Designing effective alerts, warnings, and emergency messages: lessons from research and emerging technology

In most after action reports, communication failures are among the top concerns for emergency managers and public safety officials.  Public-facing emergency messaging is a capability that is commonly overlooked until it is most needed.  Its importance as a key skill and resource cannot be understated in regard to life-safety for all hazardous events, but the required time and effort to develop capabilities and proficiency is a barrier to some public officials.  For this reason, new investments are being made by federal agencies to improve the ability to communicate with those who are at risk.   

 In this talk, Dr. Jeannette Sutton, the founder of The Warn Room, and an associate professor at the University at Albany, will share new developments in alert and warning research and practice and show the latest technology that will enable risk communicators to design and disseminate effective messages.  

 

About the Presenter

Jeannette Sutton, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security, and Cybersecurity at the University at Albany, SUNY. Dr. Sutton specializes in disaster and risk with a primary focus on online informal communication, and public alerts and warning disseminated via terse messaging channels. Much of her research investigates the evolving role of information and communication technology, including social media and mobile devices, for disaster preparedness, response, and recovery.