Borgernes forståelser af skybrud og andre beredskabshændelser samt forventninger til kommunikation i Frederiksberg Kommune

Nina Blom Andersen and Louise Hill have published a report (in Danish) presenting the findings from the Danish LINKS case study on cloud bursts in the city of Frederiksberg. Based on a comprehensive study involving both survey and focus groups with citizens from Frederiksberg, the report sheds light on the citizens' expectations of preparedness and response, differentiation of tasks of responsibility, practice of use of news media, and social media and non-mediated communication regarding the risk of cloud burst and other emergency management incidents.

It goes on to conclude that the communication between disaster management organisations and the citizens can definitely be strengthened. In the report, several recommendations are listed for Danish disaster management organisations, but two of them are to be stressed here:

1) Many citizens are unfamiliar with their own responsibilities and possibilities regarding both prevention and response in case of incidents. This can be altered by Danish disaster management organisations by communicating more focused on the questions. 

2) Resourceful citizens are experienced information seekers, but the increase in use of digital media excludes the less digital skilled citizens. This is one of the reasons, why there is a need for disaster management organisations to work with a more nuanced differentiation between different target groups. 

The results cover both cases of cloud bursts and other incidents.

The report is targeted towards Danish disaster management organisations dealing with the task for communicating with the public concerning both prevention and response.

Authors:

Nina Blom Andersen, Ph.D., docent, Katastrofe og Risikomanageruddannelsen, Københavns Professionshøjskole

Louise Hill

Contributors:

Anne Bach Nielsen, Københavns Universitet

Nina Baron, Katastrofe og Risikomanageruddannelsen, Københavns Professionshøjskole

Lene Stolpe Meyer, Frederiksberg Kommune