Reading Summary from Mike Wayman #4

Mike Wayman

Reading Summary

References:

Horsley, J. (2012). Planning for Spontaneity: The Challenges of Disaster Communication Fieldwork.International Journal Of Qualitative Methods, 11(3), 180-194.

 

Theme:

There hasn't been an established method for communication during a disaster.  Getting people who know what to look for and report on are keys to a comprehensive on site report of a disaster.

Summary:

·       There is no precedent for a study of communication during an unfolding disaster event.

·       Disaster management literature has not examined the communication practices of a disaster response organization

·       Among the many benefits of fieldwork is the opportunity to use the data gathered

during a disaster to immediately input the data

·       Researchers need disaster-specific training to help them be prepared to enter the field to collect data.

·       A challenge of disaster fieldwork is access to informants, interview participants, and

disaster-related documents.

·       The researcher for this article overcame some of those challenges to conduct a participant-observation study of the American Red Cross during the 2009 floods in North Dakota

 

 

Application to the lesson topic:  Communication during a disaster is an important part of a disaster plan.

Application to emergency services:

How EMS is involved in the communication plan of a disaster has a huge impact on how information is delivered during and after a disaster.