Risk and crisis communication: coordinating for a northern environment

Abstract

With the destruction of 9-11, and more recently the Asian Tsunami and Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, came an urgency for communities across the US to be better prepared for such events. Human-caused and natural disasters are the principal force that crisis managers must face when planning, coordinating, and preparing for a crisis. This research examines the lived experience of crisis managers in the Fairbanks North Star Borough (FNSB) as they engage in the process of planning coordinated responses to such crises. The study employs conversational interviewing as method and follows a narrative methodology. The results of the study suggest that crisis managers in the FNSB are a cohesive group who depend on mutual aid in the event of crises, and understand that there are boundaries to their response, yet are confident in their abilities. They respond to such events following a hierarchical command structure similar to that of the military. Their coordinated efforts are regulated by outside agencies and include interacting with the media on a routine basis.