Pacific Tsunami Warning Center Is Asked for Details of its Crisis Communications Plan

(The following letter was sent today electronically and by regular postal service to Dr. Charles McCreery and Dr. Laura Kong, directors respectively of the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center and the International Tsunami Information Center.)

References: Letter to the Editor, The Honolulu Advertiser, December 30, 2004; “Gathering Place” Commentary, The Honolulu Star-Bulletin, January 20, 2005; TsunamiLessons.blogspot.com, since January 2, 2005

Dear Dr. McCreery and Dr. Kong:

You may be aware from recent media coverage of my view that the news media could and should have been contacted to facilitate a warning to south Asia nations once the existence of a tsunami was suspected by Pacific Tsunami Warning Center personnel on Christmas Day, HST. I first made this view known in a letter to The Honolulu Advertiser on December 30, 2004 and have developed the theme on a web log since January 2. The referenced commentary in The Honolulu Star-Bulletin further expanded on my belief that pre-crisis coordination with international news media may have spared an untold number of lives around the Indian Ocean.

The intent of my continuing inquiry is to save lives in future tsunamis by supporting efforts to engage all possible emergency communications channels to issue tsunami warnings. I have a particular orientation toward so-called “low-tech” radio and television, having worked in and with those media as a journalist and later as a crisis communicator.

I therefore am writing to request a copy of your agencies’ crisis communications plans. I am particularly interested to learn the details of PTWC and ITIC protocols for direct person-to-person contact with the major international news media when its becomes clear a tsunami warning should be disseminated – not only within the Pacific Rim but outside it, as well.

Any information you can provide regarding your agencies’ ongoing coordination with the major international news media (Associated Press, Reuters, CNN, BBC, etc.) to facilitate emergency communications to threatened areas of the world would be pertinent to my inquiry. I also would like to know whether plans have been written or changed to take advantage of lessons learned from the Indian Ocean tragedy.

As you know, the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation has scheduled a hearing for February 2 on legislation to improve the nation’s tsunami warning system. It undoubtedly would be useful to the committee if you were to make your crisis communications plans available to me and directly to the committee before that date.

Due to the tight time frame, I would welcome your electronic response sent to my e-mail address above. I apologize for grouping you together in a single letter, but it seemed to be the most expeditious way to write to you both. Thank you in advance for your cooperation and attention to my request.

Sincerely,

/signature/
Doug Carlson

cc: Senator Daniel K. Inouye
Senator Daniel K. Akaka
Representative Neil Abercrombie
Representative Ed Case