An Australian Red Cross booklet with tips and hints for supporting communities recovering from disasters has won an Australian Safer Communities Award. In a year where radio stations covered many disasters, the booklet is a timely reminder that it can take a long time to recover and that radio has a big role to play in helping communities get back on their feet.
The Communicating in Recovery information management guide won the Nationally Significant category in the awards. The booklet is a guide for people or organisations working and managing information in a post emergency environment. It was born out of the post 2009 Victorian bushfire community concerns around availability and clarity of public information messaging.
Manager of Emergency Recovery Angela Sutherland has told radioinfo:
“The media is often experienced in responding to emergencies and they have an important role to play in informing the public. However sometimes journalists, like any individual, can forget that people affected by an emergency need help to recover long after the event has passed.
“Radio can be especially helpful here as the medium tends to be close to the community and can support community activities during the long process of getting life back to normal. Our recovery booklet is available to any radio station and all other media outlets as well.”
Understanding that access to quality information before, during and after an emergency can have a profound effect on resilience and recovery, Red Cross saw publication of this guide as a contribution to good community development and capacity building. The award judges said, “extensive consultation has produced a compact yet comprehensive, widely commended document.”
People affected by a disaster may have trouble focusing and receiving information. Regular information messages, a familiar voice and supportive stories are some of the ways radio can help in recovery. The booklet lists some of the problems affected people may face:
The nature of news is that it will soon pass from one event to another, but long after the news cycle has moved on, communities will still be recovering. Support and coverage of these communities after the news spotlight has swung away is just as important as when the disaster is occurring. Local radio stations are some of the closest media to local communities and radio staff should look for ways to support rebuilding and recovery.
The awards are sponsored by the Australian Attorney-General’s Department and managed by the Australian Emergency Management Institute in conjunction with State and Territory emergency agencies. They recognise innovative practises and achievements across the nation that are making our communities more resilient, safer, stronger and better prepared for crises or emergency situations.
Presenting the awards, Attorney General Robert McClelland said:
“This year marks the twelfth year of the Australian Safer Communities Awards. I continue to be impressed by the innovation and creativity of the projects – and this year is no exception…
“In Australia, natural disasters are inevitable, unpredictable and can have a devastating effect on our communities… By understanding our risks and being prepared for the unexpected we are building our collective resilience.
“Everyone has a role to play in this – governments, businesses, communities, families and individuals. We know that prepared communities are better able to respond to disaster events. We must be ready to look after each other in times of crisis when immediate assistance from emergency services and government may not be available. And very importantly, we must learn from our past experiences to reduce the impact of future disasters.”
The booklet is freely available to radio stations from the Australian Red Cross by contacting Lauren Gould on 03 9345 1800 or by email on [email protected]. Or download it from the link below.