# Presentation: 765326

## Panel Discussion:  Understanding Personal Preparedness Barriers and MotivatorsThe Public Readiness Index -- a Tool for Measuring Preparedness

- National Citizen Corps Council Meeting
- June 1, 2006

## About the Council

- The Council’s goals are to:
- attract and develop talented people for public service;
- encourage innovative and results-oriented performance in government;
- connect citizens and government and encourage citizen participation; and
- 4. promote public-private partnerships.

- Nonpartisan, nonprofit, and national in scope, the Council works to improve the performance at all levels of government.

## Homeland Security Phase I

_***Town Hall Meetings***_.
- Fairfax, VA
- St. Louis, MO
- Houston, TX
- Boston, MA
- Miami, FL
- San Diego, CA
- Seattle, WA
_***National Poll***_**.  **Our national poll amplified and clarified what we had heard both in the town hall meeting and the working groups.

## Homeland Security Phase I

_***Report***_***.  “We the People: Homeland Security from the Citizens’ Perspective”***
- President should designate September as “Preparedness Month.”
- Local government should involve citizens in emergency planning.
- Media organizations should partner with businesses and local governments to run PSAs.
- Citizens should develop an “all hazards” emergency preparedness kit and plan.
- Citizens should ask their schools and workplaces for emergency plans.
- State, regional, and local leaders should develop roadmaps to achieve full interoperability.

## Homeland Security Phase I

***Symposium.  Public Preparedness: A National Imperative***
- Partnership with the Council, DHS, the American Red Cross and George Washington University.
- Define what public preparedness means.
- Teach the benefits of being prepared and the consequences of not being prepared.
- Develop clear, compelling, easy-to-understand messages.

## Preparedness at all levels is a major gap.  A critical concern the Council learned from Phase I was the lack of clear and consistent benchmarks to assist public, private, and civic leaders and organizations to evaluate the preparedness of their communities.  

New Initiatives.  
Big City Emergency Managers Learning and Exchange Forum
Public Readiness Index
Pre- and Post-Katrina Polling
Financial Management and Homeland Security:  How Ready are Government Financial Managers
Ready or Not Regional Summits

***New Initiatives***.
- Big City Emergency Managers Learning and Exchange Forum
- Public Readiness Index
- Pre- and Post-Katrina Polling
- Financial Management and Homeland Security:  How Ready are Government Financial Managers
- Ready or Not Regional Summits

**Homeland Security *****Phase II***

## “The Aftershock of Katrina and Rita: Public Not Moved to Prepare.”   
The poll, which was originally conducted before and during Hurricane Katrina (August 26-31) and then replicated two months later (October 26-30), provides a unique freeze-frame of public attitudes before and then after the flood waters and headlines receded. 

- The poll, which was originally conducted before and during Hurricane Katrina (August 26-31) and then replicated two months later (October 26-30), provides a unique freeze-frame of public attitudes before and then after the flood waters and headlines receded.

**Homeland Security *****Phase II***

## The Aftershock of Katrina and Rita: Public Not Moved to Prepare

**How much motivation, if any, did Hurricane Katrina and Rita provide you to prepare for an emergency?**

## The Aftershock of Katrina and Rita: Public Not Moved to Prepare

- Hurricanes Katrina and Rita provided more motivation to some parts of the country than to others.

## The Aftershock of Katrina and Rita: Public Not Moved to Prepare

- People who live in the areas affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita are significantly more likely than average to have a Disaster Supply Kit.

## The Aftershock of Katrina and Rita: Public Not Moved to Prepare

- The following chart provides details on what the public has done to prepare.

## The Aftershock of Katrina and Rita: Public Not Moved to Prepare

- Reasons given for Not Preparing for an Emergency.

## The Public Readiness Index

**Public Readiness Index (PRI) – 101**
**The Public Readiness Index is:**
- Survey-based tool, similar to the consumer confidence index.
- Designed to measure how prepared individuals and families are for major emergencies.

## The Public Readiness Index

**Where can the PRI be used?**
- The PRI is designed to measure public preparedness in metropolitan areas, states, regions or the nation as a whole.
- At the end of the process, we will have two products to use:
- A longer 10 minute survey;
- A shorter index which will ask the questions most indicative of preparedness.

## The Public Readiness Index

**The PRI survey asks individuals and families if they:**
- Know how to get information on emergency preparedness;
- Have stocked enough supplies for three days if an emergency strikes;
- Have developed a family communications plan;
- Whether they are familiar with their state, local, employer and school emergency plans;
- Their experience practicing those emergency plans; and
- Questions about who the public would trust in their community to provide information in an emergency or to order an evacuation.

## The Public Readiness Index

**Status of the PRI:**
- The PRI survey is currently being fielded nationally (sample size = 1,000)
- Four metropolitan areas:  Miami-Dade, New York City, Chicago and San Francisco. (sample size for each = 400)
- Fielding will be completed in the next two weeks.
- Next steps include an analysis of the data and the development of the index.
- The PRI survey tool and index will be completed and released this summer.

## Creating a Culture of Preparedness

- Some recommendations:
- Simplify  and Synchronize Preparedness Messages.
- Many public and private organizations have developed their own preparedness campaigns,
- With their own preparedness messages,
- With their own brands and sets of instructions.
- National campaign with local customization.

## Creating a Culture of Preparedness

- Tap into Effective Ambassadors.  Maximize the effectiveness of preparedness campaigns to find the most effective messengers.
- _Children as motivators_.  Children serve as effective ambassadors for safety and security messages as evidenced by the success of fire safety, anti-smoking and seat belt campaigns.

## Creating a Culture of Preparedness

- _Incorporate home preparation in workplace emergency planning and drills_.

## Creating a Culture of Preparedness

- _Faith-based organizations_.  Religious leaders are trusted spokespeople in many communities, who could be effective ambassadors for emergency preparedness.

## Contact Information

- Patricia McGinnis
- President and CEO
- _[pmcginnis@excelgov.org](mailto:pmcginnis@excelgov.org)_
- 202-728-0418
- Lynn Jennings
- Counselor to the President and CEO
- _[ljennings@excelgov.org](mailto:ljennings@excelgov.org)_
- 202-728-0418