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Read. Understand. Apply.
The Warn Room blogs apply 70 years of research to the practice of alerts and warnings. We show how evidence-based changes to message content, style, and structure can create more effective warnings.
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The importance of templates for active shooter messages
When we poll emergency managers and other public safety risk communicators about the threats that create the greatest anxiety for...

Jeannette Sutton
Feb 6, 2024


The importance of plain language and instruction
Plain language makes it easier for the public to read, understand, and use government communications. Its wording, structure, and design...

Jeannette Sutton
Feb 1, 2024


Incomplete messages leave room for improvement
Incomplete messages lack key details that message receivers NEED and want in order to understand what is being communicated. In this...

Jeannette Sutton
Jan 29, 2024


Do NOT travel messaging in Winter Storms.
The December 2022 winter storm in New York affected more than just Erie County and the city of Buffalo. While Erie and Buffalo bore the...

Jeannette Sutton
Jan 18, 2024


5-Star Winter Storm Messaging
In 2022, Erie County and the city of Buffalo experienced a catastrophic winter storm at the height of the Christmas holiday, resulting in...

Jeannette Sutton
Jan 16, 2024


Surf's UP, but stay OUT.
There's a lot of good things to say about this message sent by the Office of Response, Recovery, and Resilience; but there are also a few...

Jeannette Sutton
Jan 12, 2024


Silver Alerts and JARGON
It may come as little surprise that WEA is frequently used by law enforcement to issue alerts for missing and endangered persons (MEP). ...

Jeannette Sutton
Jan 10, 2024


Shelter in Place; completing the message
The messages shared here are real. If you are a reader of The Warn Room, you know that this is representative of WEAS that we see...

Jeannette Sutton
Jan 8, 2024


Scary Messages - motivating behavior with persuasive language
There has been a long and ongoing discussion about how "scary" a message should be to motivate behavior. Some argue that people need to...

Jeannette Sutton
Dec 22, 2023


Bridge Closed - Find Alternate Route
We routinely see messages for roads that are closed using WEA. This is primarily within the states of Texas and Georgia and they are...

Jeannette Sutton
Dec 20, 2023


Punctuation and Abbreviation - suggestions to improve readability
WEA 2.0 made it possible to devlier messages with 360 characters, yet we frequently find that message writers don't make use of all that...

Jeannette Sutton
Dec 18, 2023


What is the hazard and why should I follow your advice?
Before posting this WEA to the Warning Gallery, the editors tried to revise the message, but were stumped. Without significant effort to...

Jeannette Sutton
Dec 15, 2023


The Problem with ALL CAPS MESSAGES
Messages delivered in ALL CAPS have a problem. Writing in ALL CAPS may seem like a reasonable strategy to get people's attention...

Jeannette Sutton
Dec 13, 2023


WEA is one of many ways to alert. What's your backup plan?
2023 has included a number if significant chemical releases associated with train derailments. While the East Palenstine, OH event...

Jeannette Sutton
Dec 11, 2023


Kasey Alert, Ashanti Alert, Ebony Alert: making missing persons alerts meaningful
When we look across the country today, we find there are a LOT of named alerts for missing persons. Each one represents a different...

Jeannette Sutton
Dec 8, 2023


Law enforcement notifications and message consistency.
When WEA was first initiated, messages addressed imminent and actionable threats, requiring public response to increase the safety of a...

Jeannette Sutton
Dec 6, 2023


Burn Bans and the importance of a complete message
Burn bans are issued when there is an increased risk of wildfire. In an analysis of all wildfire WEAs sent from January 2020- April...

Jeannette Sutton
Dec 4, 2023


A Well-Written Cancellation Message for a Boil Water Advisory.
The National Weather Service has done quite a bit of research on the use of the terms "watch", "warning", and "advisory", demonstrating...

Jeannette Sutton
Dec 1, 2023


Is it important to SHOUT and yell !!!!! in a Warning Message?
Wireless Emergency Alerts are designed to notify people of dangerous and imminent threats that require quick or immediate action. The...

Jeannette Sutton
Nov 29, 2023


A highly localized message with limited value.
If you read The Warn Room regularly, you know that a foundational aspect of good warnings is that they deliver complete information to...

Jeannette Sutton
Nov 27, 2023
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