On November 3, 2007, a region in Los Angeles, California, experienced an earthquake that left 23 people dead. Most people were left homeless, counting losses in billions, owing to the serious damages. The earthquake is estimated to have had an epicenter of 10 miles beneath the surface of the earth. As a result, the impact made numerous apartments to go down. Worst case, the earthquake happened at night, causing confusion and serious injuries. However, the situation would have been managed appropriately, were it not for communication breakdowns. In often cases, communication becomes difficult whenever a serious disaster takes place. However, in the case of California earthquake, proper and up to date communication would have prevented further loss of lives, and most people would have managed to stay safe. To prevent this scenario from happening again, I would like the county government to take note of the following aspects regarding community communication during earthquake disasters.
Human Factor for Communication Breakdowns and Requisite Training for Operators
When the disaster struck, it was clear that, human factors contributed heavily to the communication breakdown that was witnessed. Firstly, the timing by the spokesperson was wrong because the attention of the residents was not drawn early enough to allow them ample time for preparing to evacuate (Iizuka, 2013). In the same vein, the spokesperson was unable to prioritize the way he was going to release the information in a systematic manner. A few hours to the disaster, there was information overload as the residents were overloaded with information, leaving no time to digest and react to it. When it came to issuing feedback, it was done at a slow space. As a result, most residents were caught up in the confusion because of such communication breakdown incidences (Schneider, 2014).
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In that sense, there is need for requisite training for operators to avoid a repeat of such unfortunate happenings in the future. The county government should conduct the needed training to the operators and the spokesperson. All the operators ought to be privy of the actions they are supposed to take during the earthquake. They should be exposed to practices of evacuation and earthquake plans regularly. Operators should trained on the updated procedures and plans based on the lessons learnt from the exercises (Schneider, 2014).
Role of a Public Spokesperson and Qualifications
The county government should ensure the spokesperson is able to connect with the residents before and during the disaster. In times of earthquake, people’s lives are likely to be impacted by the spokesperson, and as such, he has to be someone that can relate to them in an authentic and genuine way (Schneider, 2014). The spokesperson should deliver facts, speak concisely and clearly, be on point and remain in control. The spokesperson should acknowledge uncertainty, and fear of the residents. He should aim at reducing pain caused by the disaster, and avoid reassuring them anything (Iizuka, 2013).
In terms of qualification, the spokesperson should be conversant with all languages used by the residents. The spokesperson should have a bachelor degree in public administration, and have some background on earthquake disaster management.
Strategies to be Implemented at the Local Level
At the local level, the county government should ensure there is a community warning system in place. This will ensure when earthquake struck, local radio and television stations volunteer information of temporary shelters, evacuation routes, and provide emergency procedures (Schneider, 2014). An evacuation plan should be in place and a location for the local shelters for the residents should be in place.
Conclusions and Recommendations for Installation, Maintenance, and Operation of Communications Equipment
The county government should ensure installation, maintenance, and operation of communications of equipment during the earthquake. The county should install equipment with the latest wireless communication technique, one that utilizes Long Term Evolution (LTE) (Schneider, 2014). Considering during the earthquake there will be limited resources, a sharing spectrum should be installed. The dispatch and control should be in place. All equipment for communication and disaster response should be subjected to regular maintenance.
References
Iizuka, A. (2013). Geotechnical Predictions and Practice in Dealing with Geohazards. New York, NY: Springer Science & Business Media
Schneider, S. (2014). Dealing with Disaster: Public Management in Crisis Situations: Public Management in Crisis Situations. 2 nd Ed. New York, NY: Routledge
