Emergency and disaster communication is often considered to be a subset of crisis communications because emergencies and crises both require a rapid and dramatic shift from Business as Usual to a focused response- often in a high-stake, high-pressure environment.
However, this presentation argues that training and planning according to the principles of effective crisis communications are not enough for effective emergency and disaster management because the needs and challenges diverge from standard crisis management.
There are two key reasons for this. One is to do with the different in strategic priorities and needs of key stakeholders, and the other is the practical and technological limitations we should expect to face in a significant emergency event.
This presentation looks at the special characteristics and considerations inherent in effective emergency/disaster communication and offers a way to plan and prepare our organizations and communities for significant infrastructure damage in a way that aims to avoid both panic and despondency.