Warnings

[Page 770]A warning is a type of indication, notification, or bulletin that requires consideration as it conveys important information about an imminent threat. Response decisions can range from adapting to a new environment to a nonresponse.

A warning system consists of different elements arranged to transmit warning information with the ultimate goal of protection. Those elements may include scientific personnel, government officials, emergency management organizations, scientific and technological devices, the media, and the general public. For a warning system to be effective, it must be timely, accurate, reliable, and understood by those who interact with the system to channel information (if the system requires human interaction) and by the audience. The dissemination of accurate, succinct, timely, and reliable warning information that accounts for the needs of the targeted audience could ameliorate the impacts of hazardous events.

Research on risk communication and response to warnings has advanced since the 1960s. Numerous theories have been developed to assess the complexity of the warning and public response processes. Earlier theories focused on cognitive or behavioral processes, and more recent theories adopt an integrated approach. Although there is no definite knowledge on the most important factors leading an audience to adopt the desired response, risk communication and public response research have highlighted social, cultural, economic, and political factors that influence the decision-making process, including information disseminated, beliefs, perception, and trust. For a warning to be effective, it must include: the geographic area that is warned, a description of the event, what is expected to occur, when it is expected to happen, how likely it is to happen, recommended courses of action, when to adopt the suggested courses of action, and where to obtain more information.