The Drum Beat 427 - Emergency Communication

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This issue of the Drum Beat focuses on communication in crisis or emergency situations. It includes reports, articles, and resources related to communication in natural disaster contexts, displaced persons situations, and public health emergencies. It also highlights action in various regions related to information access for preparedness, communicating with the media to minimise impact, and communication technologies to connect and support those most-affected by emergency situations.

Please send additional project, evaluation, strategic thinking, and materials information on communication and peacebuilding at any time. Contact Deborah Heimann at dheimann@comminit.com

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Please Note: La Iniciativa de Comunicación has a Spanish-language Theme Site focused on Risk Management. See the Gestión del Riesgo Theme Site.

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COMMUNICATION RECOMMENDATIONS

1.Disease, Disaster, and Democracy: The Public’s Stake in Health Emergency Planning
by Monica Schoch-Spana, PhD; Allison Chamberlain; Crystal Franco; Jonathan Gross; Clarence Lam; Andrew Mulcahy; Eric Toner; and Christiana Usenza
This document reports on the conference on Disease, Disaster, and Democracy, May 23 2006, convened by the Center for Biosecurity of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center as a United States-Canada summit. As stated in the document, "the purpose of the conference was to advise leaders in government, public health, and disaster management on the feasibility and benefits of actively engaging citizens and communities in planning for large-scale health emergencies in anticipation of (1) the ethical dilemmas posed by a scarcity of life-saving medical resources, and (2) the logistical difficulties of protecting the well and caring for the sick in large numbers. A severe pandemic of influenza served as the hypothetical case with which to test the value of this collaborative problem-solving model in relation to a health disaster." The document concludes with a plan by the Center for Biosecurity of UPMC to convene a working group to release a “best principles and practices” guidance for elected officials, health authorities, and emergency managers.

2.Community Engagement: Leadership Tool for Catastrophic Health Events
This document, published in January 2007, is an output of 3 meetings of the United States-based Working Group on Community Engagement in Health Emergency Planning, which is composed of decisionmakers at local and national levels of government; public health practitioners; heads of community-based partnerships for public health and disaster mitigation; and experts in risk, disaster, health, and community management. The result is a consensus-based document which offers a series of recommendations for leaders on why and how to catalyse the civic infrastructure for an extreme health event. The Working Group addresses community engagement as structured dialogue, joint problem solving, and collaborative action among formal authorities, citizens-at-large, and local opinion leaders. From the findings of the Working Group, the gains of leaders who engage community partners in preparedness include: greater ability to govern and maintain trust during a crisis; more citizen responders to ease burdens on health and safety agencies; fiscal savings through reduced disaster-related losses and expenditures; emergency plans that are feasible because they reflect community values, economic realities, and collective judgment; and constituents who are savvy about, and interested in the success of, public health, public safety, and emergency management agencies.

3.Communicating Disasters: Building on the Tsunami Experience and Responding to Future Challenges
This report of a regional brainstorming meeting held in 2006 summarises discussion on approaches to managing information before, during, and after disasters. The report focuses on the essential functions of information and communication in disasters, and the need to serve the public interest over individual, corporate, or agency interests. The objectives of the meeting were: to explore the role and use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) at the time of a disaster; to share lessons learned based on the experience of the Tsunami disaster; and to come up with guidelines for engaging the mass media and new media for more effective communication at the time of disasters.

COMMUNICATION ACTION

4.Learning Symposium on Crisis Communication and Media Relations during a National Health Emergency with Specific Focus on Avian and Pandemic Influenza (AI/PI) - Armenia, Bosnia Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Kyrgyzstan, Romania, Serbia / Montenegro
This face-to-face training of official spokespersons and senior government officials on communicating with the media during national health emergencies took place in October 2007. The initiative was based on a workshop series of the same title, which was held in 6 Eastern European/Central Asian countries. The overarching aim of this initiative was to strengthen national communication capacity to ensure a continuum from outbreak communication to behaviour change communication (BCC), while maintaining a government's capacity to respond in a timely and constructive manner to the information needs of the public and of the media. This project was based on the idea that - once adequately trained - personnel from national emergency and health services can use communication characterised by transparency and authority to reduce public panic, inspire confidence, and empower individuals to take appropriate action to minimise the impact of the pandemic.
Contact: sarajevo@unicef.org OR sgrahovac@unicef.org

5.BOSCO: Battery Operated Systems for Community Outreach - Uganda
This project provides access to computers, internet, and voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) telephony for Northern Uganda's Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps. The project has set up a solar-powered WiFi network in refugee camps to offer communications to the organisations that serve the IDPs and to the refugees themselves. The system is designed to be operable on 12 volts with a range of power options, and is resistant to heat, humidity, and dust, so that it can operate in environments where computing has traditionally not been found. It has been designed for ease of use for both users and administrators who are new to technology. This first phase of the project connects eight Archdiocese offices, 2 clinics, and 17 schools. The network is used for all types of communications needs, including logistics, emergency notification, teacher training, consultations between clinics and doctors, communicating with American and European donors, and getting out critical information on human rights violations.
Contact: Gus A. Zuehlke, BOSCO gusaz@bosco-uganda.org OR Ted Pethick, BOSCO navitor69@comcast.net / tpethick@bosco-uganda.org OR Inveneo info@inveneo.org

6.Disaster Reduction and Prevention - South Asia, South East and East Asia, South Pacific
In 2005, the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU), a professional association of 116 radio and television broadcasters, partnered with the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UN ISDR) to develop radio and television broadcast information in an effort to reduce the impact of natural disasters in Asia-Pacific countries. A series of regional workshops for radio and television broadcasters were held in order to help develop faster, more effective early warning systems in the Asia-Pacific region by increasing the rate and accuracy of information flows from meteorological and disaster management organisations to broadcasters. Key goals included: ensuring a rapid flow of disaster and emergency information from broadcasters to the public; helping develop faster, more accurate coverage of disasters when they strike; and raising public awareness of disaster reduction and emergency preparedness by airing educational programmes and public service announcements (PSAs). The ultimate goal was to respond to the need made apparent by the Asian tsunami disaster (in December 2004) through fostering the development of an integrated early warning system across the Indian Ocean, which (as of August 2007) organisers claim is still lacking.
Contact: francyne@abu.org.my OR leonib@un.org

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Please VOTE in the Spanish-language poll related to Risk Management:

La prioridad en la gestión del riesgo debería ser:
[The priority in risk management should be:]

• Capacitación de las comunidades [Capacity-building within communities]
• Sistemas de alerta temprana [Early warning systems]
• Cuerpos de atención y socorro [Aid agencies and organisations]
• Políticas gubernamentales [Public policies]
• Coordinación inter institucional [Inter-agency coordination]
• Otra [Other]

Click here to VOTE!

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CRITIQUES AND THINKING

7.Communicating Disasters: An Asia Pacific Resource Book
edited by Nalaka Gunawardene and Frederick Noronha
Building on the 2006 Bangkok brainstorming session on communication's role in disaster management, held in the aftermath of the tsunami of December 2004, this book explores the role of good communications before, during, and after disasters. It bases its critical look at disaster communications on the lessons of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the Kashmir earthquake, and other recent events, as viewed through the eyes of 21 author/analysts - most of them from Asia - who share their experiences and insights on effective crisis communication.

8.Linked Cultures: Breaking out of the 'Disaster Management Rut'
by Ilan Kelman
This article examines the tragedy of a Tamil Nadu school fire to highlight the lack of safety standards leading to "more general, endemic, and unnecessary vulnerabilities that to some extent plague all countries." He suggests that the pattern of a disaster management cycle "alternating between pre-disaster activities, including mitigation and preparedness, and post-disaster activities like response and recovery, is more of a 'disaster management rut'". The author of this article suggests that risk reduction should become a norm in the continuing development and sustainability processes. He posits that the simultaneity of working at the local, governmental, and international level could provide checks and balances on corruption, disinterest, and offences that might impact long-term goals. He states, in addition, that with local-level participation and message development, people will be more likely to act locally for better preparedness, rather than waiting for an event to inspire action.

9.Message to Aid Workers: Go Mobile - or Get Lost!
by Nalaka Gunawardene
This article challenges those working in the field of development to make more effective use of mobile phone technology in disaster relief and humanitarian aid communication. According to the author, "[a]ll available indicators suggest that the future of humanitarian assistance is going to be largely dependent on mobile communications." He cites The Economist as saying that the logistical operation of disaster relief is furthered by both mobile communication and internet communication tools like spread sheets, much in the same way that a private sector global courier would operate. Further, the article suggests that digital networks support emergency responders with increased flow of information in otherwise chaotic circumstances.

10.Internews Creates Text Messaging Service for Indonesian Journalists After Earthquake
This brief article explores trends in the use of short message service (SMS) technology by journalists seeking to share crucial information with the general public in the aftermath of a natural disaster. In response to the May 27 2006 earthquake on the Indonesian island of Java, which killed over 5,000 and left 1.6 million homeless, mobile phones "quickly became mobile news services for journalists covering the recovery efforts." As part of the Java Earthquake Emergency Media Project, Internews worked with more than 180 Indonesian journalists to establish a quick, low-cost emergency communication network that enabled local radio stations to report on humanitarian relief.

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To view archived issues of The Drum Beat related to emergency communication, please see:

The Drum Beat 283 - Tsunami Communication Responses
January 24 2005

The Drum Beat 274 - Responding to Emergencies and Disasters
November 8 2004

The Drum Beat 47 - Emergencies and Disasters
April 14 2000

To view archived issues of Son de Tambora related to gestión del riesgo, please see:

Son de Tambora 177 - El papel actual y potencial de los medios de comunicación en la gestión del riesgo
July 11 2007

Son de Tambora 172 - Prevención y Atención de Desastres / Gestión del Riesgo
May 24 2007

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MANUALS AND GUIDES

General

11.Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication Course (CERC): By Leaders For Leaders
by Barbara Reynolds
This book aims to give leaders tools for speaking to the public, media, partners and stakeholders during an intense public-safety emergency, including terrorism. According to the book's introduction, in a crisis, the right message at the right time is a 'resource multiplier' - it helps officials get their job done. Many of the predictable harmful individual and community behaviours can be mitigated with effective crisis and emergency risk communication. A leader must anticipate what mental stresses the population will be experiencing and apply appropriate communication strategies to attempt to manage these stresses in the population. The book does not promise that a population or community faced with an emergency, crisis, or disaster will overcome its challenges solely through the application of the communication principles presented. However, the book does propose that an organisation can compound its problems during an emergency if it has neglected sound crisis and emergency risk communication planning.

12.Impact Measurement and Accountability in Emergencies: The Good Enough Guide
This booklet offers a set of guidelines on how to be accountable to local people and measure programme impact in emergency situations. According to the publisher: "This pocket guide presents... methods for putting impact measurement and accountability into practice throughout the life of a project. It is aimed at humanitarian practitioners, project officers and managers with some experience in the field, and draws on the work of field staff, [non-governmental organisations] NGOs, and inter-agency initiatives..."

13.Crisis Communication Tips
Adapted from the Center for Disease Control (CDC)'s Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication Guide and Peter Sandman by the United States Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine (USACHPPM), and provided to support those communicating with the public, this brief point-by-point summary gives 15 tips for formulating one's own behaviour and communication in a crisis.

Health-Specific

14.Communicable Disease Control in Emergencies: A Field Manual
This field manual is intended to help health professionals and public health coordinators working in emergency situations to prevent, detect, and control communicable diseases in affected populations. It aims to promote effective, coordinated action towards the prevention and control of communicable diseases in emergencies. The manual deals with 5 fundamental principles of communicable disease control in emergencies: rapid assessment; prevention; surveillance; outbreak control; and disease management. The manual also provides suggestions for further reading, with references to relevant background material, guidelines, and reviews.

15.Effective Media Communication During Public Health Emergencies
by Randall N Hyer and Vincent T Covello
This set of materials includes a handbook, field guide, and wall chart. The handbook describes a 7-step process to assist officials and others to communicate effectively through the media during emergencies. It is based on the belief that implementing a proactive and interactive approach will strengthen the ability of public health organisations and officials to ensure that their messages are accurately reported, highly visible, and clearly heard. The field guide is a shortened version of the handbook. It highlights the practical aspects of the 7-step approach. As an aid to easy recollection of the key issues brought up in the above publications, a detachable double-sided wall chart has been provided at the end of the handbook. The chart shows the seven-step approach and aims to provide easily recalled key information and advice.

16.Crisis Communication and Emergency Risk Communication Guide
From the United States Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine (USACHPPM), this guideline on communicating for a crisis is designed to supplement a crisis communication plan and is for use by someone who is not a primary spokesperson or public affairs officer, but may be supporting a primary communicator. In short, the guide covers the dynamics of a public health crisis, communication objectives during a crisis, and key information to remember during a crisis.

17.How to Lead During Bioattacks with the Public's Trust and Help: A Manual for Mayors, Governors, and Top Health Officials
This interactive manual provides decision-makers with practical advice on how to handle the dilemmas that can arise in a public health emergency. It aims to give leaders problem-solving strategies for engaging the public during bioattacks and epidemics. The guidebook presents recommendations from an expert Working Group on 'Governance Dilemmas' in Bioterrorism Response from February 2003-February 2004. The group was convened by the Center for Biosecurity of the UPMC and included political and public health leaders, disaster experts, community leaders, news media, public affairs and risk communication experts. In March 2004, the Working Group published a consensus statement entitled "Leading during Bioattacks and Epidemics with the Public's Trust and Help" in the peer-reviewed journal Biosecurity and Bioterrorism 2004. This manual is the executive summary of that 2004 Working Group consensus statement.

18.Avian Influenza Emergency Risk Communication
This risk communication management guide provides a team-based approach to the scenario of an avian influenza outbreak, offering the steps necessary to first plan and develop a response, and then to implement the plan. It intends to provide practical direction on how to effectively communicate correct information and what to do during the pre-outbreak, outbreak, and post-outbreak periods. The guide notes that it addresses only the communications aspect of a response to avian flu, which is only one part of an overall risk management response, but it offers 8 appendices of further risk management planning materials.

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