Activity 4: Establish Public Messaging and Communications

Purpose

The purpose of this activity is to develop ways to build an effective communications plan to inform the community.

Why?

As part of any disaster recovery process, a communication strategy should be developed that enables two-way communication that not only informs the public about how and when to repair and reconstruct but also acts as a mechanism for reporting back and providing information to those leading the recovery efforts. Developing a communication strategy supports recovery planning by helping to co-develop and identify recovery needs, capacity, resources, and project priorities. Critical to the overall success of the communications strategy is identifying how best to reach diverse populations within the community through trusted organizations and having messages provided both in English and Spanish (See Activity 1).

When?

This should be developed at the beginning of the recovery planning process. (Days 31 - 60)

How does my community do this?

1. Develop a communications strategy. Developing a communications strategy designed to deliver timely and accurate information to all community members and stakeholders, including non-English speaking stakeholders, over the full course of the recovery process is essential. Use the information and input gathered from initial community engagement efforts (Activity 3 above) to inform the development of this strategy. Elements of the communications strategy should include:
   • Utilizing multiple forms of media (e.g., newspapers, internet, television, radio, social media, trusted community organizations, and information networks) based on intended audiences.  Local governments can “use a variety of “push” communications methods:
     • Automated telephone calling systems.
     • Posters and billboards in both English and Spanish.
     • Dedicated websites for local government recovery news.
     • Communications through social and mass media.
     • Coordinate with the social media and recovery websites at State recovery agencies.
     • Provide Spanish translations of all messages.
   • Conveying a common message, in both English and Spanish, across the assistance network tied to agreed-upon elements of the state recovery plan.
   • Engaging members of the media in the pre-event recovery planning process, including educating them about the nature of recovery and its complexities and developing ways to solicit their assistance to disperse recovery-related information and dispel misinformation in both the pre-and post-disaster environment.
   • Developing an approach to share information and engage in an ongoing dialogue with individuals and organizations that are external to the recovery committee, including the development of a venue to solicit feedback and engage in plan updates.
   • Utilize a “two-way” communications approach when possible. See the Additional Guidance section for more information.
2. Designate a staff member to be the Public Information Officer (PIO) to manage the implementation of the communications strategy. This individual should ensure the public is well informed about actions taken and future opportunities for assistance and also help to set expectations for timelines and programs and to coordinate between multiple recovery agencies, ensure that all messages are accessible to non-English speaking community members, and should handle inquiries from the media, the public, and elected officials; emergency public information and warnings; rumor monitoring and response; media relations; and other functions required to gather, verify, coordinate, and disseminate accurate, accessible, and timely information related to the recovery process. In small communities where it is unlikely that the emergency management operation has a full-time PIO, the designated PIO should be recruited from the community’s communications office, from the County government communications staff, or a communications specialist on loan from DHSEM.
3. Finalize your disaster Communications Plan. Download a template for the plan.
4. Develop and disseminate messages to community stakeholders and the public. Provide quality information to the broader community and public that is relevant to the recovery in a transparent way. At this stage, the pre-disaster planning process and the resilience building process should have helped you identify how best to communicate to your community.
5. Monitor all communications activities and identify and dispel misinformation. Managing misinformation requires careful and strategic consideration. Establish a rumor control capability to identify and dispel misinformation and invest in staff capacity to monitor and share information on social media platforms. Use strong, clear, and informed communication and credible sources. Consider ways to ensure communication redundancies in the process and be sure to track and squelch misinformation and rumors as they emerge directly.

Community Call Out: San Miguel County, Colorado

In San Miguel County, Colorado, the Disaster Recovery Plan has designated a lead Public Information Officer (PIO) as part of its emergency support functions.  In this plan, the PIO has the following responsibilities and provides a central component or service in the recovery process.

• The PIO will get the latest information from the incident to the EOC Recovery Functions ensuring coordinated messaging and services.
• Providing a central place from which to distribute public information by establishing and coordinating a joint information center for county departments working the incident.
• Disseminating emergent and pertinent (need to know) details to the public on evacuations, closures, processes, etc. through county public communications channels.
• Communicating to county employees regarding impacts to county government, closures, or special work instructions.
• Responding to recovery-specific media requests. Responses to all media requests (recovery or response specific) should be coordinated with the Incident PIO if that function is still operating.
• Serving as the communications lead for the long-term Recovery Manager to establish the main communication source through which all disaster recovery public information flows.
• During disaster recovery, ensuring a single source for information relating to services available to assist those impacted by the disaster.