Crisis and Risk Communications

Crisis and Risk Communications Session 3 Slide Deck Session 3 Slide 3-

Session Objectives • Introduce risk communication • Discuss the advantages of a disaster prepared public • Provide a brief overview of the history of risk communication in the United States • Explain social marketing in the context of risk communication • List and describe the three goals of risk communication • Explore the priorities of risk communication recipients Session 3 Slide 3-

Risk Communication “communication intended to supply laypeople with the information they need to make informed, independent judgments about risks to health, safety, and the environment” (Morgan, et. al. 2002) Session 3 Slide 3-

Daily Risks • Societies and individuals come to accept most daily risks • For every hazard, there are actions that may be taken that increase or decrease these risks • Common sense provides us with the means to manage most risks • The most obvious solutions and/or sensible advice are often ignored Session 3 Slide 3-

The Public Health Sector • Majority of daily risks pertain to public health • The majority of risk communication has come from this sector • Public health practitioners have led, in many regards, the advancement of risk communication • Few emergency managers have the same background and experience Session 3 Slide 3-

The EM Experience • EM Community not oblivious or new to the risk communication field • Traditionally, EM risk communication efforts had a national focus • EM has not seen the same success rates as public health • Studies show few people prepare for disasters • Poor success does not mean a culture of preparedness is unattainable Session 3 Slide 3-

Six Stages of Processing Info. • Exposure to the message • Attention to the message • Comprehension of the arguments and conclusions presented in the message • Yielding to the message • Accepting the message • Information integration (which allows for message retention) Session 3 Slide 3-

Persuasion • Highly involved people require logical, sound arguments • Unfavorable attitudes require the avoidance of extreme positions • Uninvolved audiences pay less attention to the message, and will be more influenced by ‘features’ of the message • Uninvolved audiences more typical Session 3 Slide 3-

The Need for Risk Communication • “Everybody should have [disaster preparedness] basics down. I think Katrina shook people up. A lot of messaging and a lot of education, particularly at the local level, is the key” • DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff (Government Executive, 12/20/2006) Session 3 Slide 3-

The Need for Risk Communication • There is a positive correlation between public awareness and positive disaster outcomes • Opportunities exist to better educate the public, coordinate messages, and initiate social change • Recent studies and surveys all indicate that there is an immediate need for better public education before disaster; and most importantly • There exists no comprehensive review of practices and resources and identification of components that make up an effective disaster public education program (Natural Hazards Observer, January 2007) Session 3 Slide 3-

Preparedness Justification • For each additional person that is able to provide for their own needs, the burden on the emergency services is decreased by one • Public emergency preparedness equips individuals with the knowledge, skills, or resources necessary to increase their likelihood of survival and to minimize financial and other losses in the event of an emergency or disaster • ordinary citizens who are empowered with these tools are better able to help themselves, their families, their neighbors, and their communities Session 3 Slide 3-

DHS: Three Components of Preparedness • A Kit • A Plan • Knowledge Session 3 Slide 3-

Requirements of Public Education • The effort must go beyond simply raising awareness of a hazard and its affiliated risk • Public disaster preparedness education can decrease individual vulnerability in two primary ways • By teaching individuals how to mitigate their hazard risks • By training them how to respond effectively when a disaster is imminent or has just occurred Session 3 Slide 3-

Benefit Example: Tsunami • 2004 Boxing Day tsunami • Over 200,000 people killed • Many fatalities avoidable • In select communities, risk communication minimized injuries and deaths • Indonesian island Simuelue inundated only 8 minutes after the earthquake struck • Though many communities completely destroyed, only seven people died • Study found that oral storytelling tradition preparedness knowledge Session 3 Slide 3-

Risk Communication History • Pompeii was evidence of a transfer of preparedness knowledge • Early efforts not likely government-sanctioned • Development of communities evidence of knowledge transfer • Stilted communities • Tsunami response • Seismically-resilient structures (Bhungas) Session 3 Slide 3-

Recognizable Risk Messages • Stop, Drop, and Roll • Duck, Cover, and Hold • Only you can prevent forest fires • Few messages addressed local concerns Session 3 Slide 3-

Director Witt Priorities • Creating media education materials • Public service announcements • Ensuring availability of ‘approved’ hazard experts • Providing training in EM terminology and actions for reporters and anchor people • Promoting more responsible reporting by the media Session 3 Slide 3-

Post September 11th Changes • Initial focus on terrorism preparedness • Became all hazards eventually • Four-pronged approach at the Federal level: • Ready.Gov • Are You Prepared • HSAS • CERT Session 3 Slide 3-

Social Marketing • Drawn from the private sector • For three decades, NGO, pro-social, and government sectors have been using similar tools and techniques • Has been effective in promoting social change Session 3 Slide 3-

P’s of Social Marketing • Product • Price • Place • Promotion • Publics • Partnerships • Policy • Purse Strings Session 3 Slide 3-

Common Social Marketing Factors • Disciplined in setting objectives and using a variety of techniques to achieve them • Centered around a target audience • Continuously refined throughout the campaign to meet the needs and desires of the intended audience Session 3 Slide 3-

Health Communication Program Cycle • Stage 1 • Stage 2 • Stage 3 • Stage 4 Session 3 Slide 3-

Common Goal Reduce individual vulnerability to one or more identified hazard risks as much as possible among as many members of a defined target population as possible. Session 3 Slide 3-

Three Primary Goals • Raising public awareness of the hazard risk(s) • Guiding public behavior, including: • Pre-disaster risk reduction behavior • Pre-disaster preparedness behavior • Post-disaster response behavior • Post-disaster recovery behavior • Warning the public Session 3 Slide 3-

Comprehensive Warning Systems • Detect the presence of a hazard • Assess the threat posed by that hazard • Determine the population facing risk from that hazard • Inform the population • Determine appropriate protective actions that may be taken • Direct the public to take those actions • Support the actions being taken by the public Session 3 Slide 3-

Priorities of Recipients • People spend little time thinking about major hazards • Many competing concerns • “The time that most people can devote to rare or unusual risks is usually very limited.” (Morgan et al., 2002) Session 3 Slide 3-

Intentions of Recipients • Advice and Answers • Numbers • Process and Framing Session 3 Slide 3-

Crisis and Risk Communications