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Mid-Morning Update: The CCRC’s report finally was posted online this morning, two days after the committee posted the video of its Saturday press conference. Despite the report's shortcomings (see below,) all citizens concerned about their families’ communications lifeline during an emergency should read it.
First Impressions: Earthquake Sunday last year was a needed wake-up call. The long description of upgrades at the state’s broadcasting stations is impressive, and a number of other improvements undoubtedly enhance emergency communications.
Continuing impression: This report is flawed because the CCRC did not include the public in any organized and meaningful way. One example of where public input is needed is paragraph 8, page 3: “Cell phone text messages. This is where the state wants to go for the future. Working with cell phone companies.”
Why is the CCRC enthused about text messaging? How does it deal with skepticism that major hurricanes could wipe out cell phone networks and that a prolonged power outage would degrade the networks’ capabilities? What percentage of the state’s population uses text messaging? (That’s a statistic that’s undoubtedly floating around somewhere.) What age groups never, sometimes and always use TM? Why is text messaging needed to disseminate information in a state where 99.99% of the population has access to radio? How much money will be required to focus new energy on text messaging?
We don’t know any of the answers because the CCRC and State Civil Defense consistently have refused for the past year to open themselves up to public comment. Their unstated message easily can be interpreted as, “We know best. Go away.”
The Governor should consider this “final” CCRC report to be yet another draft until she concedes that public dialogue will only make the list of recommendations better.
The people know best, Governor. We always thought you believed that, too.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••First Impressions: Earthquake Sunday last year was a needed wake-up call. The long description of upgrades at the state’s broadcasting stations is impressive, and a number of other improvements undoubtedly enhance emergency communications.
Continuing impression: This report is flawed because the CCRC did not include the public in any organized and meaningful way. One example of where public input is needed is paragraph 8, page 3: “Cell phone text messages. This is where the state wants to go for the future. Working with cell phone companies.”
Why is the CCRC enthused about text messaging? How does it deal with skepticism that major hurricanes could wipe out cell phone networks and that a prolonged power outage would degrade the networks’ capabilities? What percentage of the state’s population uses text messaging? (That’s a statistic that’s undoubtedly floating around somewhere.) What age groups never, sometimes and always use TM? Why is text messaging needed to disseminate information in a state where 99.99% of the population has access to radio? How much money will be required to focus new energy on text messaging?
We don’t know any of the answers because the CCRC and State Civil Defense consistently have refused for the past year to open themselves up to public comment. Their unstated message easily can be interpreted as, “We know best. Go away.”
The Governor should consider this “final” CCRC report to be yet another draft until she concedes that public dialogue will only make the list of recommendations better.
The people know best, Governor. We always thought you believed that, too.
Continuing today's earlier post:
Today’s Honolulu Advertiser carries the second of three days of coverage on the emergency’s aftermath one year ago. Hawaiian Electric issues are the focus today, and tomorrow the paper says its coverage will focus on “State plans for better communications in event of a disaster.”
We’ve already learned about obvious technical communications fixes – alleged updates of the Emergency Alert System (although as we noted yesterday, the latest plan on-line doesn’t show much of an update); a new media center at State Civil Defense headquarters in Diamond Head, and dedicated phone lines to broadcast outlets.
Unexamined as yet in this anniversary’s performance assessment is the human element – how the men and women charged with decision making during a crisis performed and how the protocols they’re meant to follow have been improved.
Some of their decisions and assumptions were weak, such as assuming they could communicate easily using cell phone networks and assuming the public would panic if the word “tsunami” were uttered, even in a message saying no tsunami had been generated. If you’ve forgotten about that gaffe, check out the second commentary posted here at CHORE three days after the earthquakes.
Technical fixes are actually the easiest to make. Changing human behavior to respond more appropriately during a crisis is something much more difficult.
Tomorrow’s Advertiser will make good reading….and so would the CCRC report itself if the State gets around to posting it on-line today for citizens to evaluate on our own.
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