Solving the approval and political overlay problems
From the Crisis Comm Blog by Gerald Baron Information approvals, political overlay of messages, “sanitizing” response information—these are among the biggest challenges for emergency communicators. That was brought home to me again yesterday talking with some communicators about how the local political authorities slowed the release of information by requiring consolidation and their approval. Worse, [...]
Read More →New app helps Queensland coordinate volunteers
Researchers from the University of Queensland have developed a new smartphone app to help mobilize and coordinate volunteer efforts during major disasters. Following the historic floods that caused an estimated $5.6 billion in damage, an unprecedented number of volunteers appeared to help clean houses, roads, and buildings across the state. More than 50,000 people showed up for [...]
Read More →East Coast quake a ‘teachable moment’
Six months after an earthquake shook the East Coast, its lessons still reverberate through the emergency management, engineering and geological communities. The magnitude-5.8 quake, centered in the tiny town of Mineral, Va., demonstrated that earthquakes aren’t just a West Coast threat. Big quakes had hit the East Coast before but not recently nor with the [...]
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