A well-organized, useful web site provides tools to guide effective emergency risk communications for public information officers (PIOs) and other communicators. A series of checklists offers specific guidance to meaningfully advance planning and communication activities. Reviewers found the checklists on initial response, response, choosing a spokesperson, anticipated questions and answers, and sample assignments useful and comprehensive. The list of possible audience concerns is also useful, but incomplete because audiences may vary so widely.
Many items in this toolkit merit consideration before an emergency occurs and could be revisited during an emergency. One useful approach may be to review all of the materials and action steps as part of all-hazards or pandemic preparedness planning. The toolkit itself is noteworthy for its depth and specificity, yet it also presents material in an easy-to-read and practical format. Information is organized so the viewer can easily navigate the materials. This site may be particularly useful for agencies that do not have the staff, resources, or ability to make emergency risk communication training widely available to employees.