Public Panic Crisis Event
A Preventable Ecological Crisis
Prepared for
Western Kentucky University, Crisis Intervention, November 4, 2006
Copyright 2006, A New Story Foundation, Inc. All rights reserved.
Ecological / Ecosystemic Crisis
Ecosystemic Crisis Intervention
• Ecosystem: the environment in which
we live (including community,
family, infrastructure, and natural
habitat).
• Context: “Continuously accelerating
events in dynamically changing
cultures and environments.”
-- James & Gilliland, 2005, p. 515
Scale of Ecological Crises
• Large-scale crises: Affects
communities or regions
• Megacrises: Affects entire countries
• Problem: How to intervene when
very large crises or megacrises affect
neighborhoods, families, and
individuals?
-- James & Gilliland, 2005
Emergency Response Agencies
• Federal Emergency Management
Agency (FEMA)
– Leads effort to prepare for “all hazards”
– Manages federal response and recovery
efforts following a national incident
– Trains first responders
– FEMA, 2006
Emergency Response Agencies
• American Red Cross
– Focused on meeting people's immediate
emergency disaster-caused needs.
• Provides shelter, food, and health and mental health
services
• Primarily for affected individuals and families, to
enable them to resume their normal daily activities
independently.
– Feeds emergency workers
– Handles inquiries from concerned family
members outside the disaster area
American Red Cross, 2006
Theory – Ecological Models
• Primary focus of crisis literature has been
aid and support
• Experts in intervention have focused on
practical issues such as managing
postcrisis reactions
– Myer & Moore, 2006
• Need exists for systemic models to explain
how it all works together– intervention
strategies, community wide stressors,
individuals affected and response agencies.
–
James & Gilliland, 2005
Public Panic Crisis Event
Public Panic Crisis Event
• Context: High Societal Tension
• Definition: An ecological crisis
generated by rumors or perceptions
of an impending crisis that results in
outbreaks of panic response (e.g.
hoarding, violence, rioting).
• Best intervention is preparation
– A New Story Foundation, 2006
Examples of Potential Crisis Events
• South Korea
– “‘None of my friends think North Korea will actually
attack.’ Her mother, Song Yon Ju, 49, said she
remembered the panic caused by military crises in
previous decades, when she joined mad rushes to
grocery stores to stock up on boxes of dried noodles.”
–
New York Times, 2006
• Alabama
– “Rumors erupted Wednesday that truckers would strike,
sending many Tennessee Valley residents to the gas
pump and causing a fuel shortage in the area.”
–
Decatur Daily News, 2005
• Canada
– “Canadian grocers are being urged to brace themselves
for a flu pandemic, complete with public panic, absent
employees and failing businesses.”
– Toronto Star, 2006
Integrating Preparation & Intervention
• Being prepared in practical ways and
staying informed can cushion from
short term potential crisis events
• Individuals can ensure their families
are prepared and informed
• Families can check the level to which
schools, churches, and communities
are prepared and informed
Application – You and Your Family
• Emergency Food Supply
– “Having an emergency food supply means you
won’t go hungry when transportation, weather,
health, or other problems prevent you from
getting your usual supply of groceries or
meals.”
–
UMaine, 2006
– “Even though it is unlikely that an emergency
would cut off your food supply for two weeks,
consider maintaining a supply that will last that
long.”
– FEMA, 2004
Show of Hands
• How many have such a kit prepared?
Motivation – A Possible Scenario
• General societal anxiety high due to
– Highly charged Elections
– Tension / Violence in the Middle East
– Possibility of “avian flu” outbreak
• A disruption of delivery to grocery
stores and/or gas stations occurs
somewhere in the country
• Rumors spread triggering a panic
response and appearance of shortages
A Crisis Develops - Symptoms
•
•
•
•
Run on the banks to withdraw cash
Long lines at the gas station
Panic buying at the grocery stores
Media coverage of these events
further feeds the panic
• Local eruptions of violence/rioting
Don’t Panic
• These types of “shortages” are caused by
rumors and the panic buying response
• Extreme panic can not be maintained and
such a crisis would be of short duration
• Were such rumors actually true (e.g. the
trucking industry will be down for months)
no amount of stocking up would be
sufficient
During the Event
• If staying home for several days is
necessary to avoid angry/violent
outbreaks
– Use the time to catch up on reading,
chores, spending time with family
– Limit TV News viewing to several short
periods per day
– Limit outside phone calls to avoid
further spreading of rumors
Debrief and Let Go
• After media reports assure that the crisis
situation is no longer acute in your area
– Sit everyone down and discuss the event
• Was it fun? Exciting? Scary?
– Drawing and art projects may help process
feelings, especially for children
– Resume normal routine as soon as possible
– Work towards letting it go, and look toward
future goals
Be Prepared
• Have an emergency supply kit with
two weeks of food as recommended
by FEMA and the Red Cross to give
you and your family a cushion in
times of crisis
• Keep your gas tank above 1/3 full as
recommended by FEMA and the Red
Cross; above ½ full in times of high
societal tension
Benefits of Preparing Ahead
• You can be a source of stability
• You can relax when others may be
panicking
• You may be able to protect your
family from physical exposure to a
public panic crisis event
Stay Informed
• Keep abreast of local, regional, and
world news
• Read information from sources such
as protectyourfamily.ky.gov on
preparation for emergency situations
and have a response plan
• You may also find useful information
about how current events may impact
you at anewstory.org.