Webinars - Detail

The demand for effective warning messages and instructions for self-protection is clear in emergency situations. Hazards, such as earthquakes and tsunamis, place entire communities at risk. Warnings and advice for self-protection are essential for personal safety. Although the need is evident, the specific recommendations for message design and distribution of emergency messages are often less clear. This presentation focuses on meeting the need for well-designed messages in emergency situations. Specifically, the presentation summarizes a decade of empirical research, culminating in specific message design and distribution strategies for effective emergency communication. In addition to briefly summarizing recent, relevant research, including several studies focusing on earthquake early warning, the presenters provide a practical message template that can be adapted quickly to fit a variety of emergency situations. At the end of this presentation, geoscience students and professionals should be able to: identify key strategies for tailoring messages to fit the needs of those who are at greatest risk; understand the degree of explanation needed to inform lay audiences without overwhelming their science literacy; develop specific actionable instructions for self-protection; and identify the best communication channels for distributing messages for communities impacted by earthquakes.