Effective Communication - Emergency Management Institute ...

UNIT 4: IDENTIFYING COMMUNITY-SPECIFIC COMMUNICATIONS ISSUES
Introduction
So far in this course, you have learned basic communications skills and how
communicating in an emergency is different from communicating day-to-day.
But have you considered that some people in your community may have
specific communications needs that may require you to change the way you
communicate with them in an emergency? In this unit, you will learn about why
traditional messages don’t always work across cultures or with special-needs
groups.
Unit 4 Objectives
After completing this unit, you should be able to:
Identify potential verbal and nonverbal communication issues related to age,
culture, language, or disability.
Analyze your community to identify groups requiring special consideration
when preparing and delivering emergency communication.
Develop a strategy for refocusing your emergency communication to meet
the special needs of the community.
Why Traditional Messages Don’t Always Work
To illustrate how cultures shape behavior, read the short case study on the
following page. Then, try to analyze what you think occurred.
Effective Communication Page 4.1