NOAA WEATHER RADIO AS AN EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION VEHICLE IN WEST TENNESSEE

In March 1994, a telephone survey was conducted in west Tennessee to d etermine the extent to which NOAA Weather Radio (NWR) is used by resid ents of the region. Interviews were completed with 407 respondents for an error rate of +/-14.86%. The data were subjected to tests of propo rtions, contingency table, and chi-square statistical analysis. The st udy revealed that 24.6% of west Tennessee households have NWR receiver s, but only a third of those, or 8.1% of regional households, continuo usly monitor the service. A test alert message was broadcast on NWR ju st prior to the telephone survey. Based on the number of respondents w ho acknowledged receiving the message, only 6.4% of west Tennessee hou seholds can be expected to actually hear an emergency notification on NWR. Thus, as a general public warning and emergency communication ser vice its effectiveness is limited, particularly among citizens of lowe r socioeconomic status. A fundamental problem appears to exist in the way citizens with NWR receivers use the service. Most turn on their re ceivers only when they already know severe weather is in their area. T he research supports the view of NWR as communication technology with a significant, though somewhat limited, direct niche audience. However , it should be recognized that NWR is but one part of the family of wa rning channels with which the public engages. Perhaps its most importa nt function is not in direct warning to the public but in conveying wa rning information to other mass media and emergency responders who inc orporate numerous other technologies (commercial radio and television, sirens, public address vehicles) to engage those in harm's way.