Running head: EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

Emergency Management Healthcare Communication Strategies/HCS !"

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT Emergency Management #n a crisis e$ent% such as this &u'lic (ater contamination% essential in)ormation is critical* The director o) the regional emergency management o))ice must ensure all means and modes o) communication is used to their )ullest &otential at a crisis% ta+ing care the ,uality o) in)ormation disseminated is &rotected* -hile the technical teams (ill im&lement the logistics o) using technology% sorted indi$iduals or organi.ations (ill ensure ,uality control: the sco&e o) in)ormation re,uired to 'e &u'lished% co$erage o) actions that ha$e or ha$e not 'een ta+en% immediate recommendations% or com&ulsory e$acuation directi$es etc* Communication #nside / 0utside the 0rgani.ation As is e$ident )rom the scale o) this incident% a higher le$el o) authority must 'e

rati)ied% (hether an indi$idual or a grou&% to o$ersee the ,uality o) in)ormation released% and at (hat times* -hile the director o) the regional emergency management o))ice (ould 'e in charge o) internal and e1ternal communications% delegation (ould ha$e to 'e im&lemented to ensure his e))orts are considered* -ithin the 'usiness% the nature o) communications (ould 'e in(ard and u&(ard* Accordingly% under the su&er$ision o) the director% the organi.ation (ould synchroni.e (ith state2le$el authorities as (ell as )ederal authorities* This communication has the ad$antage o) not re,uiring any )ilters* #n)ormation can 'e )reely shared% the e1tent o) su&&ort re,uired% )or e1am&le% can 'e con$eyed in detail* 3i+e(ise% ste&s ta+en thus )ar% or the e1act nature o) di))iculties )aced can also 'e discussed* This (ill ensure that the &osition is 'etter understood% and e1ternal hel& is t(ea+ed to the re,uirements* 3i+e(ise% some amount o) in)ormation can 'e shared (ith nongo$ernmental organi.ations 4non&ro)its )or

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT e1am&le5% (here a limited amount o) )iltering may 'e re,uired o(ing to the sensiti$ity o) the issue at hand* #n all% inter$ention on 'ehal) o) the director (ould ha$e to 'e limited in the case o) internal communications 4A(asthy% !""65* Ho(e$er% (hen it comes to e1ternal communications% the regional emergency management o))ice (ill ha$e to &roduce a high2ran+ing o))icial% to ensure the in)ormation is ta+en (ith the seriousness and gra$ity it deser$es* The director o) the o))ice in this case must a&&ro&riately t(ea+ the message to 'e deli$ered* 7or e1am&le% the )ocus should 'e on actiona'le ste&s% not yet u&on details% )or e1am&le% as to (hat may ha$e trans&ired% the nature o) the 'iological agent etc* #nstead% a limited amount o) in)ormation o$er the nature and rami)ications% including the areas a))ected should 'e &ro$ided* The )ocus should stay u&on actiona'le ste&s% and &recise a$oidance% together (ith &otential rami)ications% and a time &eriod to the a))air (ra&&ed u&* Ad$antages / Challenges: Communication Communication $ia ne(s stations (ould &resent immediate ad$antages as (ell as challenges* An immediate ad$antage (ith circulating ne(s or communicating to 'roadcast ne(s (ould 'e damage control (hich (ill re,uire )e(er e))orts later in the crisis situation* This communication (ill hel& to reduce the lia'ility u&on the local agency* 0nce )ederal and state stations are &ro&erly in)ormed a greater e))ort (ill 'e &ooled into the &rocess* Gi$en the issue at hand concerns se$eral to(ns hel& (ould 'e much needed* 3i+e(ise% &ri$ate and nongo$ernmental &layers (ith sta+es (ill also hel& to alle$iate some o) the 'urden* The sooner this in)ormation is communicated to the in)ormation consumer% the citi.ens o) the to(ns% they (ill 'ecome hel&)ul to the o$erall situation*

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT At the same time% there (ill also 'e challenges* 9erha&s the 'iggest challenge (ill 'e to ensure in)ormation is 'roadcast (ithout )urther delay : e))ecti$e in)ormation that is immediately actiona'le 'y the community* Gi$en the scale o) this incident% &atience may 'e hard to )ind% another one o) the 'iggest &ros&ecti$e challenges* This may allo(% )or e1am&le% 'its and &ieces o) un(anted in)ormation con$eyed* This may lead to unnecessary lia'ility do(n the road* Summoning the energy re,uired and scaling it across multi&le &lat)orms% including local and national ne(s% radio stations%

internet &ortals% and most im&ortantly social media in today;s times* Coordinating e))ort across multi&le agencies o) the $arious le$els o) go$ernment $ia communication (ill also 'e a challenge% 'ecause% )or e1am&le% non&ro)its may not 'e re$ealed as&ects o) in)ormation that (ould &erha&s go to the )ederal agencies* <i))erences in Communication 9rocess There are a num'er o) di))erences in communication &rocesses used in crisis situations s&eci)ically% learning the ,uality o) in)ormation to 'e released* As o&&osed to the cor&orate (orld% (here in)ormation sharing is so im&ortant that all data is good data% in crisis situations% de&ending u&on the duration into the incident% the le$el o) a&&raisal or 'rie)ing% the sensiti$ity o) the issue at hand% and a num'er o) other )actors determine the ,uality o) in)ormation 'eing con$eyed* Another di))erence is the time $alue o) in)ormation% (hich &rogressi$ely loses its signi)icance% the later it is (ithheld* 3earning )rom a crisis situation )ocuses u&on the need )or ha$ing a com&rehensi$e accessi'le data'ase* 7or e1am&le% the con)irmations )or (hich the regional o))ice had to (ait u&on the state and recon)irm (ith a 'ioha.ard agency% could ha$e 'een redundant had a more com&rehensi$e data'ase included in)ormation on the

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT e))ects o) the to1in% as (ell as the (ays and means to contain it* #n order to im&ro$e u&on healthcare communication strategies% one o) the )oremost lessons has 'een to ensure easy synchroni.ation is &ossi'le* This is 'ecause% in a healthcare situation%

there are numerous sta+eholders that may all carry a lot o) (eight and may ha$e critical in&uts 4Co&&ola% !"1"5* Enhancing Communication Humans s&end a )ormida'le amount o) time communicating or consuming in)ormation> ho(e$er% the issue at hand is that time and e))ort are 'oth limited )or e$eryone* -ith the ad$ent o) social media and a dee&er &enetration o) the #nternet% segments o) our &o&ulation are (eaned a(ay )rom traditional )orms o) 'roadcast* 7or e1am&le% (ithin the younger set% a higher num'er o) &eo&le &re)er consuming in)ormation $ia social media 4-hite% !"115* There)ore% it is almost a necessity to ensure in)ormation recei$es an outlet that (ay* The regional contingency management should ha$e a running technological &olicy under (hich these accounts are maintained* #) the agency (aits until a crisis situation occurs to enter media% there is little 'ene)it 'ecause not many users (ould 'e engaged (ith them 4)ollo( them or 'e there )ans5* There are many immense 'ene)its out o) social media e))orts as (ell* Maintaining a $eri)ied and o))icial count not only increases traction among )ollo(ers 'ut it grants authority to the in)ormation con$eyed% (hich may then get re2t(eeted or shared* This is es&ecially hel&)ul (hen some )orm o) in)ormation must 'e s&read )ar and (ide ,uic+ly 4Cro(e% !"1!5* Technology ?ses

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT There are a num'er o) (ays that technology might 'e used di))erently no(* Most im&ortantly% in)ormation can 'e 'oth cro(d sourced and cro(d shared* 7or e1am&le% in e$ents li+e Aatrina the in)ormation on the ground could ha$e 'een more

,uic+ly relayed i) each &erson had something to say a'out the le$el o) their a))ectation* This (ould ha$e 'een &ossi'le% again% $ia social media alone* -hen (e discuss technology% the hard(are as&ect cannot 'e o$erloo+ed* 7or e1am&le% (e ha$e only seen gro(ing &o&ularity in gadgetry to(ard the end o) the last decade* 0nly no( ha$e de$ices 'ecome &otent enough to record accurate data% access multi&le &lat)orms and ,uic+ly share in)ormation% (hile also create in)ormation in the )orm o) &hotogra&hs and recorded $ideos* There)ore% on 'ehal) o) the authorities% technological recei&t and 'roadcast should 'e made e))ort )ree* Media 0&&ortunities There should 'e no reliance on a single )orm o) media* Accordingly% o&&ortunities in traditional )orms must 'e sei.ed e))iciently* The regional o))ice should ma+e u& )or their local stature% limited reach and recognition 'y accessing media o&&ortunities% )or e1am&le% a slot )or an inter$ie( on a national net(or+% (hich (ill ena'le it to 'e )ar more con$incingly recogni.ed as (ell as &ut in &ers&ecti$e* 3arger outlets (ill also &lace the announcements in a mature a&&ro&riate conte1t allo(ing )or easy digestion o) the in)ormation* This is an issue (ith social media and cro(dsourcing% (here the ,uality o) in)ormation is li+ely to deteriorate the more it is shared a(ay )rom the source* There)ore% o&&ortunities that allo( the regional o))ice to consolidate its &osition and sort issues through are irre&lacea'le* Conclusion

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

#n all% the director o) a regional emergency management o))ice &lays a signi)icant role during any crisis situation* Selecting mem'ers and organi.ing teams )or communication inside and outside the agency is im&ortant to hel& the &u'lic understand and also control &anic* ?sing many ty&es o) communication to assure entire community recei$es accurate and timely in)ormation can assist (ith managing the crisis to achie$e a com&lete resolution*

Re)erences Cro(e% A* 4!"1!5* Disasters 2.0: The Application of Social Media Systems for Modern Emergency Management* Coca Raton% 7lorida: CRC 9ress* Co&&ola% <* 9* 4!"1"5* Introduction to International Disaster Management.

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT Ne( Yor+% NY: Else$ier* A(asthy% A* 4!""65* Disaster Management: Warning elocation. Glo'al #ndia 9u'lications* -hite% C* M* 4!"115* Social Media" !risis !ommunication" and Emergency Management: #e$eraging We% 2.0 Technologies. Coca Raton% 73: CRC 9ress* esponse and !ommunity