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The 'Be Prepared' programme: Enhancing local emergency preparedness through public education in Alberta
Amanda Warren1, Christina Hodnett2
1Alberta Emergency Management Agency (AEMA).
Journal of Business Continuity & Emergency Planning
|November 1, 2025
Summary
The Be Prepared programme in Alberta, Canada, uses public relations strategies to boost community disaster preparedness and risk reduction. This initiative aims to foster a culture of resilience through education and engagement.
Area of Science:
- Emergency Management
- Public Health
- Community Resilience
Background:
- Increasing disaster frequency and severity necessitate enhanced public risk literacy and preparedness.
- Public preparedness gaps persist due to resource limitations, knowledge deficits, and risk perception issues.
- Disaster research consistently highlights the need for improved public education and resources for disaster risk reduction.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the development and implementation of Alberta's "Be Prepared" programme.
- To assess the effectiveness of public relations strategies in enhancing community emergency preparedness.
- To promote a cultural shift towards preparedness and disaster risk reduction.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing public relations strategies: year-round engagement, targeted communication, partnership building.
- Applying an intersectional lens in communications to influence behavior change.
- Equipping local champions to motivate community preparedness actions.
- Research-driven evaluation of program effectiveness.
Main Results:
- The "Be Prepared" programme serves as a cost-effective, non-structural mitigation initiative.
- Public relations strategies demonstrably support emergency management in encouraging disaster risk reduction behaviors.
- Evidence-based approaches using PR enhance community resilience and preparedness.
Conclusions:
- Public relations strategies are vital for fostering a culture of preparedness and influencing behavior change.
- Effective communication and community engagement are key to strengthening disaster risk reduction.
- The "Be Prepared" programme provides a model for evidence-based community resilience initiatives.
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