The destructive winds and devastating fires ravaging the Los Angeles area this week led many, understandably, to turn to their phones for information and help.
Downloads of apps like Watch Duty skyrocketed as Angelenos eagerly sought information about evacuation limits, evacuation sites, and the fate of their neighborhoods. On social media, people also shared photos and news stories and reposted television screenshots, and many of us followed these updates on the Palisades and Eaton fires as of Tuesday. Reliable information was mixed with erroneous second-hand reports and, as often happens, confusion spread.
On Tuesday night, the Los Angeles Fire Department issued a relatively routine public request for off-duty firefighters to call a staff line to report their availability to help fight the fires. And this is where a flow of misinformation began.
All sorts of people, surely with the best of intentions, began reposting the LAFD's call for off-duty members to come forward, but some of those who shared this crucially misinterpreted the details. Posts from celebrities, restaurants, and even some journalists implied that the LAFD was asking someone willing to volunteer as a firefighter to call the LAFD service number, now surely under siege.
The fire department made attempts correct the minutes, but the damage had already been done. As of midday Wednesday, requests for volunteers were still circulating widely on social media, directing people to call the number designated for off-duty firefighters.
Angelenos want to help their neighbors, including by sharing useful information. It is difficult for official emergency management channels to compete with that cacophony of voices. In fact, communication may be one of the biggest problems in modern emergency management in the United States. And because of this, we could be losing a huge untapped resource: Americans' willingness to help.
There are certainly many things neighbors can do during a crisis, such as helping each other evacuate an area. But participating in firefighting activities? Without the coordination of the officials in charge, that is not only personally dangerous, but also can hamper law enforcement efforts and make things worse for everyone. It's unclear if that happened in Los Angeles this week, but many people shared publicly that they had called the LAFD number to offer help and had been turned away.
Without a structure to prepare and coordinate volunteers, it is probably for the best. Imagine if groups appeared on the front lines with no idea of the tactical plan and no direct line of communication with coordinating authorities. Firefighters would have to treat these civilians as non-evacuated residents who need to be rescued. Firefighters are tasked with protecting life and property, in that order. That means unofficial volunteers stop saving neighborhoods and put firefighters at risk. Imagine if DIY firefighters launched their own drones to assess the status of fires; Officials may have to ground their own planes.
But how can citizens be expected to know any of this?
It's understandable, even laudable, that Angelenos showed such a selfless desire to help when they saw what appeared to be a call for volunteers. It shows a deep, largely untapped well of civic-mindedness and compassion that we can draw on during future disasters. But only if we prepare enough in advance to do so. Official emergency communications are not reaching the public effectively and most potential volunteers from the public have not been trained to join disaster responses.
Social media has become the primary vehicle for up-to-date information in emergencies, with official agencies such as police and fire, as well as weather agencies, sharing information and alerts there first. However, this essential information from trusted agencies is republished and consumed alongside posts created by people with less experience and no authority and sometimes also by bots and agents who intentionally share false information. When information channels are crowded and contested in this way, particularly in the midst of the chaos of a disaster, the public may have difficulty discerning reliable guidance.
This week in Southern California, emergency managers will focus on fighting these devastating wildfires and thinking about the recovery to come. However, when the ashes settle, a close study of how the LAFD's communication (and the well-intentioned chaotic response) spread may reveal that deep work is needed ahead.
There are many possibilities to prepare to capitalize on residents' desire to help neighbors in times of crisis. This could include a new push to enroll people in volunteer organizations like the American Red Cross, an expansion of firefighting and first responder reserve lists, a creation of community emergency response teams, or something else entirely.
Los Angeles can take the lead in building a new model of emergency communication and assistance that combats misinformation trends by ensuring that people with this well-intentioned energy have useful places to channel it.
Jay Balagna is an assistant policy researcher at the nonprofit, nonpartisan Rand, where Alyson B. Harding is an associate policy researcher and Vanessa Parks is a social and behavioral scientist.
