Crisis and emergency risk communication

Health risk communications are an important and necessary component of disaster management. Many predictable and harmful individual and community behaviors can be mitigated with effective Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication (CERC). CERC tools are critical disaster resources and CERC uses sound psychological and communication research in its approach to the selection of message, messenger, and method of delivery. A complicating phenomenon is the reality that one's messages compete with many others for credibility with the public before, during, and after the disaster occurs. Communication experts and leaders who have faced disasters have discovered that certain approaches cripple or even destroy the success of their disaster response operations. Stakeholders may be able to help communicate messages for the organization. There are vital areas of emergency risk communication that require urgent consideration and research such as those related to vicarious rehearsal and outreach to special populations.