Communicating with the public in an emergency: a practical guide to successful risk management

June 19, 2025

Three HEC Montréal professors, Fannie Couture (Department of Management), Valerie Bélanger and Marie-Ève Rancourt (both from the Department of Logistics and Operations Management), have just published a practical guide on risk and emergency management.

This guide, which is mainly intended for civil security managers and officials, proposes concrete tools to improve communication with the community before, during and after an emergency such as a natural disaster, public health emergency or critical infrastructure failure.

This toolkit is timely, as it comes at a time of year when several wildfires are already raging in Canada. Environment Canada also expects summer temperatures to be above average in 2025, which will increase the risk of new fires breaking out.

Findings, lessons and best practices

The document presents the main findings and lessons from a webinar organized by HEC Montréal on May 2 this year, during which experts presented best practices, lessons learned and emerging tools in this field.

The report highlights nine key lessons, ranging from the importance of informing the public quickly to the necessity of documenting every decision made in a crisis situation. One of the key messages is that “the community can forgive the inability to control a disaster, but not the lack of a warning.”

Evacuee behaviour

The document is also based on a study conducted in the summer of 2023 among more than 650 households evacuated during wildfires in Quebec. This survey reveals crucial behaviours worth considering. For example, evacuees may take detours before leaving the city (stopping by the office, picking up the children, refuelling), some may be very proactive and leave quickly while others may refuse to evacuate. These are variables that should be taken into account when planning an evacuation.

The basics of risk management

The report also highlights the importance of mapping risks by using modelling tools, for instance, to quantify risks and improve intervention planning in advance. Taking the time to thoroughly map risks and conduct crisis simulations can facilitate response and communication with the community in times of crisis.

Broadcasting alerts

Finally, a section explains the steps to be followed by authorized local authorities who wish to broadcast an intrusive emergency alert via Québec Alert Ready. This Quebec system rapidly broadcasts emergency warning messages to the public. Incidentally, Québec Alert Ready was already mobilized during the evacuation of Chibougamau in 2023.

Consult the practical guide [in French only]