How can we spread awareness for protection during earthquakes at individual level?
Answers
To achieve this goal, the Committee proposes that information campaigns and educational efforts be developed and that their effectiveness be evaluated and, where possible, continually improved:
Home. Household survival plans should provide basic information on what hazardous events are most likely to occur in particular communities, what emergency equipment and supplies should be on hand, what precautions should be taken to limit damage, and what preparations should be made for escape and evacuation. Such information might best be conveyed graphically, both in print and on television. Dramatic, easily recognizable graphic symbols signifying each natural hazard should be created and widely publicized to identify impending emergencies and quickly alert the public to the degree of seriousness and the imminence of danger.
To stimulate public awareness, brochures, posters, games, calendars, museum exhibits, public service announcements (for print, radio, and television), and even entertainment programming should be used. Materials produced by the American Red Cross, FEMA, the National Weather Service (NWS), the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), and other government agencies as well as insurance companies and other private sector entities are already available for such campaigns. (See Figure 2.) Organizations in the private sector, including the Advertising Council, public utilities, public relations firms, advertising agencies, and voluntary organizations, should be enlisted to create, produce, and disseminate new information materials.
The community. Community-wide planning and education should be encouraged. Schools, government organizations, community and church groups, business and neighborhood organizations, hospital and medical groups, and the news media should all be involved. Checklists, information handouts, and training videos should be created and widely distributed to convey such information as the location of nearby emergency resources and appropriate use of the 911 system both during and after a disaster. Regional and community demonstration programs, disaster day exercises, volunteer courses, and conferences should be undertaken and evaluated for their effectiveness.