Media Council’s Public Meeting Will Give Citizens Their First Insights on Disaster Communications

If you want to know how or whether Hawaii’s news media are working to improve their disaster response capabilities, be sure you have lunch with the Honolulu Community Media Council on February 27. Information on the “Media and Emergency Response” panel discussion and lunch can be found in an earlier CHORE post.

This will be the public’s only opportunity to participate in emergency response discussions since the communications fiasco on Earthquake Sunday, October 15, 2006. Average citizens weren’t represented on the Comprehensive Communications Review Committee and therefore had no opportunity for input to this group’s official recommendations to improve emergency communications.

Despite calls here and elsewhere for public participation, the Governor and State Civil Defense have made it clear they want no part of an open meeting at which citizens could get answers and be heard. Legislative hearings have not adequately served that purpose, and although we thought legislators might ask for meetings around the state, there’s been no such demand.

That leaves the Media Council’s lunch meeting as the only forum to date where citizens can hear key players in the emergency communications chain describe what they’re doing to keep us informed in future disasters.

Broadcast and print journalism will be represented on the Media Council panel, as will the State Administration, although apparently not by State Civil Defense; the agency has not indicated it will accept the Council’s invitation to participate.

The Council will need your RSVP by February 23, so call the number shown in the earlier post to participate in improving communications that will help ensure your family’s safety.