by Damon P . Coppola (Author), ErinK.Maloney (Author)
Recent events worldwide have made disaster preparedness and disaster communication to the public a crucial concern. September 11th, the Indian Ocean tsunami, Hurricane Katrina, and other mega-disasters have highlighted not only a woeful lack of community awareness of vulnerability but also the absence of a clear protocol for what to do as events unfold. The first book dedicated solely to the topic of pre-disaster communication, Communicating Emergency Preparedness: Strategies for Creating a Disaster Resilient Public presents the best ways to inform communities about disaster risk factors, response plans, and emergency procedures without fomenting panic or paranoia.
A public awareness campaign is the critical tool to help communities prepare themselves and to mitigate the human and economic impact of disasters. The authors provide an overview and history of public disaster preparedness education and then proceed to explore risk management and the development of a campaign strategy. They include specific instruction on how those charged with developing these programs can obtain funding from donors, foundations, and government grants.
Real Examples of Successful Programs
The second half of the book features a series of case studies which identify various public awareness campaigns that have been successfully conducted in different communities. The text provides program facts and contact information for those who designed and executed the campaigns to enable communities to model their own efforts based on what has worked in the past.
Recognizing that knowledge is the best defense, this comprehensive, practical resource provides public administration officials, emergency managers, evacuation coordinators, and community leaders at the local and national level with the background and tools needed to plan, design, and carry out effective public disaster preparedness campaigns.
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 264
Edition: 1
Publisher: Auerbach Publications
Published: 29 May 2009
ISBN 10: 1420065106
ISBN 13: 9781420065107
... communicating effectively is imperative in emergency response. Authors Damon Coppola and Erin Maloney, who are both communications consultants, understand how central communications are to disaster management. In this work, they explain important measures such as development of communication strategies, partnership planning, and launching a directed public awareness campaign to reach targeted populations. ... Communicating Emergency Preparedness is a solid read that provides substantive advice in a user-friendly format. This book is appropriate not only for communications professionals but also for government officials, emergency preparedness managers, risk consultants, and community leaders at all levels.
-Brian M. Harrell, CPR M.A., writing in ASIS Book Reviews, August 2010
This book provides public safety and emergency management practitioners at local and national levels with the background and tools needed to plan, design and carry out public disaster preparedness efforts. It serves as an academic resource and a how-to guide. ... Although written with an emergency management focus, Communicating Emergency Preparedness provides public relations and communications information that can be easily used in any field of public safety or public service. ... this book is a quick and easy read that is well organized and jam packed with resources and references for further research. The book provides sidebars with tips for success and information, such as Web addresses and links. Each chapter ends with a list of additional publications and sources for more information. At the end of the book, there are roughly 20 pages of case studies, sample public education plans and an Appendix that lists organizations, Web sites and links to downloadable guides on public education and communicating with the public. ... Communicating Emergency Preparedness would be a beneficial addition to any public safety professional's library, but especially for senior-level individuals tasked with some level of preparedness or public education.
-Bob Smith writing in Public Safety Communications, 76(1):49
In Communicating Emergency Preparedness, Mr. Coppola and Ms. Maloney embark on an ambitious attempt to connect academic concepts in several fields to actionable strategies for public communication for emergency preparedness. ... the authors include a full chapter on Program Support, from funding sources and grant prospects to partners able to provide in-kind resources and even guidance on how a project team may learn to request support during the flow of the campaign. This piece de resistance may be just the ticket to help support the practitioner looking to convert the concepts of communication science and market research into actionable project planning to develop successful preparedness communication campaigns.
-Steven C. Weiss, PhD, writing in the Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, Vol. 6 [2009], No. 1, Article 70