Security communication

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Safety communication is an area of ​​communication in which safety-relevant factors are incorporated. Measures that are supposed to protect or save people must be prepared, coordinated and followed up through communicative processes. Thus, safety communication is perceived as a means of protection and rescue. It is intended to strengthen self-organization and civilian resilience to crises. Good security communication works both reactive and proactive to protect a crowd; meanwhile, it uses various means of communication and relies on the help of an actively participating society. This should be able to act before, during or after an event. For this reason, it is necessary to strengthen safety communication offers in the population.

Development and different users

The concept of safety communication was taken up in various areas. For example, the police in Hamburg have started to introduce security communication 2.0. It assumes that communication can increase security both directly and indirectly. It is important that the information is valid and appropriate and that it can be received by a reflective group. The PRÄDISIKO research project is intended to provide further information, which analyzes which type of communication between the police and the population can be used preventively. For example, a study showed that good information about crime can help against an exaggerated fear of crime.

Safety communication can also be applied to products. It can help to increase consumer safety .

Another area of ​​application is IT security communication. Here, a user is informed of clear courses of action by means of various channels (e.g. audio, video, etc.), which he should apply. An emergency strategy can be carried out on the basis of this.

Established methods

Safety communication has been used in various fields for a long time. A very old but effective method is smoke signals . These could transport information over a great distance and warn other people.

Later sirens were often used to warn the population. However, many siren systems are no longer in operation because the global political situation has relaxed from then. In Germany, for example, there was an air raid during World War II. This was triggered by the warning office , which otherwise uses a warning network for communication. With the help of this network, announcements could be made to around 12,000 connected warning points.

Nowadays such siren and loudspeaker warnings are only available in high-risk areas. There, the population can be warned of various dangers such as pollutants or the like. In some places there is a voice alarm system that uses prepared emergency texts to give people instructions in an emergency. This technology is used more and more, especially in fire alarm technology.

The USA uses a Wireless Emergency Alert System , which sends warning messages to all electronic devices within the transmitter radius. These SMS can be danger reports or wanted calls. In Germany, on the other hand, a modular warning system (MoWaS) is used, which forwards hazard reports to radio, television and possibly to paging services, Deutsche Bahn, Internet providers and the Nina app. SMS warnings are not allowed in this country. Such warnings can be, for example, that you should rather stay indoors or keep the windows closed because there are harmful substances in the air.

Latest developments

The police's interdisciplinary research project PräDiSiKo is intended to represent a new communication platform with which the police can communicate with the population. She uses interactive content, short films and similar messages. These are to be communicated preventively via an online network. She hopes to create a dialogue and to address different target groups. Ultimately, this should increase civil security.

The federal government would like to enable the population to be informed more quickly and therefore wants to pass on information on electronic billboards. In addition, warning apps should send uniform information.

There are now several warning apps in Germany that warn users of possible threats. A few of the biggest German apps are described below:

  • The NINA app (emergency information and news app) was developed by the BBK. Both the federal government and individual states can send warnings via this app. For example, severe weather, flood and bomb warnings etc. come from NINA. There are also tips on how to act in an emergency.
  • Katwarn is a similar app which was developed by the Fraunhofer Institute. It passes on weather warnings nationwide, but also regional reports in some areas.
  • BIWAPP (Citizen Info and Warning App) warns of major disasters as well as searches, traffic accidents or school dropouts if the responsible persons feed this information.
  • DWD Warnwetter is the app of the German Weather Service and warns of all weather conditions. Most warning apps now cooperate with each other.

The disadvantage of such a warning app is that the user needs a smartphone and a good internet connection. Unfortunately, at mass events, the connection can drop and apps become useless.

Due to the large number of channels and the high relevance as well as high time pressure, professionalized security communicators are required who take care of the content and take over the channel playback. This is often used at major events. In the run-up to the event, trained security spokespersons establish a basis of trust between the organizers and visitors in order to be able to communicate more easily in the interests of both parties in the event of an incident (e.g. storms, high mass density, terror, etc.). The security spokesmen always communicate on behalf of the organizers and always in such a way that the visitors not only accept the security measures taken, but also understand and support them. At the same time, the speakers communicate the interests and needs of the visitors to the organizers, which means that a dialogue between the two parties is maintained even in unexpected situations. This makes it easier for visitors to turn from a security risk to a functioning component of event security. This form of security communication has been tested, evaluated and further developed by major organizers and communication experts since 2016, for example, in a practical research project ( Guardian Angels ).

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Safety communication: strategies for communicative support of protective and rescue measures (SiKomm). (PDF) In: sifo.de. Federal Ministry of Education and Research, accessed on August 30, 2018 .
  2. ↑ Security communication . In: Sicherheitskultur.org. LUKA netconsult GmbH, accessed on September 4, 2018 .
  3. ^ Daniela Giebel: Safety culture: Resilience through safety communication . In: Dimensions of the safety culture . Springer Fachmedien, Wiesbaden 2013, ISBN 978-3-658-02320-1 , p. 359–377 , doi : 10.1007 / 978-3-658-02321-8_20 ( springer.com [accessed September 4, 2018]).
  4. ↑ Esther Jarchow: Lecture: "Safety communication and evidence-based knowledge generation". June 20, 2018. Retrieved August 20, 2018 .
  5. ↑ PräDiSiKo - Prevention through communication. Retrieved September 4, 2018 .
  6. ↑ German Police University. Retrieved September 4, 2018 .
  7. ↑ Moritz Wichmann: Fear grows in the dark . In: New Germany . ( neue-deutschland.de [accessed September 4, 2018]).
  8. ↑ Design of safety communication: An impact analysis of safety-relevant product labels . Springer-Verlag, 2013, ISBN 978-3-322-91491-0 ( google.de [accessed on September 20, 2018]).
  9. ↑ Scanvest: Modern IP security communication. In: Sicherheit.info. Retrieved September 20, 2018 .
  10. ↑ Siren and loudspeaker warning. Retrieved September 5, 2018 .
  11. ↑ Holger Kalkoffen: One word says more than 1000 tones - evacuation with announcement . Ed .: FeuerTRUTZ Special Security Systems. 2014, p. 48-50 .
  12. ↑ Michael Spehr: Apps Katwarn and Nina: Warning: You will not be warned . In: FAZ.NET . ISSN  0174-4909 ( faz.net [accessed September 4, 2018]).
  13. ^ Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance - Warning in Germany. Retrieved September 4, 2018 .
  14. ↑ Max Ferstl, Dominik Fürst: Why a false rocket alarm is unlikely in Germany . In: sueddeutsche.de . 2018, ISSN  0174-4917 ( sueddeutsche.de [accessed September 4, 2018]).
  15. ↑ Police crime prevention of the states and the federal government: With research on better security communication by the police. August 13, 2018, accessed on September 4, 2018 (German).
  16. ↑ Civil protection: Digital billboards are intended to display disaster warnings . In: Golem.de . ( golem.de [accessed September 4, 2018]).
  17. ↑ Disaster warnings : Federal Office wants to use digital billboards in the future. In: heise online. Accessed September 4, 2018 (German).
  18. ↑ Nina, Katwarn and Co .: This is what distinguishes warning apps. In: Süddeutsche de. July 13, 2017, accessed August 25, 2020 .
  19. ↑ Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance - Warning app NINA. Retrieved September 4, 2018 .
  20. ↑ Katwarn - warning and information system for the population. Retrieved September 4, 2018 .
  21. ↑ BIWAPP Citizen Info & Warning App. Accessed September 4, 2018 (German).
  22. ↑ WarnWetter-App. Retrieved September 3, 2018 .
  23. ↑ Loudspeaker on Zugweg in the test: A psychologist speaks to the Cologne jerks . In: Kölnische Rundschau . ( rundschau-online.de [accessed on August 20, 2018]).
  24. ↑ Rock im Park: "Guardian Angels" are supposed to ensure safety. Retrieved on August 20, 2018 (German).