Challenges and opportunities for emergency preparedness: Results from key informant interviews of Immigrants and refugees in Olmsted County, Minnesota

Catastrophic incidents can become a greater threat if preparedness plans do not address the unique risks of people with limited English proficiency (LEP). In 2008 13.4% of the population in Olmsted County were minorities with 68 languages spoken in the public schools. Knowledge about LEP minorities' risk perceptions, cultural values, source of information, and English language skills are risks communication processes required for emergency preparedness planning.

This qualitative exploratory study determines the most effective ways of communicating between Olmsted County Emergency Preparedness teams and LEP communities of Cambodian, Hispanic, Somali, Sudanese and Vietnamese origin. Key informant tree methodology was used to identify and contact study participants with no more than 15 key informants per community with whom a semi-structured face to face interview was conducted. Questionnaire responses were combined and summarized to delineate a risk communication profile for each community. Findings from the Hispanic and Somali communities indicate that 79% of the population does not have information on emergency preparedness, up-to-date information is only found in English, and faith and non-profits organizations are the only reliable ones during an emergency.

Our results show that there is an immediate need to increase the knowledge about how to effectively prepare LEP communities to respond to major disasters, and to develop a mechanism to cultivate trust and ensure connectivity between disaster relief agencies and these communities. This study aims to improve the inclusion of minorities in risk communication plans at Olmsted County and minorities' access to emergency resources.