Communications in Disaster

Danni R. EickenhorstCommunications SpecialistSalvation Army Midland HQ

Hurricane Oil Spill Chemical Leak Flooding Earthquake Tornado

Acts of War Fire Tsunami Blizzard Avalanche Volcanic Activity

May 22, 2011 5:42 p.m.

Incident Commander

Operations Planning PIO Logistics Finance & Admin Liaison Safety

Public Information Officer (PIO)

Central media point of contact in/out Relationships with media

Arrange interviews – Speak/Prep Internal Communications External communications

PIO (Continued) Historian/Photographer/Videographer Work with liaison and outside agencies

to stay abreast of upcoming events. Work with field personnel to stay

updated on stories as they happen.

Challenges Limited communications channels Carnage and destruction Non-stop activity Doing good while delivering the message Doing good BY delivering the message Exhaustion/Burnout Physical conditions

Jump Kit Hot spot Flash Drive (multiple) SD Cards Laptop Camera (hi-res, portable) Flip camera Tape/Voice Recorder Flashlight Bug Spray Sunscreen Water/Snacks Cash Backup batteries for all

equipment Chargers Appropriate clothing and

shoes Inverter

Logoed materials Maps Portable printer Hand Sanitizer First Aid Kit Business Cards Photo ID Pre-loaded drive

Templates Media contact list Master contact list

(organization) Links and logins Generic fact sheets

“Disaster sites are often chaotic and unpredictable places where good intentions are easily lost in the details of difficult logistics and poor communications. Disaster scenes can include human misery as well as hope, courage and conviction – also failed plans and lack of preparedness. The way these scenes are interpreted and presented to the public is critical to the reputation and morale of the organizations involved in the response. Managing the process is a critical component of the overall disaster response.”

Situation ReportCommunities Served: Joplin, MissouriServices Rendered: Hydration and sandwiches served to responders and survivors; clean-up assistance; long-term social services such as rent and utility assistance; lost item replacement; short-term shelter, and ministry/spiritual aid to responders and survivors.Hot Meals Served: 102,174Beverages Served: 253,897Clothing Items Provided: 495,000+Volunteer Hours: 8,942EDS Staff Hours: 9,500TSA Assets Dispatched:8 canteens from Oklahoma, Springfield, St. Louis and Sedalia; 5 staff vans; 3 generator trailers, and SATERN mobile response unit.

FACT SHEET

Information to Include1. How many people are affected by this disaster?2. Organization response to date?3. Partnerships in the response effort?4. History of organization within the community in

questions, and brief general background of organization’s history.

5. What do affected people need, if anything, at this time?

6. What does your organization need at this time to help them?

7. What telephone number and internet link are being used for people with inquiries or wanting to help?

News Consumers Let’s talk about news consumers so we can decide who

we should target with our efforts in a disaster: 46% of Americans say they get their news from 4-6

media platforms on any given day. Just 7% get their news from a single source. 28% of online news consumers have customized their

home page to include news on the topics of their choice.

37% of internet users have contributed to the creation of news, commented about it or shared it via Facebook or Twitter.

65% of online adults use social networking sites.

Power of Social Media in Disaster

Free/Low Cost Immediate Global reach PR Disaster – Early Detection Developing strategy in advance

MEDIA OUTLETS Print

Daily local newspapers Weekly community-based newspapers Special interest or non-English language newspapers Newsletters for employees, service recipients, etc. News magazines

Radio Talk Sports News Christian/Religious University-affiliated Public Radio Satellite Music

Television Broadcast (commercial and public) Local and national cable news/weather Pay (cable or satellite)

Online Almost all print, radio and TV outlets have a presence online News is aggregated/curated by blogs, ISP’s Some news sources are online-only Blogs Networking Sites/Social Media Photo/Video Sharing (YouTube, Vimeo, Flickr, Picasa)

Media Row First 24-36 hours Global Knocking on Doors Coming Prepared

Branding in Disaster

Types of Content Services offered to those in need Why services are critical to disaster response Plan-of-attack for disaster response by

organization/client Statistics and numbers Quantification of actual needs and benefits

provided by company Find creative ways to make numbers

relatable

Types of Content Human interest stories about survivors,

volunteers and responders Man on the street videos Photography

Candid/Action, not “grip and grin” High resolution Test resolution settings and capacity to

transfer files electronically prior to disaster

Compassion in Content

Privacy Protection Approach Developing

Trust Informed

Consent

Power in the PIO Role

Information Advocacy Power to

deliver aid Power to enact

change

Internal Preparations Incident Command Role Determination Training Policies Mental Preparation & Research Build social media presence Jump Kit Prepared language Cultivated media relationships Plan for after-care

Future Content

Corporate donors Donation drives Memorials/Anniversaries Joplin Relief Video