Standardization of Emergency Management Language

Abstract

Emergency management language is becoming more critical as natural hazards become more frequent and continue to intensify due to climate change. This research study focuses on issues arising from the need for standardized definitions for commonly used emergency management terms. Consequently, lack of standardization can result in a myriad of issues, including confusion and misunderstandings around word meaning, which impact collaboration between government actors and the public and responses to hazard communications. In this study, frame semantics, an underutilized approach, is applied to mitigate word misunderstandings. Frame semantics is a theory of language defined as words' ability to evoke a frame or an unconscious structure that gives a word meaning. This study aimed to answer two research questions: (1) What are the issues and implications of a lack of standardized emergency management terms during crises, and (2) How could word framing enhance overall understanding? This research focused on the United States emergency management language, utilizing a qualitative approach, including semi-structured interviews (N=6) and document analysis of Congressional Reports and United States disaster after-action reports to analyze common language used in the government. The findings indicate real-world impacts (e.g., insurance costs) due to the lack of word standardization. A recommended strategy is to have standard word definitions along with many related concepts accompanying the definition to ensure there is flexible word framing to contribute to broader term understanding.