I write a lot about wildfire warnings; I do so because they honestly stand out as being some of the most frequently incomplete and inconsistent messages that are issued via WEA. The only other hazard that compares is missing person alerts; these are routinely sent lacking so much actionable information, its a wonder that we haven't seen an uproar about their lack of effectiveness in their current state.
Wildfire messages serve as the bell-ringers of safety and with more and more extreme events occurring every year, it's important to get this right! In fact, the US Fire Administration has taken this so seriously that they formed a committee to examine language consistency for wildfire alerts and warnings, included a speaker on the topic during the State of the Science sessions at the 2023 USFA Summit in Emmitsberg, MD and will do so again as part of a panel on evacuation in 2024. You can sign up to attend that event virtually here.
Here we have an example of an incomplete wildfire message that is missing a lot of information but it also leaves the message receiver to wonder "how do I get out?!!"
Missing here is the message source, the time of the threat, the protective action guidance, and additional information about the fire/impacts. We can assume that "evacuation of Campbellville" means "its time to evacuation" and the warning that "evacuation routes could be impassable" suggests that there is some critical element of time that people in Campbellville need to be aware of - evacuation NOW or else? But that's reading into the message - a lot.
To improve this message, we made a few edits and drew from the Warning Lexicon and the Message Design Dashboard workflow.
Here, we have added the message source, used ALL CAPS to draw attention the the hazard and described what it is, where it is, and when it is happening. We provide instructions to EVACUATE immediately, and emphasize that in plain language by stating LEAVE NOW. We also provide an explanation about roads becoming impassable - here we explain that if you don't leave now, roads could become impassable, trapping people and making it not possible to leave. We also offer a url for more information.
We did look up information about Cambellville online and found that the Tehama County Sheriff has a Facebook page that could supplement the information found on their WEA, including maps for evacuation. They also use zone-alert software that allows residents to opt in, learn their zones, and receive messages.
With a few additions and edits, this message can be much more useful to persons at risk. We have work to do.
For more recommended contents, be sure to download The Warning Lexicon - it's free and offers step-by-step instructions on how to write a better warning message.
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