13. Staffing • Crisis Operators • Identified beforehand instead of random details • Very familiar with equipment • Very familiar with computer software • Properly briefed on equipment • Operators understand battery technology • Operator knowledge of voice/radio procedures

  14. Plans and Planning • Communications SOPs • Easily Understandable Communications Diagrams

  15. Training • EC Theory • Practical “Hands on” with equipment • Drills • Exercises

  16. Choice of Technologies • Blackberry and other technologies have merged and personalized communications and Information Management • Sometimes causes misguided belief that one person can run EC from a PDA • Appropriateness for situation • Use of digital (data) communications instead of analogue (voice) communications

  17. Equipment • Land Line • Downed lines make unreliable comms during storm emergencies • Radios • Adequate number of Radios ? • Adequacy for Task/Fitness for Role ? • Radios Working when Deployed? • Radios Tested Before Deployment? • Frequency/channel assignments correct? • Redundancy issues

  18. Redundancy issues • Trunking • Vulnerable to maintenance and upgrading problems and “control” issues • Use of HF • Abandoned by some countries for sat phones • Needs much training and expertise to operate and maintain • Strategic alliances for trained operators at strategic locations • Strategic alliances for maintenance pers at strategic locations • Dysfunctional HAM clubs - skills being lost

  19. Cell Phones • Over-reliance on this comms • Often unreliable • Commerce driven • Vulnerable to wind damage • Voice and SMS Jamming • Pre-Arranged Priority Calls • Cell Alert Technology for Call Out • Expensive to operate

  20. Satphones • Activated before deployment? • Choice of Hand Held or Outside Antenna? • Useable inside building (EOC/Shelters) with outside antenna • Tendency to use like cell phones • Attempts to call incorrect satphone numbers • Incorrect dialing procedures/codes/prefixes • Operators only see this equipment during emergency response and do not know how to use them • Expensive to operate hence limited application

  21. 911 • Police operators tend to focus response on crime calls • Best practice - Better operated by civilians • Can automate with reverse 911

  22. Cell Alert • Who pays for this? – Cell providers ? • Great for Geographic based warning system

  23. SMS • Jams network when many numbers used simultaneously • Providers can prioritize for EC only

  24. Cable TV • Antennae and cable affected by hurricanes • Good for other emergencies

  25. E-mail • Blackberry a good addition to EC arsenal • Great for data comms, documentation, transmitting large amounts of information, tables, lists, etc • Power sources

  26. EM software for EM system • Location and administration of server contentious • Security concerns by some countries

  27. Megaphones • Sirens • Runner • Flags • Whistles • Drums • Light signals • Morse code

  28. Computers • Power sources • Operator skills • Portability • Loss of data • Backup • Use of wireless networks • Operator knowledge • Adequacy for task • Networked? • Appropriate Software • Memory • Hard disk • Speed • Portable (Laptop) or Fixed (Desktop)

  29. Batteries • Sufficient batteries per radio for extended operations ? • Batteries charged before deployment ? • Will batteries maintain charge for reasonable period of time ? (one day)

  30. Maintenance Programme • Serviceability Rate • Plan for Base Maintenance ? • Plan for Field/First Line Maintenance ? • Plan for Routine Maintenance ? • Care and maintenance of Equipment • Radios Well Maintained ? • Daily Risk Reduction Measures • Location of ECC • Disassembly of vulnerable outside equipment before hurricane blow • Protection from power surges/Lightening/Etc

  31. Back Up Power • Generators • Adequate number of generators for EOCs, shelters etc • Size of generators • Fuel for Generators • Adequate and safe fuel storage for generators • Procedures for refilling generators • UPS • Inverters • Solar Chargers

  32. Public Information and Education • Public not aware of protocols

  33. THANK YOU Questions ???

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