Building more resilient communities with a wildfire preparedness drill in the U.S.: Individual and community influences and communication practices

Abstract

When a wildfire strikes, it impacts entire communities. Yet it can be challenging to get communities to take the lead in becoming more prepared, and thus build lasting resilience. Guided by theoretical preparedness models, and using a case study design, this study examines the planning, execution, and subsequent sensemaking around one of the first community‐led wildfire evacuation drills in the United States. Findings illustrate the interplay between individual preparedness, communication, and community involvement as the neighbourhood studied conducted their drill in partnership with multiple emergency response organizations. Our model explains 39% of the variance in individuals' preparedness, finding that people with higher self‐efficacy, more involved with the community, and who felt strong social norms around preparedness had more items prepared for a wildfire. The community's desire to share the preparedness organizing process with external audiences is a unique and important contribution in understanding how communication can be used to sustain community resilience.

Moving toward community preparedness efficacy: Uncovering barriers in communities disproportionately impacted by flooding

“…Similarly, PRISM integrates TPB and RISP to better understand what brings people to seek risk‐related information and what they do with the information afterward across various contexts (Kahlor, 2010; Stephens et al, 2023). These theoretical models have been extensively applied to research related to environmental disaster events such as floods, wildfires, and earthquakes (Botzen et al, 2019; Lindell & Perry, 2012; Stephens et al, 2022; Westcott et al, 2017; Weyrich et al, 2020). However, these models focus on the individual‐level predictors of disaster preparedness and rarely consider the interdependent relationships between communities at risk and the larger environment such as their relationship with risk and disaster management agencies.…”

“…This process creates a social context where members construct meanings and understandings about their circumstances, through which collective actions against disaster events may occur (Becker et al, 2012; Paton, 2019). Research suggests that people who are more involved in the community are typically more prepared and resilient to disasters (Schreurs et al, 2020; Stephens et al, 2022). Participating in training and volunteering activities can help community members develop basic skills needed to prevent and mitigate disasters like flooding (Hu et al, 2021; Righi et al, 2021).…”

“…Previous research on preparedness has focused on identifying individual factors that predict decision‐making and intention to prepare (Bubeck et al, 2018; McCaffrey et al, 2018; Tasantab et al, 2022; Wilson et al, 2019). While there has been considerable research in flood preparedness and adaptation in vulnerable and/or marginalized communities (e.g., Babanawo et al, 2023; Opabola et al, 2023), preparedness does not solely rely on individuals; it must involve a deeper understanding of how institutions and communities' function to inspire preparedness (Federal Emergency Management Agency, 2019; Stephens et al, 2022). However, few empirical studies explicate how community and institutional‐level factors interact with individuals and influence disaster preparedness in underserved communities.…”

A silver lining to a busted forecast? Building relationships after the storm through humanising messages

“…A robust body of risk and crisis communication research underscores the importance of communication to perceptions of community resilience (e.g., Buzzanell & Houston, 2018; Houston et al, 2014; Houston, 2015, 2018; Stephens et al, 2023). Community resilience is conceptualised as a 'network of adaptive capacities' (Norris et al, 2008, p. 127) that allows communities to 'bounce forward' after disasters occur (Houston, 2015, p. 176).…”