START participates in risk communication conference

Feb 21, 2012

Claire Simon

START staff members traveled to Atlanta earlier this month to participate in a two-day risk communication conference. The conference aimed to investigate and discuss local preparedness and disaster responses. Participants including academics, practitioners and researchers, were asked to analyze effective communication methods to develop prepared plans.

Among the START staff members who helped plan and attend the conference were:

Kathleen Smarick, Special Advisor to the Director

Katherine Worboys Izsak, Education Director

Stephanie Madden, Researcher/Project Coordinator

Melissa Janoske, Researcher

Conference attendees were divided into three breakout groups to discuss research on risk communication methods: preparedness, warnings and recovery and hazard mitigations. START researchers Dennis Mileti and Monica Schoch-Spana led the breakout groups with the help of Gavin Smith, Executive Director of the Coastal Hazards Center. Each group presented their findings at the end of the conference.

"More of these conversations need to happen because many people are so busy, but need to know about preparedness," said Stephanie Madden, START researcher and project coordinator for risk communication.

START developed a two-year risk communication program in 2011, led by Smarick and Izsak, to research and develop risk communication practices related to homeland-security threats. For more information on START's risk communication program, please click here.