Description of the EMSC strategy for meeting earthquakes witnesses' information needs

The EMSC has developed an innovative and unique engagement strategy based on meeting earthquake witnesses’ immediate information needs after a felt earthquake, which has proved to be efficient to detect earthquakes (Bossu and Earle, 2012; Bossu, Steed, et al., 2015). The EMSC information system, which involves websites, social media and the smartphone app LastQuake, functions along with a positive feedback loop. EMSC offers rapid information to engage with earthquake eyewitnesses, who are then invited to share their testimonies. Testimonies are automatically processed and the resulting map of earthquake effects is automatically published, which in turn attracts more eyewitnesses and improves testimony collection. It is important to insist on the fact that EMSC focuses on felt earthquakes, as it is assumed that these are the ones that matter most for the public (Bossu et al., 2014).

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Cultural Factors: Local knowledge, Attitudes toward the media, Social networks, Access and use of infrastructure/services

Hazards: Natural hazards

Disaster Phases: Prevention, Preparedness, Response, Recovery, All disaster phases

Types of Actors Concerned: National civil protection body, Local authorities, Non-active citizens, National research bodies, Healthcare and emergency services