Implementing A Seismic Computerized Alert Network (SCAN) For Southern California: Lessons And Guidance From The Literature On Warning Response And Warning Systems
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Date
2000
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Abstract
Description
Plans for using the TriNet SCAN system to provide real-time warnings must be designed
to take into account the ways in which warning information is perceived and acted on by warning
recipients. Close attention must be paid to developing technologies, warning messages, and
dissemination strategies that succeed in enhancing life safety and protecting property. To provide
guidance on warning system design, the Disaster Research Center conducted a broad and
systematic review of the literature on risk communication, hazard and disaster warnings, and
warning response. The review addressed a variety of topics, including the different types of
systems that are currently used to issue warnings of impending threats; the components or phases
of the warning process; what is currently known about factors that influence the manner in which
people respond to warnings; and the problems inherent in issuing warnings that elicit appropriate
self-protective responses. The review also considered such topics as which types of settings are
the most likely candidates for successful SCAN deployment, what types of warning signals and
messages people are most likely to heed in emergency situations, and what lessons can be learned
from earthquake alerts that have been issued in Mexico City, the only community that currently
uses a real-time system to provide warnings to the public. Other issues considered in this report
include the potential for negative consequences following false alarms or missed alerts, the
extent to which fully-automated systems could be employed in transmitting real-time alerts, and
concerns centering on overall system integration and reliability, equity in the issuing of
earthquake alerts, and legal liability.
Keywords
Scan, Southern California, Warning Response, Warning Systems