In the wake of a catastrophic flash flood in Texas that killed 135 people, including 37 youth, Indiana Gov. Mike Braun is asking a newly formed Emergency Alert Task Force to evaluate what alert systems exist and determine areas for improvement.
One primary resource is the Emergency Alert System, established in 1994, which broadcasts blaring alarms heard on TV and radio stations. Others include countywide emergency text notification systems, adopted by Allen County in February 2017, and hundreds of weather-alert sirens scattered across the state.
A report, including recommendations for Indiana’s emergency systems, is due to the governor by Nov. 1. But Hoosiers shouldn’t expect some aha solution that will magically prepare us for all dangerous weather events, said Bernie Beier, Allen County’s emergency management and disaster preparedness director.
“When we talk about alerts and warnings, it’s very personal in how it works,” he said. “The sociology of how people make decisions in emergencies: That’s really the bigger hurdle to overcome.”
Indeed, the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s February 2017 review of outdoor siren systems found that people require information from multiple sources to confirm the presence of a credible threat before they take action for their safety.
Fewer than 20% of Americans use weather-alert sirens to inform them to take shelter, Beier said, and that’s probably a high number. Emergency management agencies encourage people to buy weather radios and leave them turned on, day and night. About 17% of people report having one, but just 2% say they maintain them and use them for alerts.
“That tells me the public doesn’t trust them or use them, despite people saying anecdotally that they’re important,” Beier said.
Studies show the most effective stimulus to get people to shelter during a dangerous storm is another person sheltering first. In emergencies, someone moving to safety will be followed almost instantly by others.
“Each individual has to personalize the risk, and that’s best done through education and training,” Beier said. “Like an article in the newspaper, through annual information campaigns, through one-on-one meetings and neighborhood associations.”
Trust in government to provide pertinent information has diminished since the 1950s and ’60s. Emergency managers must understand they can’t continue to use the same information delivery methods that statistically work for just 10% to 15% of the population.
“An emergency alert system has to become a communitywide process of preparedness,” Beier said. “It’s got to be placed out in the social circles, and the community itself has to drive the conversation about preparedness and resiliency so that alerts, when they are given, will be effective.”
The Emergency Alert Task Force will be led by the state’s Department of Homeland Security and the Integrated Public Safety Commission, with input from local public safety officials. The Indiana Geographic Information Office, National Weather Service and cellphone network carriers will advise.
Their review of Indiana’s emergency alert systems won’t keep Hoosiers from ignoring weather warnings. The only chance for people to begin taking such alerts seriously is for communities to have conversations with residents about the weather emergencies they could face.
When Hoosiers finally internalize those risks, they will plan and prepare for when the weather turns dangerous.