Communication is Key When Preparing for Disasters

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September is National Preparedness Month. Each year National Preparedness Month is recognized to promote family and community disaster and emergency planning. This year’s campaign is called “Disasters Don’t Wait. Make Your Plan Today“.

While at the Nebraska Planning Conference this year I attended a session entitled, “Preparing for Floods”. The presenter ran through a number of topics involved in the preparation for an impending flooding event. However, one aspect that stuck out in my mind was communication.

Communication is often under-considered when preparing for any disaster. It is far too often assumed that communication will work as you generally know those involved. This is not the case.

Create a List of Contacts

Communication is Key When Preparing for Disasters

Lesley Pearson, FEMA Application Assistant, from New Hampshire, works with Palo Fire Chief, Steve Mason in resolving a residence request during flooding recovery in Linn County, Iowa.

First and foremost, create a list of important contacts. Not just your county emergency management representative, elected officials, and emergency responders. Public works and utilities providers should certainly be on the list. There’s also contacts for other communities that may provide mutual aid. But also think of those private entities who may provide materials or equipment. Building supply stores and agricultural equipment retailers may be on this list as well.

Practice Makes Perfect….ish

Meet with your emergency manager now, well before the event. Prepare to coordinate efforts. Occasionally run “table-top exercises” that simulate events. Look at all the different types of events and the numerous variables and related impacts. Practice is important, it makes you think about those items that may not immediately be considered when something happens. You are never going to get your response perfect, but the goal is to get a close as possible.

It is also important to educate your public officials. They may not be included in the exercises, but they should get a run down of what went on. They should know that there are potential issues. For instance, the scenario you ran included a tornado taking out an electrical substation that provided power to the water plant. There was no redundant power run to the plant and the backup generator wasn’t upgraded when the plant went through a recent expansion. With this information they can direct funding to mitigate possible future issues.

Communicating with the Public

You should also think about how you’re going to communicate with the public. Prepare your public release templates ahead of time. With the chaos created by a disaster, you may not be thinking of all the information you want to provide when something happens. Have something ready where you just fill in the blanks, giving you more time to commit to other actions as time is often critical when something happens.

If social media will be your method of getting the word out, as it quickly has become, start now. Regular activity on your social media accounts regarding even the more mundane activities of the community will go along way. It establishes your social media accounts a the source for news when it really matters.