(English captions by Andrea Matsumoto, University of Michigan)
Welcome to the session of Communication in Disaster Situations.
Communication in disaster situations is potentially a huge challenge to respondents.
Communication itself is a process in which messages are passed from a sender to a receiver
with constant feedback.
Communication is very important in disaster situations.
It is important for coordination of the response, reduction of risk communication, and for prevention
of panic
Before we proceed, it is important that you read story 2, that is Communication Failure.
What is the moral of this story?
How to communicate better in disaster situations.
It is important to follow the incident command hierarchy.
In disasters, the press is always looking for information and papers sell when adverse
events are quoted.
Only the incident command officer or his appointee, that is, the officer in charge of communications,
should be allowed to give press releases.
The communications officer should search for facts and be ready with evidence.
These are the Do's in disaster communication.
Establish pre-planned press releases where all media houses are informed in advance and
invited.
Questions should be allowed to clarify events.
The Incident Command System Officer should be brief, to the point and where there is
information lacking, that should be admitted.
The Incident Command System (ICS) officer consults the relevant section heads before
the meeting with press and should allow the presence of other section heads to clarify
issues in case clarification is necessary.
Do not tell lies; it is better to say you don't know and you will investigate an issue
than to tell a lie.
There should be a Public Relations (PR) desk or information desk with a list of victims
or update information if possible.
Such a desk is managed by Public Relations personnel, counsellors etc.
There should be constant consultation with the Incident Command System, Search and Rescue,
Pre-hospital care teams, Hospital teams, and field teams to get the latest information.
Let us consider Scenario 1: Post Election Violence in Country X.
Country X experienced one of the worst complex emergencies since independence.
During a commission established to find the effects, the police force put the number dead
as 1100, the Permanent Secretary for Health put them at 1102 and the International organisations
put them at 1500.
The press concluded all were confused.
Question: What is your verdict and where do you think things went wrong in the communication
chain?
What information is needed for communication in a disaster situation?
You need to know the site of disaster, type of disaster, time of disaster, and time information was received,
the number of casualties and their flow or progress,
any visiting VIPs or other important officials,
relevant ministry and what has been done so far,
assistance required and any important appeals for blood and other logistics,
response efforts at the time, and their successes and limitations.
These are 5 Communication Failures that Kill Operational Success:
Mixed messages from multiple experts,
Information released late,
Paternalistic attitudes (especially towards the affected communities),
Not countering rumors and myths in real-time - the grapevine,
Public power struggles and confusion, especially between intervening agencies.
Let us look at Scenario 2: a flood.
In a recent flooding in one of the countries, a pressman asked how many people were in need
of blankets.
The medical officer of health answered, 'none'.
Later, it was found that all the 3000 flood victims needed non-food items like blankets.
Whose responsibility was it to provide the right information?
These are five communication steps that boost operational success:
Execute a solid communication plan.
Be the first source for information before other alternative sources get it.
Express empathy early.
Show competence and expertise.
Show that you are in charge of the situation.
Remain honest and open
Thank you for listening.