Unfamiliar threats follow the same warning format; even alerts for Rabid Skunks.

Are you prepared to issue a message for an unusual threat such as a dangerous animal? Every now and then we find a WEA that is sent for an unfamiliar hazard, such as a bear in a populated area, an aggressive moose, or a cat or skunk with rabies. They represent the kind of message that is urgent with potentially severe consequences, but they probably aren't part of most organizations' message libraries. Should they be? I don't think it's possible to have ALL threats in your templates, but it IS possible to be prepared for ANY threat that might emerge.

Let's take a look at this message issued for a rabid skunk by exploring the five contents prescribed in the Warning Response Model, which established the foundation for imminent threat messaging contents.

The first content in a message should be the SOURCE. Here, it's sort of hidden in the message. It appears the source may be the Health District of Orange County. But there is a reference to Orange EH (environmental health?) and Rrhd.org at the end of the message. So, I'm not entirely certain who is issuing the message. But the reference to multiple organizations suggests to me that this is a believable message that I should pay attention to.

The second content in a message should be the HAZARD and it's IMPACT/consequences. Here we see immediately that it is a rabid skunk that has been confirmed. I don't see any additional information about what exposure to a rabid skunk can cause, but it does seem like its a serious situation based upon the rest of the message.

The third content in a message should be the LOCATION. The message clearly states where the skunk was found - near Zachary Taylor Hwy and Terrys Run Rd in Orange County. I don't know if that's a wooded area or if the skunk is out wandering among homes and searching through trash cans; locals would be able to assess the adequacy of this location information.

The fourth content in a message should be the TIME. For most messages, time is going to be inferred from when the message was received (now). But in some cases, adding a time element will give a good indication of WHEN the rabid skunk was last seen in the area, which can increase a person's understanding of the threat and their potential exposure.

The fifth and most important content in a message should be the GUIDANCE. This message has a LOT of guidance in it First, it provides rather general advice about routine ways to avoid being exposed to a rabid skunk or other dangerous critters.

• avoid wildlife

• keep pets/livestock up to date on rabies vaccines

• don't feed wild/stray animals

• secure trash/pet food

Next, the message gives guidance about what to do NOW:

• if exposed, wash the area

• Call Orange EH or Animal Control

It's not clear what "exposed" means in this case - I suspect that it means that you have touched the skunk or the skunk has touched you. My limited knowledge of rabies says that a bite is the type of exposure that you want to avoid. But skunks have other ways of exposing people to their presence, including spraying a skunky smell. Is that what is meant by exposed? A little more clarification about this would help people to understand how they can tell if they are endangered and need to seek treatment.

Overall, I'd say that this message does the task of alerting people to a threat and providing some useful guidance. I like that it is fairly clear and easy to read. The inclusion of phone numbers and a URL are quite useful.

For improvement, I'd like to know more about the impact of the rabid skunk and what it means to be exposed. I'd also like to know what the skunk could do to my pets/livestock and if there are signs I should be watching for they they have been exposed.

If you'd like to read more about how to write an effective warning message, be sure to download the Warning Lexicon and share this with your colleagues.

This blog post is written by Jeannette Sutton without the help of AI. Material may be shared with attribution.