Community engagement creates public safety awareness and lays the groundwork for community resilience. Emergency preparedness is not an individual responsibility. It is everyone’s responsibility to contribute knowledge, ideas, and resources that provide meaningful outreach and communication.
Whether you are facing a wildfire, flood, hurricane, or other emergency preparedness event, consistent community engagement is critical. This work provides the tools necessary to prepare, respond, and recover more effectively.
Decide How to Engage with Your Community
Engagement looks different for every community. Outreach activities and partnership collaboration are effective ways to carry out planning, policies, programs, and services. Individuals responsible for disaster preparedness should consider community-specific factors, including:
- Community values, communication styles, and preferences.
- Cultural, socioeconomic, religious, and political dynamics.
- Resource availability (food and water, infrastructure, safety and security, etc.).
- Capacity of community members, emergency managers, and leaders.
- Community awareness and understanding of disaster preparedness.
Ensure that Resources and Processes are Equitable
Emergency managers must be aware of all community member needs, and how to limit barriers that some members face. Some communities require extra assistance due to geographic, cultural, socioeconomic, language, political, physical, or mental limitations. Ask the following questions:
- What are your community’s biggest challenges?
- Who in your community do you consider to be “underserved?”
- What are your current barriers to accessing resources?
- What are important economic, environmental, historic, and cultural resources in the community?
Learn about a community and take the time to gain a deeper understanding of the demographics, resources, and geography impacting individuals. An initial community assessment can uncover unique needs and provide direction for selecting partners.
An assessment not only provides valuable information on demographics, but also available community resources, including hospitals, educational institutions, houses of worship, public transportation, nonprofit institutions, and other social services. These resources and institutions enhance existing capabilities, minimize access barriers, and present partnership opportunities.
Limit Barriers to Access
Certain challenges can prevent people from participating in disaster planning or accessing resources. Individuals and communities may face limited time and resources, inconsistent or unreliable Internet access, difficulty navigating government websites, a lack of awareness of community resources, inaccessible spaces, language or literacy challenges, fear of how personal information may be used, and general mistrust of government officials and services.
Communities can limit barriers by using the following community engagement tips:
- Identify trusted organizations that can share disaster preparedness information.
- Place information in frequented areas such as local newspapers or newsletters, language- or culture-specific spaces, places of worship, recreation centers, libraries, health clinics, local government offices, restaurants, etc.
- Ensure media briefings and community meetings have a sign language interpreter or real-time captioning.
- Develop simple how-to guides for navigating processes.
- Ensure information is available in various languages.
- Distribute information using multiple methods or platforms to increase visibility and spread your message more effectively.
Establish Partnerships
Many communities struggle with a lack of resources. Engaging with community-based organizations, partners, and stakeholders can fill these gaps. These relationships take many forms over the disaster cycle but can generally be categorized by:
- Government entities including:
- Tribal Nations
- Other Federal departments and agencies
- State governments
- Territorial governments
- Local governments
- Local leaders, including business professionals, religious leaders, local media personalities, and other influential individuals that are considered trusted voices in the community.
- Nonprofits and faith-based organizations that are active in disasters and have a primary mission of helping disaster survivors.
- Nonprofits, faith-based, and volunteer organizations that help people in a variety of ways, not just disaster-related.
- Private businesses and industries, including retail, service, hospitality, tourism, utilities, medical, and commercial.
- Associations and organizations affiliated with government, business, trade, or community-based projects.
- Academic and research institutions, including local universities and departments, that can provide community data.
For more information about educating your community on emergency preparedness, explore our extensive library of Emergency Preparedness & Management products.