Household preparedness motivation in lahar hazard zones: assessing the adoption of preparedness behaviors among laypeople and response professionals in communities downstream from Mount Baker and Glacier Peak (USA) volcanoes

Abstract

As the number of people living at risk from volcanic hazards in the U.S. Pacific Northwest grows, more detailed studies of household preparedness in at-risk communities are needed to develop effective mitigation, response, and recovery plans. This study examines two aspects of preparedness behavior motivation in the Skagit Valley (WA), which is at risk from Mount Baker and Glacier Peak lahars. First, we examine the influence of perceived responseefficacy, protective response costs, self-efficacy, and ascription of responsibility on preparedness. Results indicate few respondents believe high perceived protective response costs, low perceived response-efficacy, or low perceived protection responsibility prevent them from adopting frequently recommended preparedness behaviors. Correlations with preparedness suggest perceived self-efficacy and ascription of responsibility play a more dominant role in determining preparedness behaviors, albeit a less readily recognized role. Second, we investigate how participation in hazard management at a professional level (e.g., working as a first responder or leader within the local city government, hospitals, school districts, Red Cross, or utilities, transportation, or water companies) influences knowledge, risk perception, and household preparedness. Results show that professional participation minimally influences household preparedness, but successfully improves perceived self-efficacy, confidence in officials, and information seeking behavior. Given these results, we argue (1) for inclusion of ascription of responsibility variables in studies of preparedness behavior motivation and (2) that specific types of participation in response-related activities (e.g., public, professional, specific training programs) may affect household preparedness differently, whereas self-efficacy and confidence in officials may improve regardless of participation type because of increased interaction with emergency officials.

Household preparedness for emergency events: a cross-sectional survey on residents in four regions of China

“…The relevant emergency items were prioritised in accordance with the National Disaster Prevention Manual published by the Ministry of Civil Affairs of China and the CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. These included nine general emergency necessities (3-day supply of non-perishable food and water, battery-powered radio, extra batteries, battery-operated torch, first-aid kit, gas mask, fire extinguisher, escape ropes, whistle) as recommended by the national public education ‘ready’ programme in the USA and some preparedness items source from the General Preparedness Module,18 19 as well as coverage of accident insurance, knowledge of local emergency response systems (emergency numbers, exit routes and shelters) and availability of an evacuation plan 20 21…”

Trust and confidence in authorities, responsibility attribution, and natural hazards risk perception

“…The limited and inconsistent role of responsibility attribution in natural hazards risk perception and the adoption of protective behaviors highlighted the need for more studies (Corwin et al, 2017). Therefore, we hypothesize that: Compared with the ones feeling more personal responsibility, the ones feeling more government responsibility would have H3a lower degrees of perceived probability, H3b a lower degree of perceived consequence, and H3c a lower degree of worriment for both typhoon and earthquake disasters .…”

Concepts and Components of Household Disaster Preparedness: A Qualitative Study

“…Other researchers, such as Baker et al ( 20), Murti et al, and Corwin et al (6,21), have emphasized all or some of these categories. The results of this study demonstrated that in order to increase the physical-operational preparedness of families, structural and non-structural safety measures should be taken in the house; moreover, a disaster supplies kit should be prepared and its contents should be checked periodically.…”

“…In agreement with other studies, the acquisition of first aid skills was another sub-component identified in physical-operational preparedness in this study. Ejeta et al and Corwin et al emphasized the importance of learning first aid (26,21).…”