Many local communities know how to communicate during disasters. Let’s learn from them
Residents often actively build their own informal information networks to help keep each other safe.
In January 2003, Canberra residents watched black smoke engulf neighboring suburbs during the city's bushfires. Over 500 homes were destroyed and four people died. Australia is now bracing for another challenging fire season. The Royal Commission after the Black Summer bushfires in 2020 highlighted the need for improved disaster communication, recommending more tailored and consistent information flow.
Official emergency authorities have traditionally relied on a crisis communication model where agencies send messages and the public receives them. However, research suggests that informal communication channels are equally crucial. Community members often find, verify and share information through their networks instead of passively receiving it from official sources.
The research interviewed 19 community members who recounted how they relied on information during disasters. These individuals, the "information intermediaries", didn't just share messages but translated official warnings into locally relevant guidance. They also bridged technological gaps, using tools such as face-to-face conversations and phone trees to reach those without access to technology and maintain communication during failures.
These networks kept functioning long after the immediate disaster was under control. For example, several communities set up WhatsApp groups for social chat and emergency information. Two individuals, Stuart and Margaret, embody the concept of information intermediaries. Stuart established a bushfire warning system on the NSW South Coast, creating a local communication network to keep households informed about changing weather conditions.
Margaret, a Brisbane resident, set up a childcare centre during the 2011 floods to help local families cope. She later became the manager of a government-funded neighbourhood centre designed to support locals during future disasters. The research suggests that emergency management could actively work with communities to create and share disaster information, benefiting both sides by providing real-time, on-the-ground information to agencies and enabling intermediaries to verify and relay official information.
Written by urgent.news from The Conversation AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
