How People React to Alerts: Dr. John Sorensen Breaks Down Warning Behavior

In this episode of The Alerting Authority, hosts Jeannette Sutton and Eddie Bertola welcome one of the world’s leading experts in disaster communication and public warning behavior: Dr. John Sorensen. With decades of research at Oak Ridge National Laboratory—including studies on Three Mile Island, nuclear emergencies, chemical stockpile response, reverse 911 systems, and major wildfire evacuations—Dr. Sorensen has helped shape how emergency managers understand why people do and do not take protective action during crises.

We dive deep into the Mileti Model, PADM (Protective Action Decision Model), and the factors that influence real-world behavior when an alert goes out. Dr. Sorensen shares firsthand insights from field deployments, national-level studies, and community-level evacuations—revealing what actually works (and what often fails) in public warning.

Whether you work in emergency management, public safety, crisis communication, or disaster science, this conversation provides valuable lessons on message design, trust, human behavior, and the future of alerts and warnings.

This episode is sponsored by HQE Solutions, a leader in IPAWS, alerting technology, and public warning innovation.
Learn more at https://www.hqesolutions.com