Best Practices in Disaster Public Communications

12:00p.m.- 12:30p.m. (PT) | Link to register. 

When disaster strikes and an emergency notification is issued, people are often unsure how to act. They may spend time “milling,” checking in with friends and neighbors, scrolling through sources and social media—trying to decide whether the alert applies to them. Research has shown this can be life threatening. Looking at how community members responded to alerts during the SCU and CZU complex wildland fires in 2020, experts Dr. Frances L. Edwards and Dan Goodrich examine disaster public communications best practices. How can public agencies collaborate with social media organizations to get the right messaging out? How do we ensure messaging engenders immediate, life-saving action? The researchers have also proposed an app that could assist in eliminating time spent milling by speeding up social media investigation by sorting messages via GIS coordinates, time, and more to ensure community members are reading the messages most relevant to them. Don't miss this opportunity during National Preparedness Month to gain valuable insights and explore innovative solutions in disaster communication.

*0.5 PDH credit available

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About the Panelist

Frances L. Edwards, MUP, PhD, CEM, is professor emeritus of political science at San José State University, following 17 years as the Director of the Master of Public Administration program. She is the Deputy Director of the National Transportation Security Center at the Mineta Transportation Institute. A Certified Emergency Manager with over 20 years’ professional experience in California, she has served as acting assistant fire chief for the San José Fire Department, as Budget Analyst for the Irvine, California Police Department, and as Assistant to the City Manager in Florham Park, New Jersey. 

Daniel C. Goodrich, MPA, CEM, MEP is a Senior Transportation Security Scientist with the Mineta Transportation Institute at SJSU, and the instructor for “Security Issues for Transportation Professionals” in the Master of Science in Transportation Management program. He is a Certified Emergency Manager, a Master Exercise Practitioner, a Professional Continuity Practitioner and a Certified Security Specialist. He provides emergency management planning and training support to Caltrans and Santa Clara Valley Transit Authority.