However, we have not adequately validated these assumptions or assessed the effectiveness of public information campaigns to know whether or not our communication is eliciting the desired actions or behaviors. It was proposed that the role of public education is to create uncertainty in people about the stability of their environment in order to get people to educate themselves, convince themselves that change is needed, and, ultimately, act to reduce their vulnerability. Awareness and education campaigns must recognize that people differ in their knowledge about the hazards they face, in their preferred way of receiving information, and in their ability to mitigate hazards. The public is not homogeneous, so education must be customized. The more local and targeted the approach, the more successful it is likely to be.
Children make excellent messengers and have amazing ability to influence the adults in their lives.
Additionally, the best time to influence a person's behavior is when they are young. In fact, we now realize that both businesses and individuals have little awareness of what can be done to protect homes and businesses. Future public education messages must be presented in many ways, from many sources, and in many languages. Diverse partnerships and coalitions among both grassroots and national groups are crucial to effective mitigation, yet no formal strategy currently exists to help develop these partnerships. Mitigation actions too often have tended to shift the burden of risk onto the poor and other vulnerable populations.