Communications Problems in Disasters

One of the most consistent observations about disasters is that communication is inadequate; an in-depth 1986 study suggests that this is a ..... problem.

One crucial type of information that needs to be shared is that related to a determination of the priority of needed disaster countermeasures and, therefore, resource ......

Research on disasters suggests that many communications problems are 'people' problems, rather than equipment problems; communication equipment may be in short ....., but more often than not a physical means of communication is available.

Examples of 'people' problems in communication include the '..... syndrome', or 'we're the only ones on this island'.

Organizations are accustomed to operating ..... and fail to change this approach in disasters where multiple organizations are involved and are dependent on one another; each person gives priority to the information needs of his own organization rather than that of the overall response effort.

Terminology and procedures used to exchange information vary among different organizations; there is a hesitancy to depend on other organizations, often due to lack of trust or familiarity, or due to political, jurisdictional, and personal ......

The importance of pre-disaster contact helps to explain a seemingly ..... observation made in a number of disasters, that smaller communities with fewer resources tended to coordinate their disaster responses better than larger, more urban areas.

Unfortunately, the urgency of the disaster situation often ..... the time necessary to exchange preliminary information on-the-spot.

The result is that, unless preliminary contact has been addressed before the disaster, there is a ..... to depend on the activities of other organizations and a failure to coordinate and communicate with them.

When one is dependent on other team members, particularly in life-..... situations, he needs to feel confident in their competence and reliability, and developing this level of trust often requires pre-incident contact over a period of time.