Despite a record-breaking year of federally declared disasters in 2011, including floods, tornadoes, hurricanes and wildfires, many L.A. residents still lack basic awareness of their local emergency communications systems. At the BE Safe America Congressional Briefing at the U.S. Capitol, Federal Signal Corporation today announced the findings of the 2012 Public Safety Survey, which include L.A. data that takes a hard look at how knowledgeable and prepared locals are for emergencies. While the survey found that more than half (53 percent) of the L.A. public believe they are aware of the steps they need to take should disaster strike, the results uncover a shocking lack of knowledge—and even indifference—surrounding emergency alerts and notifications.
“Not only is it necessary to create a thorough preparedness and response plan for an emergency or disaster, it’s critical that people are as educated as possible about the emergency communications systems in place within their communities—which can prove lifesaving,” said Len Pagano, president and CEO, Safe America Foundation. “We were surprised to see just how many people remain unaware of the alerting systems in their area, and even more disconcerting, how many are apathetic in their response to emergency scenarios and communications.”
Conducted by Zogby International, the survey found that 72 percent of L.A. locals are unsure if their community has a personal alerting and notification system (ANS), which includes a combination of options for calls, text and email message notifications. While locals would be more motivated to take action in an emergency by a Radio or TV public service announcement—ahead of traditional warning sirens and word-of-mouth communication from friends and family—69 percent of those surveyed are unsure when their communities’ system is tested, and 70 percent are unaware of the sounds and sirens associated with various warnings. In fact, more than 2 in 5 L.A. residents do not know if their community has a warning siren system at all.
“With all of the options available to keep the public informed of nearby disasters or emergencies, we were alarmed to see how many people aren’t aware of the existing notification systems in their communities,” said Joe Wilson, president of the Industrial Systems Division, Safety and Security Group at Federal Signal. “In times of crisis, people need to act fast—or risk waiting until it’s too late. Now more than ever, it is essential that we educate communities on the emergency communications options available to them, and to drive the sense of urgency surrounding swift response to emergency alerts.”
Even severe weather conditions do not motivate L.A. residents to take action. Less than one half (43 percent) of survey respondents would take action based on a potential severe weather warning and 28 percent of respondents would require actual property damage or injury in order to care strongly about public safety awareness. Further, 1 in 12 L.A. locals said that nothing would cause them to care.
“We were shocked to see that the public could be so complacent when it comes to awareness and response to emergency communication,” said Wilson. “The fact that people could receive a warning that wouldn’t motivate them to action is extremely concerning, particularly with 99 FEMA major disaster declarations issued last year alone.”
Survey findings show that the L.A. public continues to rely on community officials to ensure public safety. In fact, results found that more than half of respondents (56 percent) trust their local and regional government to ensure sufficient public safety standards, communication and planning. Yet, only 21 percent feel that L.A. officials currently are investing in, or giving government attention to their public safety. In terms of potential contributing factors, almost half (46 percent) feel that the economy has had a negative impact on the level of investment in their community.
“Preparedness starts with awareness,” said Wilson. “As emergency managers strive to support their community with effective programming and planning, it’s imperative that the public stay informed of what communications systems local officials and emergency managers currently have in place—and more importantly, that communities are prepared to respond efficiently and effectively.”
For more information on the 2012 Federal Signal Public Safety Survey, visit http://www.alertnotification.com/.
