Crisis and Emergency Risk Communications:

Addressing the challenges

Stacey Thompson

CONTEXT– Emergency Communications vs Emergency Information

Management (beware of much communications and little information)

– Redundancy is the essence of EC, but along with that comes the need for a wide variety of protocols and skills for different Communications methods.

– “Hi-tech” communications equipment is of little use during crises without adequate preparatory legislation, management, protocols, training and qualified operators.

– Traditional communications methods are often ignored in favour of hi-technology, but they should not be considered mutually exclusive during emergencies.

AIM

To outline some EC challenges experienced during crises and to underscore lessons

learned

Challenge # 1

Plug in

Turn on

Operations• Routine Operations• Crisis Operations

– Deployment of equipment• Pre-positioning • Post-Impact deployment

– Information Handling Protocols• Message Formats/Forms• Message Reporting Structure• Routing Priorities

Operations • Diagram, Frequency, Codes, Radios,

ANTennaS• Multi language warnings as most

vulnerable (immigrants) often do not speak national broadcast language

• Warning systems for special needs groups• Interoperability of equipment

EC Legislation• Commandeer private facilities if needed• Public warning responsibilities for private Telecoms

licensing requirements• Customs arrangements for Intl Assistance

(Tampere Convention)• Authority

EC Legislation • Enforcement of Responsibilities• Lack of legislation prevents adequate staffing • Regulations and Procedures needed to

operationalize legislation• Telecommunications monopolies • MOUs for use of private / NGO human and

material resources during crises• Needed to remove hurricane centered mindset

Organization, Leadership and Management

• Lead agency not accepting responsibility for EC– No ownership of EC– Lack of leadership– Lack of training of lead agency in DRM

causes confidence gaps hence low priority given to EC

Organization, Leadership and Management

• Existence of EOC/ECC– Radio Room– Communications Area– Computer Room– Needed to confirm, coordinate, monitor and

manage Information from many different sources

Organization, Leadership and Management• Communications with and between

– NEOC – Disaster Site– CEOC – Shelter– International donor– Victim– Agencies HQs

Staff• Full Time Person(s) needed for EC

Management• Career path needed for motivation• Qualified • Experienced

Staffing• Crisis Operators

– Identified beforehand instead of random details– Very familiar with equipment– Very familiar with computer software – Properly briefed on equipment– Operators understand battery technology– Operator knowledge of voice/radio procedures

Plans and Planning– Communications SOPs– Easily Understandable Communications

Diagrams

Training• EC Theory• Practical “Hands on” with equipment• Drills• Exercises

Choice of Technologies• Blackberry and other technologies have merged

and personalized communications and Information Management

• Sometimes causes misguided belief that one person can run EC from a PDA

• Appropriateness for situation• Use of digital (data) communications instead of

analogue (voice) communications

Equipment• Land Line

– Downed lines make unreliable comms during storm emergencies

• Radios– Adequate number of Radios ?– Adequacy for Task/Fitness for Role ?– Radios Working when Deployed?– Radios Tested Before Deployment?– Frequency/channel assignments correct?– Redundancy issues

Redundancy issues– Trunking

• Vulnerable to maintenance and upgrading problems and “control” issues

– Use of HF• Abandoned by some countries for sat phones • Needs much training and expertise to operate and maintain• Strategic alliances for trained operators at strategic locations• Strategic alliances for maintenance pers at strategic

locations• Dysfunctional HAM clubs - skills being lost

Cell Phones– Over-reliance on this comms – Often unreliable – Commerce driven – Vulnerable to wind damage– Voice and SMS Jamming– Pre-Arranged Priority Calls – Cell Alert Technology for Call Out– Expensive to operate

Satphones – Activated before deployment?– Choice of Hand Held or Outside Antenna?– Useable inside building (EOC/Shelters) with outside

antenna– Tendency to use like cell phones – Attempts to call incorrect satphone numbers – Incorrect dialing procedures/codes/prefixes– Operators only see this equipment during emergency

response and do not know how to use them– Expensive to operate hence limited application

911– Police operators tend to focus response on

crime calls – Best practice - Better operated by civilians– Can automate with reverse 911

Cell Alert– Who pays for this? – Cell providers ?– Great for Geographic based warning system

SMS– Jams network when many numbers used

simultaneously– Providers can prioritize for EC only

Cable TV– Antennae and cable affected by hurricanes– Good for other emergencies

E-mail– Blackberry a good addition to EC arsenal– Great for data comms, documentation,

transmitting large amounts of information, tables, lists, etc

– Power sources

EM software for EM system– Location and administration of server

contentious– Security concerns by some countries

• Megaphones• Sirens• Runner• Flags• Whistles• Drums• Light signals• Morse code

Computers– Power sources– Operator skills– Portability– Loss of data

• Backup– Use of wireless networks

• Operator knowledge– Adequacy for task

• Networked?• Appropriate Software• Memory• Hard disk• Speed• Portable (Laptop) or Fixed (Desktop)

Batteries– Sufficient batteries per radio for extended

operations ?– Batteries charged before deployment ?– Will batteries maintain charge for reasonable

period of time ? (one day)

Maintenance Programme– Serviceability Rate– Plan for Base Maintenance ?– Plan for Field/First Line Maintenance ?– Plan for Routine Maintenance ?– Care and maintenance of Equipment

• Radios Well Maintained ?• Daily Risk Reduction Measures

– Location of ECC– Disassembly of vulnerable outside equipment before hurricane

blow– Protection from power surges/Lightening/Etc

Back Up Power– Generators

• Adequate number of generators for EOCs, shelters etc• Size of generators• Fuel for Generators• Adequate and safe fuel storage for generators• Procedures for refilling generators

– UPS– Inverters– Solar Chargers

Public Information and Education– Public not aware of protocols

THANK YOU

Questions ???