This week’s reading lead to some interesting topics, of which this short paper will attempt to discuss. Some of the focuses that the reading went over are: Chaos Theory in emergency communication, coordination theory in emergency communication, community resilience, news framing theory, uses and gratifications theory, and finally apologia, denial, kategoria, dramatism, and narrative theory. First off what is chaos theory? “While most traditional science deals with supposedly predictable phenomena like gravity, electricity, or chemical reactions, Chaos Theory deals with nonlinear things that are effectively impossible to predict or control, like turbulence, weather, the stock market, our brain states, and so on (Fractal Foundation).” This is exactly what is needed when planning for emergency communication. Chaos Theory or CT, has always been used to analysis past events. After the events of the 1997 Red River floods an emergence of innovative communication systems appeared (Sellnow and Seeger 2013). It seems that after a crisis is the only time to study the events and try to make sense of them, and CT aids in the organization of the events and tries to link/make sense of them. However, this is almost a fool’s errand. Events that seemingly come out of nowhere that are the cause of the crisis can never be predicted. We can get close, but we will never be able to predict the next crisis. Most times when an event happens it needs to be larger enough to cause an incident worthy of a crisis. In these cases, coordination is crucial in the response of key first response organizations. Another key is defining the first response teams and giving them roles to play in the event of a crisis. Once this is established, setting up a means to co... ... middle of paper ... ... Kategoria, Dramatism and Narrative theory are all theories of influence. “Apologia focuses on the response strategies available to individuals and organizations when their actions violate commonly held public values (Sellnow and Seeger 2013).” Denial is simply what is means, to rejecting an idea or claim is true. Kategoria is opposite of f Apologia and image repair. Kategoria takes on the attack mode vs. the defensive mode. Dramatism is purely drama with respects to human action. Finally we have Narrative theory. This theory is almost the same Dramatism. In this theory it’s all about developing the story (Sellnow and Seeger 2013). Works Cited Fractal Foundation. Accessed form http://fractalfoundation.org/resources/what-is-chaos-theory/ 15 Mar 2014. Sellnow, Timothy L., and Matthew W. Seeger. Theorizing Crisis Communication. Sussex, UK: Blackwell, 2013. Print.
Waugh, William L, and Gregory Streib. "Collaboration and Leadership for Effective Emergency Management." Public Administration Review, 66.6 (2006): 131-140.
The National response plan outlines four key actions the disaster coordinator should take. They are gaining and maintaining situational awareness, activate and deploy key resources and capabilities, coordinating response actions and demobilizing. Throughout the response it is essential that responders have access to critical information. During the initial response effort the situation is will change rapidly. Situational awareness starts at the incident site. For this reason it is essential that decision makers have access to the right information at the right time. By establishing an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) all key responders are brought ...
Harmening, W. (2014). "Crisis communication" In Harmening, W. (2014). Crisis intervention: The criminal justice response to chaos, mayhem, and disorder. Boston, MA: Pearson
According to Edward Lorenz (founder of the Chaos Theory) chaos is the science of surprises, of the nonlinear and the unpredictable. It teaches us to expect the unexpected. Chaos Theory deals with nonlinear things that are effectively impossible to predict or control, like turbulence, weather, the stock market, our brain states, and so on. (Lorenz 1995: 187)
Echterling, Presbury and McKee (2005) define crisis as a turning point in one’s life that is brief, but a crucial time in which, there is opportunity for dramatic growth and positive changes, as well as the danger of violence and devastation. They further state that whatever the outcome, people do not emerge from a crisis unchanged; if there is a negative resolution, the crisis can leave alienation, bitterness, devastated relationships and even death in its wake; on the other hand, if the crisis is resolved successfully a survivor can develop a deeper appreciation for life, a stronger sense of resolve, a mature perspective, greater feelings of competence, and richer relationships.
In order to understand the thought process of leadership during a crisis, the authors state that we must first understand a conceptual model that is theoretically grounded, (Combe & Carrington, 2015). The conceptual model is divided into two elements, the descriptive and prescriptive mental models, (Combe & Carrington, 2015). The descriptive mental model focuses the external changes that occur during a crisis. The prescriptive mental model concentrates on future actions that need to be implemented to derail the cognitive overload due to continuous external changes as the situation unfolds. The prescriptive model aligns objectives, providing clarity to future implications related to the crisis, (Combe & Carrington, 2015). The authors, Combe & Carrington, (2015) have noted the importance of longitudal research perspective to capture the thought processes of interaction, communication and problem solving in a crisis. This type of research method is instrumental in depicting the challenges to incorporate better solutions to evolving situations. Sense making in a crisis defines these issues to ascertain the complexity and provide meaning to the event, (Combe & Carrington, 2015). Sense making entails the filtering of excessive data to identify the areas of importance. This perspective provides a means of taking a negative, that being disruptive and changing it to a positive or opportunity for
It’s important to understand that in a crisis-response organization, especially in a large-scale operational response like a natural disaster, or an industrial accident, managers will likely take on different or expanded roles. This is especially true when one is involved in a crisis response involving multiple agencies or companies. People often find themselves leading or working for those they do not often come in contact with – or, sometimes, people they’ve never met.
Local, State and Federal government have unique roles which would allow the flow of communication and resources to transition smoothly during each stage of progression. The local and state level (first responders) are the most important source as they can assess, coordinate and notify the next available resources of what is needed. State and local governments are the front runners of planning for and managing the consequences of a terrorist incident using available resources in the critical hours before Federal assistance can arrive (Managing the Emergency Consequences of Terrorist Incidents, July 2002). A Terrorist Incident Appendix (TIA) was designed to mirror an Emergency Operations Plan in relations to terrorist incidents. The TIA consists of six phases: Initiation, Concept Development, Plan Development, Plan Review Development of supporting plans, procedures and materials and Validation of plans using tabletop, functional, and full scale exercises. The TIA should be compared to those plans of existing Emergency Operation Plans (EOP) in place at the local and state level. Comparing plans before and incident allows time for comparison and revision of the various functions which will prevent disconnects to ensure coordination and
Communities must come together in order to be aware of the steps that must be taken to reduce or prevent risk. “The guidance, programs, processes, and systems that support each component of the National Preparedness System enable a collaborative, whole community approach to national preparedness that engages individuals, families, communities, private and nonprofit sectors, faith based organizations and all levels of government.” (FEMA, 2011). Resources within a community are prioritized and customized based on community-based issues and local security programs. The resources used as the front line of defense are first responders, such as police officers, firefighters and medical personnel. The resources are provided and prioritized based on the priority of threat and risks to a specific community. Therefore, the threats and risks targeted towards a community must be analyzed and acknowledged in order to apply the correct resources to the opposing prioritized threats. Disasters and emergencies typically begin at the local level and eventually require resources from state and federal
Ulmer, RR, Sellnow, TL & Seeger, MW 2007, Effective crisis communication, Thousand Oakes: Sage Publications.
The communication process is not something that begins when a crisis rears its ugly head rather it is a process that takes place in preparing for a crisis before it happens. While the term crisis represents a blanket term used to describe many situations, each situation is unique, thus presenting different obstacles to overcome. However, with a well-established advanced plan in place an organization places itself in a position to overcome and work around obstacles. The development of a comprehensive crisis management plan is one achieved through effective communication where each member of the crisis management team has an advanced shared understanding of his or her role and responsibility during a time of crisis (du Pr'e, 2005).
Chaos theory has numerous application including helping explain phenomena or helping to predict the future. Chaos theory is applicable in various fields ranging from weather, business to medicine. Chaos theory explains the reason why it is practically improbable to predict the weather with the current technology as well as providing a way for people to find patterns in the chaotic system of stock exchange. It also helps with the running of organisation by showing what sort of condition is needed for a profitable business as well as helping doctors predict when heart failure may occur. Fractals which is a concept of chaos theory also is portrayed in the natural world in examples such as lightning and neurons in the brains. Chaos theory has
The most effective crisis communicators are those who provide prompt, frank, and full. information to the media in the?eye of the storm? (Semio, 2004). The X-Files. Silence not only angers the media, but also compounds the problem.
Basically, the concepts of risk communication are partially aligned with the ideology of three-stage process of the model in terms of crisis communication and issue management. For instance, a Hong Kong famous beverages manufacturer, VITASOY, has raised public concerns of the taste deviation of Lemon Tea product in February 2014. In response to this crisis, VITASOY has published a media statement to the key stakeholders including customers, media and the retailers. ...
Emergency management is often described in terms of “phases,” using terms such as mitigate, prepare, respond and recover. The main purpose of this assignment is to examine the origins, underlying concepts, variations, limitations, and implications of the “phases of emergency management.” In this paper we will look at definitions and descriptions of each phase or component of emergency management, the importance of understanding interrelationships and responsibilities for each phase, some newer language and associated concepts (e.g., disaster resistance, sustainability, resilience, business continuity, risk management), and the diversity of research perspectives.