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Speaker: Communication is infrastructure for disaster response, actionable guidance takes center stage
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Summary
Dr. Brett Robertson of the University of South Carolina told an NLM audience that warnings alone are insufficient and laid out practical strategies—plain language, resource linkage, tailored guidance, and trusted messengers—to turn alerts into public action.
Dr. Brett Robertson, associate professor in the College of Information and Communication at the University of South Carolina and associate director of the Hazards, Vulnerability, and Resilience Institute (HABRI), told a National Library of Medicine Network webcast that emergency warnings are “a spark” that must be fuelled by clear, coordinated communication to prompt action.
Robertson opened the session by framing the problem: even with accurate forecasts and strong infrastructure, people often fail to act because they do not trust the messenger, do not understand the guidance, or feel they lack the ability to do anything in response. “A warning is not a strategy,” he said, adding that pairing risk information with clear, doable steps restores a sense of control and increases the likelihood of action.
Why it matters: Robertson argued that communication should be treated like physical infrastructure—built, tested, maintained, and resourced—because it connects hospitals, schools, emergency managers, local government and the public. He presented a simple three-phase framework—preparedness, warning, wellness—to show how communication builds trust before events, promotes action during warnings, and supports recovery afterward.
Key recommendations Robertson offered include: using plain language to translate metrics into concrete actions (for example, translating a river crest forecast of 22 feet into what neighborhoods will flood or saying an AQI of 150 means limiting outdoor time for children and older adults); telling people where to go and how to get there when issuing evacuation or shelter guidance; tailoring messages to setting and audience (hospital, school, outdoor worker); and partnering with trusted local messengers such as faith leaders, local radio, frontline nurses or neighborhood community pages.
On misinformation and trust: In response to an audience question about countering health misinformation, Robertson said there is no single solution and cautioned that new technologies, including AI, have made it easier for unverified content to spread. He emphasized locating local community champions and using channels people already follow, noting that neighborhood Facebook groups and local meteorologists can sometimes be more actionable and trusted than broad social feeds.
Equity and reach: Robertson stressed that those most at risk—people experiencing homelessness, communities with language or literacy barriers, or those lacking internet access—are often least likely to receive or act on alerts. He recommended extending communication beyond digital channels (signage, multilingual flyers, partnerships with local organizations) to reach those populations.
Q&A and practical application: Robertson described ongoing work in South Carolina to use current heat-season data to develop action-ready messaging for the next season and advised immersion in communities to build accurate asset maps of local communication channels. A participant from Johns Island highlighted relying on a local Facebook page for real-time local alerts; Robertson used the example to underscore the value of local trusted platforms while urging official sources such as the National Weather Service remain accessible.
The session closed with Robertson urging attendees to view investments in communication—training, templates, prescriptive alerts, and cross-sector coordination—as foundational to reducing harm and speeding response. He invited viewers to continue the conversation and shared contact information via a QR code.
