CDC’s CERC Program—Principles to communicate by in an emergency response and everyday life
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As a Public Information Officer, Mike was used to communicating health information to the people of his state. When word came that a major hurricane was approaching, he knew people would be facing fear and uncertainty. How could he make sure that the right information got to the right people? How should he react to the public’s negative emotions and false information? Most importantly, how could he help to protect health and lives? Mike knew exactly where to begin- with the principles of CDC’s Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication training.
CDC’s Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication (CERC) program teaches you how to craft messages that tell the public what the situation means for them and their loved ones, and what they can do to stay safe.
CERC provides a set of principles that teach effective communication before, during, and after an emergency. The six principles of CERC are:
- Be First 4. Express Empathy
- Be Right 5. Promote Action
- Be Credible 6. Show Respect
The CDC CERC program has resources, training, and shared learning where you can participate in online training and receive continuing education credits. CERC also has CERC in Action stories from other public health professionals who have successfully applied CERC to an emergency response.
Communicating during an emergency is challenging, but you’re not alone! CERC can help you figure out how to get the right information to the right people at the right time whether you’re dealing with a family emergency or a hurricane.
CERC in Action
PHPR: Health Security in Action
This post is part of a series designed to profile programs from CDC’s Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response.
CERC and CERC training are a service provided by CDC’s Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response’s (OPHPR) Division of Emergency Operations.
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