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U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2013–1103

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In cooperation with the Washington Military Department, Emergency Management Division

A Collaborative User-Producer Assessment of Earthquake-Response Products

By Joan Gomberg and Allen Jakobitz

Thumbnail of and link to report PDF (2.6 MB)Abstract

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Washington State Emergency Management Division assessed how well USGS earthquake-response products met the needs of emergency managers at county and local levels. Focus-group responses guided development of new products for testing in a regional-scale earthquake exercise. The assessment showed that (1) emergency responders consider most USGS products unnecessary after the first few postearthquake hours because the products are predictors, and responders are quickly immersed in reality; (2) during crises a significant fraction of personnel engaged in emergency response are drawn from many sectors, increasing the breadth of education well beyond emergency management agencies; (3) many emergency personnel do not use maps; and (4) information exchange, archiving, and analyses involve mechanisms and technical capabilities that vary among agencies, so widely used products must be technically versatile and easy to use.

First posted May 1, 2013

  • This report is available only on the Web.

For additional information:
Contact Information, Menlo Park, Calif.
   Office—Earthquake Science Center
U.S. Geological Survey
345 Middlefield Road, MS 977
Menlo Park, CA 94025
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/

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Suggested citation:

Gomberg, J., and Jakobitz, A., 2013, A collaborative user-producer assessment of earthquake-response products: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2013–1103, 13 p., http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2013/1103/.


Contents

Abstract

Introduction

The Assessment Phase

The Testing Phase

Conclusions

Acknowledgments

References Cited


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