"I don't shake at an earthquake" is Romania’s official national public information campaign for earthquake preparedness. Led by the Department for Emergency Situations and the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations, it centralizes life-saving instructions through a dedicated web portal, national media broadcasts, and mobile application integration to ensure behavioral readiness.
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I don't shake at an earthquake
General Information
ISIG
A comprehensive national communication initiative designed to provide Romanian citizens with standardized, life-saving behavioral guidelines for seismic events. The initiative utilizes high-visibility video spots, downloadable educational brochures for schools, and interactive digital content to replace common myths with scientifically backed "correct behaviors." By ensuring that every citizen knows how to "drop, cover, and hold on" and avoid dangerous actions like using elevators or running onto stairs, the campaign builds a culture of national seismic resilience. It serves as the primary educational resource for schools, public institutions, and the general public across all 41 counties of Romania. The campaign provides the technical and educational foundation for individual and collective preparedness through official protocols.
Romania is one of the most seismically active countries in Europe, particularly due to the Vrancea zone, which has a history of devastating deep earthquakes (notably in 1940 and 1977). Despite this high risk, public surveys often show significant gaps in knowledge regarding immediate protective actions. The campaign was created to address these gaps by replacing myths and panic with clear, actionable steps, ensuring that the population is mentally and physically prepared for the next major event. The core function of this case is to provide national guidelines and training for public preparedness and risk reduction. It acts as a national behavioral standard, utilizing digital platforms and media to build capacity across the population.
Hazard Type
Geographical Scope - Nuts
Population Size
Population Density
Needs Addressed
The campaign addresses behavioral panic and the lack of standardized emergency knowledge. It targets the high risk of injury caused by instinctive but dangerous actions (e.g., attempting to evacuate during active shaking) by providing mental rehearsal through media content.
Specific materials, including animations and simplified guides and additional content are designed with high visual clarity to be accessible to children in school settings and the elderly who may be less tech-savvy.
This case represents state-led initiative where the central government sets the standards and local branches assist in distribution. The Department for Emergency Situations provides strategic oversight, while the General Inspectorate handles operational content creation and distribution through its county-level branches.
By providing standardized protocols, the campaign ensures that individual reactions are not random but follow an organized, life-saving pattern.
The campaign relies on existing telecommunications and broadcasting infrastructure to reach the public. It is designed to be adaptable to any physical environment (home, school, office).
To ensure citizens are fully informed of life-saving protocols and know where to find official information.
The campaign primarily uses an information-push model. Citizens participate by accessing resources via the web portal, downloading the DSU app, and engaging with the materials in educational settings (schools) and multimedia spots on national media broadcasters.
Stakeholders (the public) do not influence the technical safety guidelines, as these are determined by emergency experts to ensure scientific accuracy and safety, but they influence the campaign's reach through social sharing.
Residents gain the ability to recognize risks and perform self-protective measures during an earthquake.
Governance
Emergency Preparedness
Infrastructure Readiness
Engagement Level
Empowerment Level
Implementation
The project's innovation lies in its "behavioral standardization." It legally integrates safety messages into "Public Interest Messaging," ensuring high-frequency broadcasting across all national media outlets at no cost to the emergency services.
Romanian
The implementing organization is the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations.
Transferable types include: National Civil Protection Agencies, Emergency Management Departments.
IGSU is the primary body in Romania responsible for disaster response, fire safety, and civil protection, possessing extensive experience in large-scale emergency coordination and risk communication.
- Department for Emergency Situations: Strategic leadership and policy.
- General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations: Content development and operational implementation.
- Ministry of Internal Affairs (MAI): Institutional oversight.
- National Audiovisual Council: Facilitating the broadcast of public interest messages.
- Ministry of Education: Disseminating materials through the school system.
- National Media Outlets: Distribution of public interest messages.
- Research & Standardization: Experts analyzed seismic behavior data to define the "Correct Behaviors" list.
- Multimedia Production: Creation of professional video spots, a web portal (nutremurlacutremur.ro), and the DSU mobile app integration.
- Regulatory Integration: Securing "Public Interest" status to ensure free, high-frequency broadcasting on national TV and radio.
- National Rollout: Continuous dissemination through social media, schools, and community events.
Sustainability is achieved through state budget integration. The implementation requires professional multimedia production teams, web hosting, and a network of educators in the school system.
The project is a multi-year, continuously updated program.
Experience of the Implementing Organisation in DRM
Target Audience
Resources Required
Timeframe & Phases
Participation Results
Standardization is vital; having multiple competing sets of safety tips from various NGOs creates confusion. A single, government-backed "source of truth" is more effective for life-safety protocols.
- Challenge: High volume of viral misinformation (e.g., the "Triangle of Life" myth) which can be fatal.
- Strategy: The campaign explicitly addresses these myths in its FAQ and video sections to provide a clear, authoritative counter-narrative.
- Risk: Public "preparedness fatigue" where interest wanes without a recent earthquake.
- Mitigation: The campaign surges during anniversaries of major historical earthquakes and on International Disaster Risk Reduction Day to maintain high visibility.
Risk & Mitigation Plan
Scalability and Sustainability
The campaign follows an Institutionalized Governance Model. Because it is a permanent mandate of the Romanian Department for Emergency Situations and the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations, it is not a temporary "project" but a core function of the state. It is sustained through the National Ministry of Internal Affairs budget, ensuring continuity regardless of external grant cycles.
This model is highly replicable in any country with high seismic or multi-hazard risks. The "Public Interest Message" legal framework is a key element that can be adapted to ensure no-cost media distribution in other jurisdictions.
Integration of the campaign with the DSU mobile app provides a smart way to link behavioral education with real-time early warning alerts.
The campaign is funded by national public funds (domestic/local to the country's governance) and leverages Romanian legislation that mandates media outlets to broadcast "Public Interest Messages" for free. This eliminates the need for a continuous commercial advertising budget, making the model highly sustainable and resilient to funding fluctuations.
While specific budget figures are internal to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, direct costs likely involve production of high-quality video spots and web platform development.
Operational costs likely involve web hosting, social media management, and periodic printing of physical materials.
Legislation that mandates media outlets to carry public safety messages is a vital sustainability tool, ensuring the campaign reaches millions without a commercial advertising budget.