A Study of Lagos Residents’ Awareness on the State Emergency Management Helplines
Year: 2020
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: The study investigated the Lagos residents’ level of awareness on the State Emergency Management Agency helplines (112 & 767). To achieve the research objectives, four research questions were raised to guide the study. A standard questionnaire was used as the major instrument for data collection from 300 residents of Lagos State. In addition, in-depth interviews were conducted with three selected local government chairmen in the state, four LASEMA officials and thirteen victims of emergency situations using 10 guiding questions. In all, 280 copies were returned leaving the researcher with deficit of 7% and a response rate of 93%.The study showed that awareness of Lagos residents on Lagos State Emergency helplines (LASEMA) is positive with the result that the agency has been recognized as efficient and has justified the purpose for which it was established. The high-performance rating is due to availability of competent officials, modern equipment and regular training of staff. The agency has been encouraged to double its efforts in order to drastically minimise emergency situations across the state. The findings also observed that the media play critical roles in influencing the lives of Lagos residents. The study therefore suggested that persuasive media messages can be made to further sensitize Lagos residents concerning the use of the helplines. The study also recommended more training for LASEMA staff on how to interact with the media with the purpose of sensitising the residents of Lagos State concerning the use of the helplines.
Source: ZARIA JOURNAL OF COMMUNICATION
Language: English
Subfield: Communication
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7219973340