Crisis and Risk Approaches to Emergency Management Planning and Communication: The Role of Similarity and Sensitivity

Abstract

To advance crisis communication theory and research, this article features communities of concern as the focal point and examines whether multiple voices are best to supply crisis information, evaluation, and advice to make communities more fully functioning. A funded study was conducted (606 completed calls) in three counties in the Houston, Texas (Metropolitan Statistical Area) MSA. The project features these concepts: concern/perception of risk and knowledge of response protocols, risk management/communication, crisis management/communication (precrisis, crisis event, postcrisis), cognitive involvement, fear/denial/efficacy (self, response, and community), and communication infrastructures. The basic question addressed was whether a diverse community becomes more fully functioning by having community emergency management planning and communication (law of requisite variety) reflect that diversity. Results indicate that approximately half of the persons surveyed do not feel adequately prepared to respond during these emergencies. Of those who do, diverse voices (source similarity and message sensitivity) increase residents' sense of self, expert, and community preparedness. If citizens have access to information that is from sources similar to them and stated in messages that are sensitive to them, they feel more prepared to deal with crisis emergency response.

Funding for this project was received from the Public Relations Association of America Foundation.

Notes

¹What is typically called the Houston–Galveston region (under the planning umbrella of various municipalities, counties, and agencies such as the Houston–Galveston Area Council) has an MSA population of 4.5 million people. Based on 2000 census data, the demographic profile of the most vulnerable counties is as follows: Harris, in which most of Houston exists, 3.4 million (White = 58.7%, Black/African American = 18.5%, Asian = 5.1%, Hispanic = 32.9%, family income at or below $25,000 = 23.4%); Galveston, 250,000 (White = 72.7%, Black/African American = 15.4%, Asian = 2.1%, Hispanic = 18.0%, family income at or below $25,000 = 21.8%); Brazoria, 242,000 (White = 77.1%, Black/African American = 8.5%, Asian = 2.0%, Hispanic = 22.8%, family income at or below $25,000 = 17.9%); and Ft. Bend, 355,000 (White = 58.9%, Black/African American = 20.4%, Asian = 12.0%, Hispanic = 21.1%, family income at or below $25,000 = 11.7%). These profiles become more relevant as one realizes a fact proven by Katrina: Low income and diversity demographics often factor badly or inadequately into the planning for crisis and emergency response.

²A Category 5 storm at sea, Hurricane Rita is the fourth-most intense Atlantic hurricane ever recorded. The storm caused $10 billion in damage. It made landfall near the Texas–Louisiana border as a Category 3. Wind and storm surge killed seven people directly, and others indirectly. During the hurried—even panicked—evacuation in the face of Hurricane Rita, many people put their lives at risk in 100 + degree weather; 33 lives were lost, as were the lives of countless pets (estimates exceed 1,000).

Notes. α is Cronbach's alpha, Correlations equal to or larger than .11 are significant at the 0.01 level, Correlations between .10 and .08 are significant at the 0.05 level, Correlations smaller than .08 are not significant at the 0.05 level.