Early Warnings and Alerts

Under Pressure 18 August 2023

Early warnings and alerts

The terrible situation in Maui is a crisis happening right now. There is already discussion and analysis about what caused the wildfires to be so devastating and what more could have been done. It appears to have been confirmed by authorities that emergency warning systems that could sound sirens to alert people were not used. I have been doing some research into warning systems, how they are used and the history of them.

Throughout the years we have looked for ways to alert our tribe, group and community about emerging disasters, threats and enemies that may be approaching. The more we are aware of issues before they take hold, the more we are likely to be able to take action to preserve lives. Over the years bells and then sirens were used, but now we appear to favour the use of text message, social media and media reports to alert people.

In the UK in April this year an emergency system that would text message all phones was trialled. People were able to opt out and many with a distrust of the Government took the opportunity to switch it off. If an emergency happens in the UK could this system be reliable enough?

According to the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction only 97 countries have early warning systems. They are pushing for universal coverage by 2027 as part of the Early Warnings for All initiative.

The authorities in Maui appear to have relied on text, social media and the media to alert people but with power outages across areas these messages did not get through. As the warnings and response are analysed it will be vital for all governments to look at what happened and what they need to do to prevent similar problems in the future. The question will be about who gives the authorisation to use the alerts, what circumstances have to be in place, what methods need to be used, and how can we check people have received it?

I wonder whether in the future there will be a role for artificial intelligence that may take the human error out of using these early warning systems. We all need to be aware of how warning systems would be used wherever we are, and as communicators how we could help to share those warnings. But for now my thoughts are with the people of Maui.

Data loss and cyber crisis

The significant data loss from the Police Service of Northern Ireland is a crisis on every level. As well as the managing the technical loss of the data, there is a need to consider a wide range of potential consequences from it and the reputational impact of the situation.

It is a worrying time for officers and staff, and while people see the external communication it is what is going on inside the organisation that is critical. Internal communication during a crisis is important but even more so when those directly affected are your employees.

Cyber attacks, data loss and a range of IT challenges are something that all business and organisations may face. Having a plan ready that will allow you to move quickly to communicate both internally and externally is essential. Amanda published a recent blog looking at the importance of being read for a cyber attack and possible loss of data in every organisation. Read more here.

Emergency Services Show September 2023

Amanda will be speaking at the first day of the Emergency Services Show on 19 September. In a session at 12noon Amanda will look at tips on managing a crisis in culture and will consider what next for emergency responders finding themselves managing reputational crises. If you are visiting the show on 19 September and would like to catch up with Amanda get in touch. Find out more about Amanda’s session here.

In Brief:

• 86 per cent of US residents in a recent survey said they were concerned about extreme weather disasters and the levels of preparedness. The information was shared in Government Technology website. Read more here.

• FEMA has published a document looking at Climate Essentials for Emergency Managers. The report looks at communication techniques, climate information, data resources and guidance for connecting with experts. Find out more here.

• The European Union has identified five disaster resilience goals. Find out what these are here.

• Recent research published through BMC Public Health has given some data around the importance of crisis and emergency risk communication when encouraging people to get vaccinated. Find out more about the research here.

• The importance of satellite communication has been highlighted following the horrific wildfires in Hawaii. Find out why and what it means in this recent article.

• Kogan Page the publishers of Amanda’s books recently shared Amanda’s information about the five stages of crisis management. Read more about what these are here.

• Remember there is still time to give Amanda your views on what crisis communication training is important to you for the coming year. A short (2 minute) survey to help shape the training sessions for 2024 is available here.

• Business continuity and crisis communication planning were identified as essential aspects of being ready in a review of the banking crises that appeared on the website Corporate Compliance Insights. Find out more here.

Diary Dates:

• On 12 September Amanda will be running her popular Crisis Management webinar for the PRCA. Find out more about the session here.

• Amanda will be running the next crisis communication exercise on 18 October. It will be focused on a reputational crisis. It is for two hours and costs just £50 per place. Contact amanda@amandacolemancomms.co.uk for more information.

• If you want to refresh your knowledge about how to Develop a Communication Strategy, Amanda will run a session on 26 September for the PRCA. Find out more here.