Reading Summary 11 - Seeing Clearly. Technical Communication

Reference: Hayhoe, G. F. (2005, November). Seeing Clearly. Technical Communication. pp. 415-416. Retrieved on November 30, 2013 from http://ezproxy.uvu.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ufh&AN=18798070&site=ehost-live

Theme: The author discusses the failure and lack of communication in evacuation plans as well as relief efforts during Hurricane Katrina.  He focuses on three points: Response of U.S. citizens to the aftermath of the disaster, Tasks of individuals in response to crisis, Involvement in disaster training programs of risk communication.

Summary:

·         The large part of the problem with the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina was faulty communication.

·         Notification and evacuation plans had not been executed.

·         The evacuation plans were inadequate to the magnitude of the disaster.

·         Rescue and relief efforts failed in all levels of government, again as a direct result of poor communication.

·         Failure to plan adequately or communicate the plan successfully makes a devastating natural event more destructive.

·         The can be no excuse for the cause of such suffering so needlessly because of inadequate preparation and poor communication.

·         The author list three important tasks that technical communicators in any country should do to keep their citizens safe.

·         Be as generous as possible-as human beings we should respond to a crisis as generously as we can with donations of money, food, clothing, blood, medical supplies and time.

·         Become part of the solution-It is a civic responsibility not political, to improve the level of preparedness.  Technical communicators should be included in the massive amounts of government and charitable money for they are the teams charged with preparing, evaluating, and disseminating future disaster plans.

·         Learn what we need to know to help solve the problem-We need to learn to think strategically about the roles technical communicators can have in our communities and various levels of government through disaster or risk communication.

·         We need to learn how to teach our fellow citizens how to respond to catastrophic events.

·         We need to ensure that those communications are accessible to all including children, the elderly and disabled, those with hearing and vision loss, and those that speak other languages.

·         We can help prevent future misery by making sure that technical communicators play a key role in creating and communicating disaster plans.

·         We should see clearly that we can't afford to do anything less.

Application to the Lesson Topic:

This article goes right along with the lesson topic, stressing the importance of effective planning and preparedness for disasters.  The author points out how much worse hurricane Katrina was as a result of poor communication in a crisis.

Application to Emergency Services:

Preparation along with communication is the most important thing that can be done in the field of Emergency services.  If we fail to plan, we plan to fail.  If we don't communicate our plan, our plan ceases to exist.