Imagine working for a local health jurisdiction in Washington state when, on April 7, 2027, Mount Rainier erupts. Dense ash plumes shoot up to 30,000 feet and drift northwest toward Tacoma, Olympia, Seattle and the I-5 corridor. Roads are damaged. Power, water, gas and communications lines are disrupted. Agencies struggle to coordinate their response as the systems they rely on begin to fail.
Then the rumors begin.
On X, Reddit and in communities across the region, people claim that air sensors are being used for surveillance—that they are tracking nearby residents and collecting personal information. Another rumor says the sensors cannot detect harmful gases and other contaminants.
How would you respond?
The scenario challenged participants at a September 2026 workshop on combating rumors hosted by the Northwest Center for Evidence-Based Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response (NWPHEPR). Led by Tara Kirk Sell (pictured) of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, the workshop took place at the University of Washington Seattle campus as part of the 2026 Northwest Preparedness and Resilience Conference. Twenty-one professionals participated, many of whom work in public health and emergency preparedness.
Rumors create an emergency within an emergency
Public health practitioners regularly face misleading health rumors and false narratives. In a crowded information environment—where news reports, social media posts, and advice from friends and family compete for attention—people can struggle to determine what is credible, whom to trust and how to act as guidance changes.
The COVID-19 pandemic showed the consequences. Misinformation and distrust contributed to vaccine refusal, rejection of protective measures such as masking and the use of unproven treatments.
The Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security’s Tackling Rumors and Understanding & Strengthening Trust in Public Health Practical Playbook for Addressing Health Rumors (TRUST playbook) was developed to prepare public health agencies to build trust with the communities they serve and combat rumors as they arise. Lead author Tara Kirk Sell and her team collaborated with NWPHEPR to design and deliver a workshop that introduced the playbook and applied its strategies to challenges participants have faced in their own practice. Her team has helped implement the TRUST playbook in other regions.
NWPHEPR’s evaluation of the workshop is underway. Early feedback, however, suggests that public health professionals value opportunities to move beyond theory—to discuss real challenges, practice response strategies and build the confidence needed to communicate when trust is under pressure. As one evaluation survey respondent shared, “It was helpful to hear fresh perspectives on assessing rumors and leveraging trusted messengers. I appreciated how key elements of the playbook were presented in a digestible format.”