Padraig Corkery,
Press & Communications Officer

Communicating in Emergency Situations


To keep the public, Council staff and other agencies informed about the work of Kerry
County Council and the 3 Town Councils.

To promote the positive work of the Local
Authorities

To alert the people of the county about issues that may affect them.
Communicating in Emergency Situations




The Public
Fellow council staff

Different Departments

Different Areas

Indoor/Outdoor
Other agencies



HSE
Gardaí
Civil Defence
Communicating in Emergency Situations


Local Radio

Radio Kerry

Raidio na Gaeltachta

Newspapers

Local



Kerry’s Eye
Kerryman

Freesheets (Advertisers/Outlook)
National

Websites


Kerry County Council (www.kerrycoco.ie)
AA Roadwatch (www.aaroadwatch.ie )

Social Media

Twitter

Facebook
Communicating in Emergency Situations

Communicating in Emergency Situations

Main method of Communication with public





75% of all people in Kerry listen to Radio Kerry on a weekly basis

This rises during periods of severe weather (snow & ice, flooding)
First bulletin: 8am & hourly until 5.30pm
Main bulletins: 9am, 1pm, 5.30pm
Updates from presenters between News Bulletins
Can get information on radio from 7am-12 midnight
Communicating in Emergency Situations

Positive working relationship with Radio Kerry makes this possible.

Information is accurate, timely & of significant county-wide interest (Travel, work, school etc)


Comms Office in contact roads crews between
6.30am-7.30am for status report
Report given to Radio Kerry for 8am news (first news bulletin)



Report posted on KCC website.
Raidio na Gaeltachta also receive reports
Updated as conditions change.
Communicating in Emergency Situations





Timeline: Roads issues changed to Water issues

Freezing Pipes (No Water)

Thaw (Burst Pipes/Water cut-offs)
Almost 90 Water Supplies
Hourly communication with Water Area Engineers in relation to locations of concern

Engineers in constant contact with Caretakers
Now Road & Water updates

Breakages/outages/advice/notification of planned outages
Communicating in Emergency Situations

Twitter/Facebook

Growing method of communication


Short, brief messages, which are forwarded by users.
Many people receive updates in form of text messages.
Websites
 www.kerrycoco.ie

 www.aaroadwatch.ie
www.radiokerry.ie
Communicating in Emergency Situations







Twitter:
Facebook:
1,242 Followers
408
Winter Period
200 Weather related tweets (Nov to end Jan)
Simultaneous updates (Radio, F’book, Twitter)
Tweetdeck (Laptop)
Gravity (Mobile Phone)
Communicating in Emergency Situations





Tweets/updates quickly spread around
Mainstream media picking them up


AA Roadwatch
RTE website/twitter feed
Large increase in followers over winter weather period
Minimal two-way communication.


Limited time/resources to respond.
Info from public:


How accurate? (Retweet and pass onto Radio?)
Pass onto outdoor staff?
Communicating in Emergency Situations

Communicating in Emergency Situations

Communicating in Emergency Situations

Communicating in Emergency Situations

Communicating in Emergency Situations

Communicating in Emergency Situations







Provision of grit dumps.
Over 80 locations around the county
Locations advertised through Media, websites, with interactive maps
Public invited to help themselves
IFA were contacted in this regard
Public used grit for:

Driveways/footpaths/yards


Local roads which had not been gritted
Neighbours yards
Communicating in Emergency Situations






Hugely positive/Great Response
Giving Communities the tools to help themselves
Reduced some pressure from Council Staff
Locals helping locals

Local Knowledge. Where are the bad areas?


Local machinery. Tractors/JCBs. No need for equipment to have to travel in
Needs of vulnerable people catered for (Medical etc)

Business able to operate (Milk trucks).
Allowing communities to assist themselves without input from Council
Communicating in Emergency Situations

Communicating in Emergency Situations



Kerry County Council are not looking to insert themselves into the community
Strong feeling that existing structures should be utilised





Community Groups
GAA
Rural Social Scheme
ICA
IFA/Farming organisations
Communicating in Emergency Situations




Not looking to change these structures.
Thinking behind it…

Local groups know the geography better

Know the people better, their skills, strengths & weaknesses



Working in the community and know what’s happening.
Already carrying out this work.
Who is vulnerable, where they live, the challenges that may face them, who can help them.
Not necessary for Council/Agencies to get involved.
Communicating in Emergency Situations




However…
PRAs & Agencies need to know who to communicate with in each community.

Group/Community leaders who hold the local knowledge, and are in a position to provide assistance.
Not necessary to know who does what, or how they do it.

Simply to know who to contact in a community, to get the ball rolling.
Communicating in Emergency Situations




Conversely......
Communities need to know who to contact within the PRAs & Agencies

Contact persons in their area



Who the right person is to contact
What to tell them
If they recognise a gap in their area that could be filled by an agency (training, provision of advice etc)
Also to recognise when a situation escalates & cannot be handled by local community
‘TWO WAY COMMUNICATION’
Communicating in Emergency Situations

Community
Structures
PRA & Agency
Structures
Communicating in Emergency Situations
Escalation to Crisis





Set out/present what skills/equipment are available within the local community
Find out/Assess who is capable of doing what

Trade/Skill (Carpentry, 4x4 driving)

Medical (Defib training, First Aid etc)
Keep them updated & available

If someone comes in from outside, with no knowledge of area or people, can they operate.
Available if assistance sought by PRAs/Agencies
Communicating in Emergency Situations



Updated lists of people, contact numbers etc

Vulnerable people


 Who lives near them and is available to check on them
Those with certain skills, qualifications
 First Aid
 Garda Clearance etc
 Specialist insurances etc
Those with equipment and training, insurance to operate


Plant & Machinery, 4x4
Chainsaw etc
Who holds these databases (Community
Decision)
Communicating in Emergency Situations



Local community work on a local level among themselves to ensure vulnerable people are being looked after.
When the situation escalates:


Local community know who to contact among the PRAs
Provides local assistance/knowledge to improve the response time.
Communicating in Emergency Situations






Elderly person lives 1 mile from major route
(treated) up steep incline, bye-road.

Community have assisted with access by PHN
Medical condition worsens.
Ambulance Centre informed of difficulty with access.
Call made by HSE to local community to assist
Local community bring patient down to junction of major road using tractor/4x4.
Communicating in Emergency Situations

Communicating in Emergency Situations