General public

While national and local administrators are likely to have predetermined procedures to follow in the event of a large-scale natural disaster, having well-informed civilian populations will make national response much simpler.

In the event of an emergency, tone-activated radio systems throughout Micronesia and Peru will be activated (Mission 2009 Team 6). When a local radio begins sending out a warning, it would be simple to have the populace switch on their radios. In preparation for the actual disaster, we should work with local “insurance” providers and/or the exclusive power of government concerned with public welfare to offer some sort of reward to citizens who help relief efforts (Griffiths, 2005 and Pelling, 2003). Suggestions include rebates for donating food or blankets to storehouses, and gifts for assisting in emergency drill procedures.

Both Micronesia and Peru are almost entirely Christian. Most Micronesians are members of the United Church of Christ, and Peruvians are predominantly Catholic (Bureau, 2002). Because of the delicate balance between religion and government, the education team decided to allow separate avenues of information through religious gatherings. Knowing that it is important to keep our information as un-alarming as possible, there may be some merit to asking religious leaders to mentally prepare congregations for disaster. Carefully worded sermons could help the people accept post-disaster suffering as a trial similar to the tribulation in the life of Jesus Christ.

In order to overcome this trial, the general population needs to be informed. Simply speaking, the best way to protect a populace would be to give reliable forecasts of seismic or undersea activity (Benson, 2004). Because there is little warning for tsunamis, however, the next best plan is to familiarize the public with the disaster they are likely to face. A reasonable suggestion is to spend a day or two, possibly biannually, giving public demonstrations of our knowledge of seismology and tsunami risk using wave models and pictures of shorelines (Dalrymple, 1985).

In general, the demonstrations cannot rely on Internet connection. Thus, we’ll have to have durable physical models and occasionally portable video or DVD players. It is safe to assume access to an outlet to plug in a screen and/or speakers. By traveling to individual communities, we’ll be able to convey our information in the local language. The few who don’t understand our words can grasp the concept visually and can later converse with another citizen.

To reinforce our demonstrations, we would like to construct additional sources of information in large communities that can be visited throughout the year. One possibility is memorials to past victims to remind the public that disaster can happen and inspire them to be better prepared. Another more amiable suggestion is exhibits with permanent tsunami models and records of tsunami history such that current populations can familiarize themselves with the nature of the disasters and learn from their own ancestors about how best to react.

The final stage of our whole education plan is the response to an actual tsunami warning. The warning team will be using sirens to alert the public of the impending disaster. Our job is to design generic pictorial signage for use in near-shore communities and on beaches. The signs will remind passers-by of the direction to safety, but drills can normalize the situation prior to any disaster strike. The goal of rehearsed evacuation procedures is to make the public response almost second nature. To accomplish this, test sirens will be turned on at varying times of day and on weekends so that citizens can learn the best way to safety from both schools and offices and from home.

Another benefit of the drills is a process called Formative Evaluation Research, meaning they can be conducted while warning and evacuation systems are still being developed (Rice, 2001). Based on the public response to an initial evacuation drill, the warning team can determine appropriate siren volumes and locations, and we can analyze any hesitation in order to adapt our steps toward the ultimate goal of survival to each community.

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