EARLY WARNING

What is Early Warning?

Early warning is the relay of messages to individuals, groups or populations which provide them with information about: the existence of danger / risk What can be done to mitigate, prevent, avoid or minimize the danger / risk

What is Early Warning?

The provision of timely (WHEN, WHERE) and effective information (WHAT) through identified institutions (WHO), that allows individuals exposed to a hazard to take action to avoid or reduce their risk (HOW) and prepare for effective response

EWS include a chain of concerns

Understanding and mapping the hazard Monitoring and forecasting impending events Processing and disseminating understandable warnings to political authorities and the population Undertake appropriate and timely actions in response to warnings

4 Elements of Early Warning

1. Accurate hazard warning 2. An assessment of likely risks and impacts associated with the hazard 3. Timely and understandable communication of the warning

4. Capacity to act on the warning, particularly at the local level

Why do we give warning?

1. To inform: - about hazards - about elements at risk - about risks - about the environment - about potential needs

Why do we give warning?

2. To advise on: - means of protection (Ex: Warning on the contamination of water sources) - means of preparedness (Ex: Severe weather forecast/warning pre-emptive evacuation) - means of mitigation (Ex: Sandbagging to reinforce the dike) - means of response to threat (Ex: Warning that floodwater is about to breach the dike and that there is need to reinforce dike with sandbags)

Why do we give warning?

3. To instruct: - what - when - how - who - where . . . to do or act in the personal or community level

Different forms of giving warning and/or receiving warning:

Village or community warning Notices/posters/billboards Verbal or pictorial messages Cartoon series/mascots Radio/TV Films Other indigenous forms and channels

Things to consider when giving warning

1. Inform the people of the different phases of the warning and their meaning. Example: Cyclone Warning Cyclone Signal # 1 or Alert Level 1 Cyclone Signal # 2 or Alert Level 2 Example: Community-defined warning system/s Flood Warning # 1 2 ft. floodwaters at village square Flood Warning # 2 6 ft. floodwaters at village square Main road is impassable

Things to consider when giving warning

2. Inform or update the evacuees/community of the forecast and the warning of agencies or community monitoring team using symbols or sounds that everybody can understand Example: Typhoon WarningSymbol or Sound Typhoon Signal # 1 # 1 or square whistle or Alert Level 1 Typhoon Signal # 2 # 2 or triangle drums or Alert Level 2 Typhoon Signal # 3 # 3 or rectangle siren

Things to consider when giving warning

If symbols are to be used, these can be painted or mounted in plywood or boards that can be read or seen even from afar. Make sure to change the symbol or sound when a change in the warning or forecast is made by warning agencies or by the community monitoring team.

WARNING DEVICES

Things to consider when giving warning

3. Information Boards can be placed in strategic or conspicuous areas/places like: - church patio, schools or government buildings - mountains or high places - stores/transportation facilities - other places where people frequently pass or gather

Things to consider when giving warning

4. Organize a Committee on Information The task of this Committee is to monitor and prepare all paraphernalia for the dissemination of information regarding the warning/forecast or the monitoring of all hazards (natural or human-made). The flow of information from the field until it is processed and packaged for informationdissemination to the community should be clear.

Things to consider when giving warning

5. Identify Roles and Responsibilities For any element, an organization or an individual must be able to determine that it has: - primary role responsibility for initiating and maintaining action; and/or - secondary role responsibility for undertaking tasks in support to organization or individual with a primary role; or - no role at all

Things to consider when giving warning

Two methods of describing these roles and responsibilities can be used by the Committee on Information: a. List of Organizations involved and description of their roles for each hazard b. List Hazards and identify the lead/support organization for each hazard The description of roles and responsibilities by organization is useful for each team leader, coordinator, or group tasked to review the organizations overall involvement

Things to consider when giving warning

6. The warning should:
Be area specific Be target sector/people specific Be hazard specific Be based on the Community Hazard, Capacity and Vulnerability Assessment Give advise and instructions on what to do Inform community of the possible effects/risks that may cause them if they do not follow or do what is advised

Things to consider when giving warning

Example:
Typhoon Warning
Typhoon Signal # 1 or Alert Level 1 Typhoon Signal # 2 or Alert Level 2

Symbol

or

Sound
whistle drums siren

Action
READY GET SET GO

# 1 or square # 2 or triangle # 3 or rectangle

Typhoon Signal # 3 or Alert Signal 3

Alert Levels
Flood Level 1 Alert Stand By Flood Level 2 Preparation Flood Level 3 Evacuation

Level 2 Preparation
Flood is inevitable within some hours

Level 3 Evacuation
Flood coming any time

Warn households (slow double acoustic signal) Households advised to prepare for evacuation: * Prepare Emergency Pack for five days (water and food, cloth, etc.) * Secure vulnerable items in household Advise evacuation to identified highly vulnerable (children, old aged, disabled, animals, etc.) Listen to status report on DYMP

Warn households (fast, continuous acoustic signal) Households ordered to evacuate and bring Emergency pack for at least 5 days Check evacuated houses Head count at evacuation center Listen to status report on DYMP

Things to consider when giving warning

7. The community should know the meanings of actions to be taken (what ready, get set and go mean). Or recommended action should be specific like: pack-up things, proceed to pick-up point or proceed to evacuation site.

Things to consider when giving warning

8. Warning is given in simple form and in the local dialect.
Example: ATTENTION:Fellow Residents of Bgy. Centro 10 Based on the latest warning of PAGASA, Typhoon X may pass Quirino Province within 24 hours. XXX River is expected to overflow and shall be inundated by floodwaters burying houses and farms by as much as 4 meters.

Things to consider when giving warning

All residents are advised to evacuate to their designated evacuation centers. Please bring the following: food, cooking utensils, beds sheets and water. Farm animals shall be evacuated at the stable atop the hill (name/location of hill). We have three hours to prepare before our organized evacuation. Proceed to the village square (pick-up point) where vehicles are waiting to pick us up going to the evacuation center. It is estimated that floodwaters will recede within three days. We can go back to our respective homes on the fourth of November.

THE WORTH OF AN EARLY WARNING SYSTEM AND DISASTER PREPAREDNESS

-An LGU officer asking a question to EU Mission (NGO) officer
SIR, AFTER EACH FLOODING, WE WERE ALWAYS ACCOUNTING AND WORRYING IF ITS WORTHY TO INVEST MILLIONS OF PESOS AND OUR RESOURCES IN DEVELOPING AND IMPLEMENTING DISASTER PREPAREDNESS PROGRAMS, BUY EMERGENCY EQUIPMENT, RUBBER BOATS AND INSTALL EARLY WARNING SYSTEMS. UP TO NOW, WE DONT KNOW HOW MUCH IT IS EQUIVALENT OF.

The EU Mission officers reply was:

I GUESS ONE HUMAN BEING SAVED IS ENOUGH.

AGYAMAN NAK UNAY TI INGKAYU PANAG DENGNGEG