Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

Encyclopedia of Wildfires and Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) Fires pp 1–9Cite as

Emergency Notification: Warnings and Alerts

  • Living reference work entry
  • First Online:

Synonyms

Emergency alerts; Emergency information, Warning message

Definition

Emergency communication is the provision of information to members of the public under imminent threat. This information can be disseminated to the public in two forms: alerts and warnings (Mileti and Sorensen 1990). The main purpose of an alert is to capture the attention of the public in preparation for a subsequent warning message. Warnings are then used to provide information about the emergency, such as emergency type, when it will manifest, and the forms of protective action that should be taken (e.g., evacuation or shelter-in-place).

Introduction

Information is of utmost importance to the public during wildland fire disasters (Wildland fires are synonymous with bushfires.) especially for those under imminent threat from the fire. Historical fires have shown the importance of providing effective information to the public during wildfire events. In Australia, the 2009 Black Saturday fires resulted in 173...

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

References

  • Baxter LA (1984) Investigation of compliance-gaining as politeness. Hum Commun Res 10(3):427–456

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bean H, Liu BF, Madden S, Sutton J, Wood MM, Mileti DS (2016) Disaster warnings in your pocket: how audiences interpret mobile alerts for an unfamiliar hazard. J Conting Crisis Manag 24(3):136–147

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • California Office of Emergency Services (2016) California public alert and warning system (CalPAWS) plan. Available at http://www.caloes.ca.gov/WarningCenterSite/Documents/01California%20State%20Warning%20Plan.pdf. Accessed 13 Jan 2018

  • Cao Y, Boruff BJ, McNeill IM (2016) Is a picture worth a thousand words? Evaluating the effectiveness of maps for delivering wildfire warning information. Int J Disaster Risk Reduct 19:179–196

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chandler R (2010) Emergency notification. Praeger, Santa Barbara

    Google Scholar 

  • Cialdini RB, Goldstein N (2004) Social influence: compliance and conformity. Annu Rev Psychol 55:591–621

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clark T (1998) The impact of candid versus legally defensible language on the persuasiveness of environmental self-assessments. J Bus Commun 35(3):368–386

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cohn PJ, Carroll MS, Kumagai Y (2006) Evacuation behavior during wildfires: results of three case studies. West J App For 21(1):39–48

    Google Scholar 

  • Downing JL, Hodgson RW, Taylor JG, Gillette SC (2008) Fire information for communities at risk in interface wildfires: lessons learned from the 2003 Southern California megafires. In: Chavez DJ, Absher JD, Winter PL (eds) Fire social science research from the Pacific Southwest Research Station: studies supported by National Fire Plan funds. Gen tech rep PSW–209. US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station, Albany, pp 135–152

    Google Scholar 

  • Emergency Management Victoria (2014) National review of warnings and information: final report. Victorian Government, Cube Group, Melbourne

    Google Scholar 

  • Federal Emergency Management Agency US (FEMA) (2015) Template: emergency communication plans and IPAWS. Available at https://www.fema.gov/media-library-data/146367483048116ed0020684ba8cd263ba88f54a48c95/TemplateEmergencyCommPlans_IPAWS-508_05192016.pdf. Accessed 13 Jan 2018

  • Federal Emergency Management Agency US (FEMA) (2018) Integrated public alert & warning system. Available at https://www.fema.gov/integrated-public-alert-warning-system#. Accessed 13 Jan 2018

  • Glik DC (2007) Risk communication for public health emergencies. Annu Rev Pub Health 28:33–54

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gwynne SMV (2007) Optimizing fire alarm notification for high risk groups. The Fire Protection Research Foundation, Quincy

    Google Scholar 

  • Hardin H (2017) Risk and crisis communication lessons learned from the 2016 Gatlinburg wildfires: learn from the past … prepare for the future. Paper presented at emergency preparedness & hazmat response conference, Pittsburgh

    Google Scholar 

  • Hazelwood Mine Fire Inquiry (2014) Hazelwood mine fire inquiry report. Victorian Government, Melbourne. Available at http://report.hazelwoodinquiry.vic.gov.au/ . Accessed 13 Jan 2018

  • Heath RL, Lee J, Ni L (2009) Crisis and risk approaches to emergency management planning and communication: the role of similarity and sensitivity. J Pubic Relat Res 21(2):123–141

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hoskins BL (2014) Information needs of vulnerable populations. Paper presented at SUPDET Conference 2014. National Fire Protection Association, Quincy

    Google Scholar 

  • Kuligowski ED, Doermann J (2018) A review of public response to short message alerts under imminent threat, NIST technical note 1982. National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Lindell MK, Perry RW (2004) Communicating environmental risk in multiethnic communities. Sage, Thousand Oaks

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu BF, Wood MM, Egnoto M, Bean H, Sutton J, Mileti D, Madden S (2017) Is a picture worth a thousand words? The effects of maps and warning messages on how publics respond to disaster information. Public Relat Rev 43(3):493–506

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mayhorn C (2005) Cognitive aging and the processing of hazard information and disaster warnings. Nat Hazards Rev 6(4):165–170

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McCaffrey SM, Winter G (2011) Understanding homeowner preparation and intended actions when threatened by a wildfire. In: McCaffrey SM, Fisher CLeB (eds) Proceedings of the second conference on the human dimensions of wildland fire. Gen Tech Rep NRS–P–84. US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station, Newtown Square, pp 88–95

    Google Scholar 

  • McCaffrey SM, Velez AK, Briefel JA (2013) Differences in information needs for wildfire evacuees and non-evacuees. Int J Mass Emerg Disasters 31(1):4–24

    Google Scholar 

  • McCaffrey SM, Rhodes A, Stidham M (2015) Wildfire evacuation and its alternatives: perspectives from four United States communities. Int J Wildland Fire 24:170–178

    Google Scholar 

  • Mileti DS (1995) Factors related to flood warning response. In Salas JD, Siccardi F (eds) US–Italy research workshop on the hydrometeorology, impacts, and management of extreme floods, Colorado State University and University of Genova. http://www.engr.colostate.edu/ce/facultystaff/salas/us-italy/index.html. Accessed 13 Jan 2018

  • Mileti DS, Peek L (2000) The social psychology of public response to warnings of a nuclear power plant accident. J Hazard Mater 75:181–194

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mileti DS, Sorensen JH (1990) Communication of emergency public warnings. ORNL–6609 National Laboratory, Oak Ridge

    Google Scholar 

  • National Council on Disability (2009) Effective emergency management: Making improvements for communities and people with disabilities. NCD, Washington, DC. Available at http://www.ncd.gov/publications/2009/Aug122009. Accessed 13 Jan 2018

  • National Fire Protection Association (2016) NFPA 72 US national fire alarm and signaling code. NFPA, Quincy

    Google Scholar 

  • National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (2004) Service assessment: Southern California wildfires October 20 to November 3 2003. National Weather Service, Silver Spring

    Google Scholar 

  • National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (2016) Risk communication and behavior: Best practices and research findings. NOAA Social science committee. Available at http://www.performance.noaa.gov/wp-content/uploads/Risk-Communication-and-Behavior-Best-Practices-and-Research-Findings-July-2016.pdf. Accessed 13 Jan 2018

  • Olsen CS, Sharp E (2013) Building community–agency trust in fire-affected communities in Australia and the United States. Intl J Wildland Fire 22:822–831

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Parker DJ, Handmer JW (1998) The role of unofficial flood warning systems. J Contingencies and Crisis Mngmt 6(1):45–60

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Parker DJ, Priest SJ, Tapsell SM (2009) Understanding and enhancing the public’s behavioural response to flood warning information. Meteorol Appl 16:103–114

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Perry RW, Lindell MK (2003) Preparedness for emergency response: guidelines for the emergency planning process. Disasters 27(4):336–350

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Quarantelli EL (1984) Perceptions and reactions to emergency warnings of sudden hazards. Ekisticts 309(Nov–Dec):511–515

    Google Scholar 

  • Ready San Diego CA (2014) May 2014 San Diego county wildfires (After action report and additional guidance). Available at http://www.readysandiego.org/aar/may-2014-san-diego-county-wildfires/. Accessed 13 Jan 2018

  • Sharp E, Thwaites R, Millar J, Curtis A (2009) Factors affecting community–agency trust in bushfire management: community member perspectives. Institute for Land, water, and society report no 51. Charles Stuart University, Albury

    Google Scholar 

  • Sorensen JH (2000) Hazard warning systems: review of 20 years of progress. Nat Hazards Rev 1(2):119–125

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Steelman TA, McCaffrey S (2012) Best practices in risk and crisis communication: implications for natural hazards management. Nat Hazards 65(1):683–705

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Steelman TA, McCaffrey SM, Velez AK, Briefel JA (2015) What information do people use, trust, and find useful during a disaster? Evidence from five large wildfires. Nat Hazards 76:615–634

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Strawderman L, Salehi A, Babski-Reeves K, Thornton-Neaves T, Cosby A (2012) Reverse 911 as a complementary evacuation warning system. Nat Hazard Rev 13(1):65–73

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sutton J, Woods C (2016) Tsunami warning message interpretation and sense making: focus group insights. Weather Climate Soc 8(4):389–398

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sutton J, Palen L, Shklovski I (2008) Backchannels on the front lines: emergent use of social media in the 2007 Southern California fire. In: Proceedings of information systems for crisis response and management conference (ISCRAM), Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  • Taylor JG, Gillette SC, Downing JL (2005) Communicating with wildland interface communities during wildfire. Open File Report 2005–1061. US Geological Survey, Reston

    Google Scholar 

  • Taylor JG, Burns MR, Chavez DJ, Hogan JT (2007) Informing the network: improving communication with interface communities during wildland fire. Hum Ecol Rev 14(2):198–211

    Google Scholar 

  • Tippett V, Greer DA, Mehta A, Christensen S, Duncan B, Stickley A, Dootson P (2016) Building resilient communities: creating effective multi-channel communication during disaster response and recovery. Bushfire & Natural Hazards CRC, Australian Government, Department of Industry, Innovation and Science. Available at https://www.bnhcrc.com.au/resources/poster/2837. Accessed 14 Jan 2018

  • Tippett V, Greer DA, Mehta A, Dootson P, Bradley L (2017) Building resilient communities: creating effective multi-channel communication during disaster response and recovery. Bushfire & Natural Hazards CRC, Australian Government, Department of Industry, Innovation and Science. Available at https://www.bnhcrc.com.au/resources/poster/3699. Accessed 14 Jan 2018

  • Wood M, Bean H, Liu B, Boyd M (2015) Comprehensive testing of imminent threat public messages for mobile devices: updated findings. National Consortium for the study of terrorism and responses to terrorism. University of Maryland, College Park

    Google Scholar 

  • Wood M, Mileti DS, Bean H, Liu BF, Sutton J, Madden S (2017) Milling and public warnings. Environ Behav. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013916517709561

  • Wray R, Rivers J, Whitworth A, Jupka K, Clements B (2006) Public perceptions about trust in emergencies risk communications: qualitative research findings. Int J Mass Emerg Dis 24(1):45–75

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Fire Research Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, USA

    Erica Kuligowski

  2. Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia

    Paula Dootson

Authors
  1. Erica Kuligowski
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Paula Dootson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Erica Kuligowski .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. United States Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA

    Samuel L. Manzello

Section Editor information

  1. Land & Water, CSIRO, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

    Raphaele Blanchi

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 This is a U.S. Government work and not under copyright protection in the US; foreign copyright protection may apply

About this entry

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this entry

Kuligowski, E., Dootson, P. (2018). Emergency Notification: Warnings and Alerts. In: Manzello, S. (eds) Encyclopedia of Wildfires and Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) Fires. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-51727-8_48-1

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-51727-8_48-1

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-51727-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-51727-8

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference EngineeringReference Module Computer Science and Engineering

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation