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The Use of Early Earthquake Warning in Hopsitals in Mexico: Safeguarding Vulnerable People

Description: 

Since the introduction of the public early earthquake warning (EEW) in Mexico, only one study known to date has been carried out to inform the socio-technical interactions between the EEW and the most vulnerable users – schoolchildren. However, another large and extremely vulnerable group of population resides at public and private hospitals in Mexico City. It is unknown to what extent EEW supports the safeguarding of vulnerable populations and corresponding challenges. An emphasis on the cultural aspects of safety in disaster response maintains that populations and safety culture of institutions should be studied to assess the implications of behavior for preparing for and responding to events such as earthquakes. Using the qualitative methodology, this study 1) explores and documents existing protocols for EEW and earthquakes in Mexico City hospitals using in-depth interviews; 2) investigates the behavior of the staff and the population in hospitals in response to EEW and earthquake; 3) compares and contrasts the effectiveness of behaviors in relation to existing protocols. The hypothesis of this study is that EEW could trigger protective behavior that is not aligned with official advice and, therefore, may be detrimental to people's well-being. To explore this hypothesis, the interviews with hospital Disaster Risk Prevention Units and the information about the protocols will be analyzed through thematic analyzes. The results offer an insight into the differences in risk perception, protocols, preparation, response, and response effects between individual groups receiving EEW and those who do not across Mexico City.

Session: Earthquake Early Warning Optimization and Efficacy

Type: Oral

Date: 4/20/2023

Presentation Time: 02:15 PM (local time)

Presenting Author: Allen Husker

Student Presenter: No

Invited Presentation: 

Authors