5.2. Response Communication Guidelines

In terms of compositional style, warning messages should be:

Specific – Minimize the time the public spends seeking information to confirm the risk.
Consistent – Messages should not contain contradictory information, nor should the message from one communication channel contradict the message distributed through another channel.
Certain – Describe what is known and unknown in certain terms. Do not guess or speculate.
Clear – Use common words that can easily be understood and avoid technical terms or jargon. If protective instructions are precautionary, state so clearly. If the chance of the event occurring is less than 100%, convey the likelihood in simple terms.
Accurate – Do not overstate or understate the facts or omit important information.
Accessible – Craft messages with consideration for people with disabilities (e.g., vision- or hearing-impaired populations) and for non-English speaking residents.

In terms of content, warning messages should include the following:

Specific hazard – What is the chemical hazard? What are the potential risks for the community?
Location – Where will the effects occur? Is the location described so those without local knowledge can understand their risk?
Timeframe – When will it arrive at various locations? How long will the effects last?
Source of warning – Who is issuing the warning? Is it an official source with public credibility?
Magnitude – A description of the expected effects. How bad is it likely to get?
Likelihood – The probability of occurrence of the effect.
Protective behavior – What protection actions should people take and when?
- Where/who should (or should not) take the actions (described in clear geospatial, age group, and other everyday terms)?
- How will the protective actions reduce the chemical’s impact?
- If evacuation is called for, where should people go and what should they take with them?

Once the immediate threat has been addressed, public information communications typically focus on the following topics:

Overall description of the situation and outline of governmental response efforts
Instructions on safety measures and risk based on the substance’s dispersion method and substance/chemical identity
Availability of medical and non-medical countermeasures – What is available? For whom? When? Where?
Locations of supportive care and treatment facilities – What is available? For whom? When? Where?
Availability of cleanup and remediation technologies, supplies, and personnel – What and who is available? When? Where?
Cleanup efforts – Who is responsible? How long will it take? What will it cost? What danger is there for humans, wildlife, or the environment until the cleanup is finished?
In a food/agricultural event – Is the food supply safe?
In a pharmaceutical event – Is the drug supply safe?

Refer To

For help designing effective messages, refer to:

For Leaders/Responders:

Public Health Emergency Response: A Guide for Leaders and Responders is specifically tailored for public officials (e.g., mayors, governors, county executives, emergency managers) and first responders (e.g., police, fire, EMS).
Communicating in a Crisis: Risk Communications Guidelines for Public Officials (2002). This primer educates public officials on the basic skills and techniques needed for clear, effective communications, information dissemination, and message delivery, and on working with the news media.
Crisis & Emergency Risk Communication (CERC) Manual draws from lessons learned during past public health emergencies and provides trainings, tools, and resources to help communicators, emergency responders, and organizational leaders communicate effectively during emergencies.

For Media:

Terrorism and Other Public Health Emergencies: A Field Guide for Media. This guide provides information for the media on how to quickly and clearly communicate terrorism and public health emergency messages to the public

Take Action

Develop chemical incident-specific, accessible public messaging and communication strategies prior to an incident. Begin by patterning after existing all-hazards communications plans.
Develop messages using simple, action-oriented language to help the public absorb information. Work to simplify protective action messaging while remaining technically accurate.
Familiarize communications staff with existing pre-scripted messaging resources
Determine possible points of confusion in safety instructions for your community, and draft messages to deconflict
Determine a review process for emergency messages
Utilize exercises or real-world scenarios to practice and refine the review chain
Socialize draft messages with decision makers to gain pre-approval for dissemination
Establish a process to catalog, categorize, and answer public questions during an emergency and test the process by storing pre-approved messages
Talk with other jurisdictions in your area to determine the best way to share cataloged and approved responses to common public inquiries

Footnotes

41. Sorensen, J.H. (2000). Hazard warning systems: Review of 20 years of progress. Natural Hazards Review 1(2): 119-125.

46. Chemical Hazards Emergency Medical Management (CHEMM). (2020, September 14). Public Information Officers.

47. Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) Technical Resources, Assistance Center, and Information Exchange (TRACIE). (2018, September). Tips for Healthcare Facilities: Assisting Families and Loved Ones after a Mass Casualty Incident.