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Warning and Informing the Public

Background

The Government believes communicating with the public about emergencies is essential. This section outlines what we mean by warning and informing the public; and how organisations should go about raising public awareness of the risks of emergencies, and warning them and providing information and advice at the time of an emergency.

Why warn and inform?

The Government believes a well-informed public is better able to respond to an emergency and to minimise the impact of the emergency on the community. By informing the public as best they can, all organisations will build their trust. Part of this is also avoiding alarming the public unnecessarily.

Communicating before emergencies

Organisations should aim to make the public aware of the risks of emergencies and how the organisation is prepared to deal with them if they occur.

The risk section and emergency planning section provide more detail on how to go about risk assessment and planning, and the importance of publishing this information. There is also specific guidance available on Communicating Risk [PDF, 80 Pages 4.2MB].

When deciding what to publish, organisations should consider whether publication will assist in dealing with an emergency, particularly by creating a more-informed public. It may make sense for organisations to group together in publishing information. It may not be necessary to publish whole risk assessments or plans. There may be sensitive information which needs to be edited out. And organisations should aim to help the public be alert but not alarmed - excessive information may alarm the public unnecessarily.

The simplest and most cost-effective way of publishing information is on the web. But paper copies should also be available where people do not have access to the web (for instance, in public libraries). All materials produced should look interesting and attractive enough for people to want to read it - otherwise it will be a waste of resource. Particular care should be taken to reach vulnerable people or those who may not understand the message (such as the elderly or children in schools).

Being prepared to communicate during emergencies

In many circumstances, it will be the Government that first provides warning that an emergency is about to occur or is occurring. The Government is ready to warn and inform the public about the whole range of possible emergencies.

But other organisations may need to ensure they too have arrangements in place to warn, inform and advise the public. In particular, organisations whose functions are likely seriously to be obstructed by an emergency or those who expect to take action in relation to that emergency and would require a redeployment of resources or additional resources to do so (e.g. emergency services or Local Authorities).

Confusion would be caused, however, if more than one organisation were to plan to warn the public about the same risk at the same time to the same extent. To avoid duplication, those organisations whose functions are affected by an emergency should aim to co-operate and identify which organisation will take lead responsibility for warning and informing in regard to a particular emergency. Organisations should also ensure that they do not duplicate warning arrangements which may already be in place in other organisations. For instance, utilities companies have a duty under their own regulatory frameworks to provide warning, information and advice in certain circumstances when their services are interrupted.

As with any other part of planning for response to an emergency, the communications strategy for warning and informing - either direct with the public, or via the media - should be fully integrated into the responder's emergency plans. Organisations should test their warning and informing arrangements as they would emergency plans, through exercising and providing training to staff. Just as there may be generic and specific emergency plans, so there may be generic and specific arrangements for warning and informing, depending on the type of emergency being planned for and the particular circumstances in a locality. The emergency planning section provides more detail.

What information is needed when?

Organisations engaged in warning and informing will need to think carefully about what information different audiences will want, and when, in an emergency.

For instance, immediately when an emergency occurs, and during the first hour...

The PUBLIC NEEDS:

The PUBLIC WANTS to know:

BROADCASTERS will REQUIRE:

Warning methods

The methods available to deliver urgent information to members of the public are extremely varied. Some depend on the availability of power supplies or phone lines. Some may require careful consideration of the risks to human life and health, in case at the time of an emergency staff or members of the public are exposed to hazardous substances while they are warning or being warned.

Some warning methods include:

Working with the media

All organisations should be familiar with the media organisations and outlets in their own areas, and should aim to develop good relations with them. There is a considerable amount of advice on how to achieve this in the BBC's - Connecting in a Crisis [External website] initiative.

It is clear that great damage can be done in communications in an emergency. The damage done to public confidence by the release of inconsistent and contradictory messages can be hard to repair. Similarly, great damage can be done by speculation about causes or future developments. It is better to say when something is not known than to guess, particularly if this is going to raise the hopes of the affected public - for example, about when they can return to their homes.

The key to effective communication with the public is getting the message right for the right audience. How information and advice are delivered can greatly affect how they are received. Organisations should give careful thought ahead of any emergency about who may act as their official spokespeople and undertake media interviews. Clearly these people will need suitable training. Other public-facing people in the organisation should have a basic level of information so that they can handle inquiries confidently.

Warning and informing at the local level

The Civil Contingencies Act includes public awareness and warning and informing as two distinct legal duties for Category 1 responders - advising the public of risks before an emergency and maintaining arrangements to warn and keep them informed in the event of an emergency.

The duties to assess risks and to prepare plans are coupled with a further duty to publish all or part of this information where it is necessary or desirable to prevent, reduce, control, mitigate or take other action in connection with an emergency.

The Act Regulations allow for Category 1 responders to co-operate for the purpose of identifying an organisation which will have lead responsibility for maintaining arrangements to warn in regard to a particular emergency.

Warning, informing and advising the public is not a stand-alone duty. It should be integrated into the responder's emergency plans, and just as there may be generic and specific plans, so there may be generic and specific warning and informing arrangements. Likewise, just as emergency plans should make provision for training and carrying out exercises, so should warning and informing arrangements.

The Act allows for Category 1 responders to discharge their duties collaboratively.

In many areas, particularly those where there are long-standing known hazards such as nuclear power stations or extensive industrial complexes, there are also local groupings of organisations and the media.

Warning and informing at the regional and Devolved Administration level

Regional Media Emergency Forums (RMEFs) are in place in every English region as part of the regional resilience framework. Through RMEFs, regional media, government representatives, emergency planners, emergency services and other interested bodies work together to help ensure that all parties can operate more effectively when an emergency occurs. Their work includes preparing useful standard background material in advance, planning practical arrangements and building trust and confidence on all sides.

They work alongside Regional Resilience Teams.

Wales has its own MEF.

Warning and informing at the UK level

Public information produced by the Government

The Government believes communicating with the public about emergencies is essential. The Preparing for Emergencies booklet, publishing general advice and delivered to all households, is a key example of efforts to raise public awareness about risks and preparedness for a number of types of emergency, including terrorist-related emergencies.

Media Emergency Forum (MEF)

Through the UK Media Emergency Forum (MEF), senior media editors, government representatives and representatives of local responders work together to help ensure that all parties can operate more effectively when an emergency occurs. Their work includes identification and discussion of strategic communications issues, overarching policy for engagement of the media in civil protection work at every level, planning practical arrangements for media involvement during emergencies and building trust and confidence on all sides.

Key Documents

You should refer to:

Key Links

Training

Other Documents

You may also wish to refer to:

Other Links

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