Communication is sorely lacking when it comes to emergency operations plans, according to a recent George Mason University study of 50 states and the District of Columbia.
The study, Using Sense-Making and Co-Orientation to Rank Strategic Public Communication in State Emergency Operations Plans, has found 22 states either can’t or won’t reveal their emergency operations plan and others haven’t made provisions for including the public in planning dialogues. The plans are required to receive federal funding under the Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act.
"It's very important that these plans are available to the public,” Carl Botan, the communication professor who led the study, stated in a press release (http://eagle.gmu.edu/newsroom/719/). “Otherwise residents can't be confident their needs have been thought of and aren't sure who they can count on."
The study ranked the state plans on communication criteria, including two-way communication components, addressing vulnerable populations’ communication needs, and the importance of public communication to the plan. The report will be presented at the National Communication Conference this month, according to the press release.
To receive a copy of the study, contact Tara Laskowski at tlaskows@gmu.edu.
Jolie Breeden is the lead editor and science communicator for Natural Hazards Center publications. She writes and edits for Research Counts; the Quick Response, Mitigation Matters, Public Health, and Weather Ready Research Award report series; as well as for special projects and publications. Breeden graduated summa cum laude from the University of Colorado Boulder with a bachelor’s degree in journalism.