Promoting Seismic Safety: Guidance for Advocates

Keywords: Multidisciplinary Center for Earthquake Engineering Research (MCEER). Mid-America Earthquake (MAE) Center. Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center (PEER). Seismic safety. Advocacy. Safety. Building codes. Research. Building rehabilitation. Seismic code laws. Retrofitting. Risk communication.

Abstract: Authored by social science and policy researchers at the three earthquake engineering research centers – the Mid-America Earthquake Center, the Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research center, and MCEER – this report distills the findings of previous social science and policy research to provide guidance to seismic safety advocates.  This 200-plus page publication is comprised of two parts.  Part 1, Guidance for Advocates, is a collection of concise tips for advocates arranged by the following topics: successful seismic safety advocacy, earthquake basics, ABCs of seismic building codes, policies and legislation, appearing before committees, informing and persuading, partnerships for seismic safety, working with experts, effective risk communication, and using the media.  Part 2 offers a collection of background papers, developed by the project authors, to support and amplify the advice to advocates in the guidance document.   References are provided at the end of each of these six papers.