risk 2

• Communication


  The process of transmitting information and common understanding from one person to another
• Risk


  The probability or threat of quantifiable damage, injury, liability, loss, or any other negative occurrence that is caused by external or internal vulnerabilities, and that may be avoided through preemptive action
• Disaster


  A calamitous event, especially one occurring suddenly and causing great loss of life, damage, or hardship. Sufficient resources are not available
• Emergency


  An unforeseen incidence that can be responded to using available resources. They occur more regularly than disasters and are therefore more anticipated by a community
• Crisis


  A situation where time is short and an effective decision has to be taken immediately. The crisis perpetuates a sense of a lack of control throughout the entire situation, although there are available means or resources to deal with an issue
• Crisis Communication


  1. The communication activities of an organization or agency facing a crisis. 2. The community leaders' efforts to inform the public about an event
• Risk Communication


  The communicator hopes to provide the audience with information about the expected type (good or bad) and magnitude (weak or strong) of an outcome from a behavior or exposure
• Issues Management Communication


  Using communication to influence how the organization responds to the issue and how it is potentially resolved
• Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication (CERC)


  Combines the elements of crisis communication and risk communication as they are used during an emergency response
• Types of Hazards/Emergencies/Risks/Disasters

  • Anthrax
  • Chemical Emergencies
  • Infectious Disease Outbreaks
  • Natural Disasters and Severe Weather
  • Explosions
  • Cyber Incident
  • Food and Agricultural Incident
  • Nuclear or Radiological Incident
  • Terrorism Incident
• Pre-crisis Phase


  Communication objectives target communication and education campaigns to inform the public and the response community
• Initial Phase


  Communication objectives include rapid communication to the general public and affected groups to convey empathy, reassurance, designate spokespersons, establish understanding of the crisis, reduce uncertainty, and promote self-efficacy
• 1. efficacy


  Explaining to people that they can help themselves or reach a goal
• When communicating in the initial phases of an emergency

  • Information should be simple, credible, accurate, consistent, and delivered on time
• The initial phase of a crisis is characterized by confusion and intense media interest
• Information is usually incomplete, and the facts are sparse. An information deficit exists. Channels of communication are often disrupted
• Information from the media, other organizations, and even within response organizations may not be completely accurate
• In the initial phase of a crisis

  1. Learn as much about what happened as possible

  2. Determine the organization's or agency's communication responses

  3. Confirm the magnitude of the event as quickly as possible
• Accuracy


  What is released and the speed in which response officials acknowledge the event are critical at this stage
• Credibility


  Response organizations and spokespersons should take steps to establish their credibility, even when there is little information to offer
• Commit to the public that you will continue to provide new information as it becomes available
• At the very least, messages should demonstrate that organizations are engaged and addressing the issues directly
• In most cases, all information must be cleared by the appropriate leaders or designated clearance personnel before it's offered to the media
• People want timely and accurate facts about what happened, what is being done, and most importantly, what they should do
• Communication objectives during the crisis maintenance phase

  1. Ensure the public is updated, understands ongoing risks, and knows how to mitigate these risks

  2. Provide background and supportive information to those who need it

  3. Encourage broad-based support and cooperation with response and recovery efforts

  4. Gather feedback from the affected public—listen, learn, and assess

  5. Correct misunderstandings, rumors, or unclear facts

  6. Continue to help people believe they can take steps to protect themselves, their families, and their community. Continue to explain those steps

  7. Support informed decision-making by the public based on their understanding of risks and benefits
• Unexpected developments, rumors, or misinformation may place further media demands on organization communicators
• Criticism about the response is inevitable and to be expected
• Staying on top of the information flow and maintaining close coordination with others is essential
• Communication objectives for the resolution phase


  1. Explain ongoing cleanup, remediation, recovery, and rebuilding efforts to your audience. Motivate them to take action if needed

  2. Facilitate broad-based, honest, and open discussion about causes, blame, responsibility, resolutions, and adequacy of the response

  3. Improve individual understanding of new risks

  4. Promote behaviors that avoid risks

  5. Promote personal preparedness

  6. Promote the activities and capabilities of agencies and organizations by reinforcing positive identities and images

  7. Persuade the public to support public policy and resource allocation to the problem
• Once the crisis is resolved, you may need to respond to intense media scrutiny of how the response was handled
• Objectives during the evaluation phase

  1. Discuss, document, and share lessons learned

  2. Determine specific actions to improve crisis communication and crisis response capability

  3. Evaluate the performance of the communication plan

  4. Implement links to pre-crisis activities
• CERC


  Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication - vital to helping people cope and begin to rebuild during a crisis
• CERC principles can counter harmful behaviors and perceptions that are common during a public health crisis
• Potentially harmful individual, group, organizational, or community behaviors

  • Demands for unnecessary treatment
  • Needless social and organizational disruption
  • Disorganized and occasionally destructive group behavior
  • Bribery and fraud
  • Reliance on special relationships for favors and treatment
  • Increased drug, alcohol, and tobacco use
  • Increased multiple unexplained physical symptoms
  • Unreasonable trade and travel restrictions
  • Loss of agency credibility and lower levels of government trust
• Potentially harmful communication practices to avoid

  • Mixed and conflicting messages from multiple sources
  • Late release of critical information
  • Overly reassuring and unrealistic communication
  • Advice without a reality check
  • Paternalistic approach to communication
  • Unaddressed or uncorrected myths and rumors
  • Spokespersons who engage in poor behavior, exhibit a lack of appropriate emotion, use inappropriate humor, or offer inaccurate statements
  • Public power struggles, conflicts, and confusion
  • Perception that certain groups are getting preferential treatment
• The purpose of an official response to a crisis is to efficiently and effectively reduce and prevent illness, injury, and death, and return individuals and communities to normal as quickly as possible
• Negative situations public health professionals may face

  • Public demands for misallocation of limited emergency response resources
  • Public mistrust or avoiding public health recommendations
  • Opportunists who play on peoples' fears or uncertainties to provide fraudulent or ineffective health treatments
  • Overreaction with wasted fiscal and medical resources during the emergency response
  • Self-appointed experts who offer questionable advice
  • Increased destruction, disease, and death
• Good communication can reduce harmful human behavior and prevent negative public health response outcomes


  • Develop messages following CERC principles
  • Reduce high levels of uncertainty
  • Use an effective crisis communication plan
  • Be the first source for information
  • Express empathy and show concern
  • Exhibit competence and expertise
  • Remain honest and open
  • Coordinate with other response officials
  • Commit and remain dedicated to the response and recovery
• Without effective communication, people affected by a crisis are far more likely to engage in damaging behaviors. The crisis will only get worse.
• Prevention


  Activities that aim to reduce the probability of disaster occurrence through measures meant to avoid its adverse effects