In Case Of Emergency, Read Blog

Almost two-thirds (64%) of Americans say they would be willing to take a 20-hour training class to assist their community recover from disasters, according to a new survey released by the U.S. Citizen Corps. Initial results of “Personal Preparedness In America, were announced by Citizen Corps Director Karen Marsh at the National Conference on Community Preparedness this week in Arlington, Virginia.

The 64% figure was striking to me, because it points out an interest of many Americans to become more knowledgeable in emergency preparedness/response (and it is a question that isn’t often polled). Twenty hours is the standard amount of training to become qualified as a member of a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). That’s not to say that two-thirds of the population want to join the CERT program, but it does seem to indicate that a lot of Americans would be amenable to some sort of disaster education/training — maybe held in their workplace, house of worship, social club, etc.

Another interesting finding in the study is that a major impediment for people getting prepared is that they believe emergency responders will take care of them in a disaster (despite the warnings of the responders themselves that they can’t handle everyone, particularly in the first 72 hours). According to the survey:

From a list of possible reasons why individuals had not prepared, 30 percent of individuals indicated that a primary reason they had not prepared was because they believed that emergency personnel would help them in the event of a disaster. Further, 61 percent of participants indicated they expected to rely on emergency responders in the first 72 hours following a disaster.

The Citizen Corps, which is part of the FEMA’s Community Preparedness Division, has been measuring the public’s knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors on preparedness since 2003. I previously wrote about the 2007 survey which was released earlier this year. This updated report includes surveying fielded in the Spring; some of the initial results were released at the Conference. The rest of the data and further analysis will be presented at a later date. (n.b. the “training” question and  64% result is not in the report issued this week but was part of the presentation at the conference)

The survey is comprehensive and worth looking through for those interested in citizen preparedness research. Below are the “Summary And Recommendations”:

* Individuals’ high expectations of assistance from emergency responders may inhibit individual preparedness. Communicating more realistic expectations and personal responsibilities is critical.

* Too few people had stocked disaster supplies, and most supplies were incomplete. More emphasis is needed on the importance of stocking disaster supplies in multiple locations, and more specificity is needed on critical items to include, such as flashlights, radios, batteries, first aid kits, and personal documents.

* Greater appreciation for the importance of household plans and knowledge of local community emergency procedures and response resources is needed. Individuals who reported being prepared lacked critical plans and information.

* Practicing response protocols is critical for effective execution. Greater emphasis on drills and exercises is needed.

* An awareness of vulnerabilities to natural disasters motivates individuals to prepare. Most individuals, however, did not believe their communities will ever be affected by any type of disaster.

* Perceptions of the utility of preparedness and confidence in ability to respond varied significantly by type of hazard. Because all-hazards messaging may dilute critical differences in preparedness and response protocols, preparedness and response education should include a focus on hazard-specific actions appropriate for each community.

* Social networks, such as households, neighborhoods, the workplace, schools, and faith-based communities, and the concepts of mutual support should be emphasized

* Focusing on individuals in the contemplation and preparation stages for personal preparedness may yield greater results. Messaging and community outreach efforts should be designed to support those already considering taking action. Individuals’ strong interest in attending training courses and volunteering should be harnessed through social networks. Training and volunteer service should be linked with a responsibility for educating and encouraging others to prepare.

* Specific sociodemographic characteristics correlated with attitudes toward and actions for preparedness. Insights into these differences offer the ability to tailor outreach efforts to targeted audiences.

* Individuals believed they had a personal responsibility to report suspicious behavior but greater collaboration between citizens and law enforcement is needed.

The survey  was conducted by ICF Macro’s Carol S. Freeman who has done the previous Citizen Corps research and is a (if not the) leading opinion researcher in the area of citizen preparedness.

At the Citizens Corps conference, I had an opportunity to talk to some local emergency officials about the 64% finding. Below is a brief interview I did with San Francisco Fire Department Lt. Erica Arteseros, who coordinates the city’s Neighborhood Emergency Response Team program (CERT is called NERT in SF). In the video, she says government need to capitalize on the interest expressed in the poll.

San Francisco NERT coordinator Lt. Erica Arteseros talks about the Citizen Corps survey.