Critical Communication

 Instructions:

 You will compose an initial alert and warning based on a series of two suspicious bombings that occurred at noontime in the commercial/downtown district of your community (or nearest city). This alert and warning must be less than 160 words, so conciseness and brevity are important. Due to the bombings, the local police department has initiated an immediate evacuation of a 1/4 mile radius around the crisis point and are asking residents to stay away from this area until further notice. Two main roads are currently closed in that area. Residents are further asked to be alert for suspicious activity and packages, as there is the potential for further incidents. Public shelters have been established at two local public schools for persons in the evacuation zone and their domestic pets. A hotline has been set-up by the local emergency management office to report suspicious information to (1-555-555-RPRT) and their website will be updated on a regular basis with information for the public. 

 Requirements Headline: 

A headline that accurately reflects the severity of the incident must be included. The headline must be 160 characters or less (including spaces). Message content: 1. Specific hazard: Identify the hazard. What are the potential risks for the community? 2. Location: Where is the crisis point(s)? Describe the location. 3. Timeframes: When did this occur? How long will the impacts last? 4. Warning source: Identify the official source of the warning. 5. Magnitude: What is the expected impact? 6. Likelihood: How probable is another occurrence? 7. Protective behavior: What actions should citizens take to protective themselves and when? Where should people evacuate to and what should they take with them? The Alert and Warning must be 160 words or less. Tip: If using Microsoft Word, highlight your text and the word count will show in the bottom, left-hand corner of your screen.