Richardson, B.K., & Byers, L. (n.d.). Communication studies and emergency management: Common ground, contributions, and future research opportunities for two emerging disciplines. Retrieved November 11, 2014 at http://training.fema.gov/hiedu/docs/emt /disaster%20chapterdraft%20one12.23.04.pdf…
In order for a printed article to be useful it must meet certain criteria for reliable source and based on factual information. If a newspaper declares that we are in a state of some type of emergency, it must be based on expert’s facts and non-bias. During any type of disaster situation-having knowledge in order to proceed is one of the best and most practical uses of the printed world. While the use of the Internet and television has become increasingly beneficial, it becomes useless in an emergency if power is lost. If the information is deemed reliable then the press can be a powerful source of useful information, and can save lives.…
In the first few hours following a disaster there are many things that need to be addressed. In the scenario presented, one of the initial messages that must be presented is water safety. Informing the public on the rationale of why their water is unsafe is important in helping them understand the necessity of boiling it before use to prevent illness. Also informing them of where they can obtain a safe water supply is crucial. The availability of temporary shelters and housing is also important in the first hours and days following the storm since many people may have had to leave their homes due to flooding, loss of power, or structural damage. Making sure citizens understand the dangers posed by downed power lines and the steps they should take when encountering them is a health issue as well. Proper food storage and handling is also critical when there is a lack of power in many homes. Knowing how long food will last in an inoperable refrigerator or freezer will help prevent foodborne illness.…
The news of any tragedy can quickly spread through towns and cities close to the area where it happened, and it can also spread to other states and possibly the whole country depending on the severity of the tragedy. There is always one headline that attracts the attention of the whole country and possibly other countries and when it does knowing the specific audience can help the delivery of how a message is sent and received. One headline that caught everyone’s attention including myself was the tornado that ripped through Moore, Oklahoma that killed dozens of people and destroying homes and businesses on May 20, 2013. There had been other tornadoes and other natural disasters in other areas but the damage and the deaths of many people interested the audience. When a large audience as big as the United States is front and center to this type of situation, the type of method used for delivering information is different from presenting information to a small city or town and the friends and family members that are involved in the incident. The nature of the information must be held with caution when expressed from a political and professional stand point. Communicating to the world as a whole, the audience looks back at not only the Oklahoma government but how the United States government handled the situation as well. No one wants to look bad to the world audience for sending out the wrong message or lying about what has happened so a lot of consideration has to be put into how a message is carefully delivered in the world public.…
Technology makes system integrated and well operated. Technology is primary productive forces. If there were no development of technology, there would be no today’s highly development of human materialistic and mental civilization. In other word, technology should guarantee people’s living in a better condition. However, human negligence causes letting technology not be suitable to respond possible disasters. For example, On August 29 2005 Hurricane Katrina caused over 50 failure of the levees and flood walls which were protecting New Orleans. The failures of the levee and flood wall makes 80% of New Orleans full of flood. Over a million homes and businesses were flooded by tens of billions of gallons of water in New Orleans. In this case, levees and flood walls are responsible to protect people living in New Orleans from hurricane and flood but they did not because of human negligence.…
Nations abroad, individuals, families and entire communities are experiencing unprecedented disasters. Disasters occur suddenly and unexpectedly, and they often cannot be prevented. A disaster is any natural or human made incident that causes disruption, destruction or devastation requiring external assistance (Stanhope & Lancaster 2014). It seems as though more and more disasters are occurring more frequent than in years past. There are two types of disasters, natural disasters as well as human-made disasters. Natural disasters are defined as unpreventable…
References: Zoeteman, B. J., Kersten, W. C., Vos, W. F., de Voort, L, & Ale, M (2010). Communication management during risk evens and crises in a globalized world: Predictability of domestic media attention for calamities, Journal of risk research, 13 (3), 279-30. Doi: 10, 1080/13669870902955427…
Reliable sources prove that there is a direct correlation between the lack of effective communication and deaths during Hurricane Katrina. Author Christopher Curtis supports this when stating, “There appeared to be a breakdown in communication within and between responding organizations during the aftermath of the storm that resulted in loss of lives” (10). Due to miscommunication many people and organizations were not prepared for the extent of damage Katrina would cause. The lack of communication and response, especially between the federal, regional, state, and local relief agencies, was a catastrophe in itself. Specifically, the media’s role in communication hindered chances of recovery. During Hurricane Katrina their quick politicization directly led to negative consequences as organizations failed to take responsibility, while instead blaming others, and continued to make poor decisions (Curtis 12). Accurate media and communication is crucial in order to minimize the aftermath of natural disasters.…
In a healthcare setting the physcians,nurses, police, emt and fire department must be ready to deal with type of disaster that might arise. The media is important in establishing communication with the public informing them of a potential disaster that is approaching. The business community will be affected tremendously by the lack of power or limited access to their establishment. In the meanwhile, it is very difficult for the business community to manage the crisis, and to help provide recovery efforts with limited resources. Dealing with a disaster can become a social and economic issue that can have an adverse effect on the public. Public support is needed to help with the planning stages of a disaster. The participation from various departments such as responders, technical engineers, and citizens. In an increase in the growing population, the world is subject to a grueling physical, social, and economic change, the challenge of managing emergencies will solely depend on effective planning and training, and the ability to connect and communicate with the agencies involved in the preparation of a natural or physical…
McMillan, Carla R. (2013), Natural Disasters, Prepare, Mitigate and Manage, retrieved on March 16, 2013 from http://www.csa.com/discoveryguides/archives/ndht.php…
The threat of natural disasters has been around since the beginnings of the earth. Mankind has never been without the safety concerns and precautions associated with these threats. Yet it seems that in the last one hundred years or so the terroristic threats have become a far greater concern to the U.S. population. If the number of casualties from both threats were compared with each other, the numbers for one would hardly be anywhere near the other. Natural disasters are far more dangerous, yet there are several factors that contribute to the shift in focus towards the terroristic type of attacks.…
In an effort to save lives during a natural or man-made disaster, it is critical that federal, state, local leadership, the National Weather Service, Emergency Management Agencies, the internet and the media develop more effective warning messages, methods and systems to disseminate information. Lessons learned from Katrina show that there is a fallacy in the assumption that diverse populations respond in the same way to the same messages. Easily understood, real time, credible messages must be developed that convey trust, genuine concern and urgency of the warning itself.…
Young people are often seriously affected when disasters strikes and can face severe difficulties in coping with unexpected and traumatic interruptions to their lives. But despite this, the world’s youth are also the very people who can teach their communities - and the wider world - how to reduce the risks and…
… new threats are in the focus of public discussion: - Terrorism - Attacks on buildings housing huge crowds of people - Extreme weather phenomena - Temporary breakdown of civilian infrastructure Possible consequences: - Large numbers of victims - Damage situations covering large areas - Intensive disaster relief - Great demands on the coordination of relief and rescue measures…
Education promotes and enables Disaster Risk Reduction and it has already been made out by policy makers and researchers. In fact, the numbers of evidences are increasing that students of different age groups actively participate in safety measures of their schools and also help their…