Educating the Public is the First Line of Defense Recent events worldwide have made vigilant disaster preparedness a crucial concern. A critical tool needed to help protect the public is the public awareness campaign. The first book solely dedicated to the topic of pre-event communication, this volume considers the best ways to communicate disaster risk factors, response plans, and emergency procedures without fomenting panic or paranoia. The author provides an overview and history of public disaster preparedness education, and then discusses the design of a public education project, as well as communication methods. This resource provides those public administration officials, emergency coordinators, and community leaders at both local and national levels with the background and the tools needed to plan, design, and carry out effective public disaster preparedness efforts.