User behaviour with regards to safety check notifications on the LastQuake App

In total, between 14 September 2016 and 19 January 2017, 141 LastQuake users took advantage of the safety check to send SMS to their relatives to reassure them. In the end, 220 people actually received this message (due to failures mentioned above). On average LastQuake users contacted two people when doing the safety check. Some cultural differences linked to technology use and social structures were revealed. Indeed, after an earthquake, LastQuake users in the USA contacted 4.75 relatives on average, whereas Italian users contacted on average only two (Figure 5.4 - as shown in source document). This could be explained by different social structures with different conceptions of who are the relatives to contact in case of emergency (cf. D3.1 and Citizens' summits results) but also to technology use as SMS is not used to contact the same people around the world (D3.1 - see source document for full reference). Moreover, SMS costs could also be a part of the explanation. However, the sample is not broad enough to draw any strong and definitive conclusion and this will be further analysed in D3.3b (see source document for full reference) when more data will be available.

Cultural Factors: Access and use of infrastructure/services, Norms/values, Customs/traditions/rituals, Communication, Social networks

Hazards: Natural hazards

Disaster Phases: Response

Types of Actors Concerned: Non-active citizens

Recommendations:

• The use of new technologies (e.g. Bluetooth) can improve communication strategies in disaster management situations
• Use cultural factors to improve the effectiveness of disaster communication