Using Social Media for Emergency Management Practices

FEMA Emergency Management Institute Webinar Facilitated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Virtual Social Media Working Group January 18, 2012
DHS Virtual Social Media Working Group First Responder Group DHS Science and Technology

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Mission of the DHS Virtual Social Media Working Group

To provide recommendations to the emergency preparedness and response community on the safe and sustainable use of social media technologies before, during, and after emergencies.

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June 17, 2003

Members of the VSMWG

American Red Cross Bellingham WA Fire Boca Raton FL Police Boynton Beach FL Police Charlotte NC Fire Milwaukee WI Police Seattle Public Utilities Clark County WA Emergency Management  Fairfax County VA Public Affairs  FEMA External Affairs  Fort Bend County TX Health and Human Services

       

 Johnson County KS Emergency    

Management Montgomery County MD Fire and Rescue Philadelphia PA Emergency Management Philadelphia PA Public Health Portland OR National Incident Management Organization, US Forest Service North Dakota Citizen Corps, State Community Emergency Response Team Rural/Metro EMS of San Diego CA Show Lo AZ Fire Presenters Name June 17, 2003

 

Webinar Goals and Objectives

 Introduce social media and web-based technologies  Discuss the benefits of social media for public safety  Present case studies and challenges  Things to consider  Discuss additional resources for public safety officials
looking to develop social media capabilities

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What is Social Media?

 Websites  Blogs  Social Networking  Microblogging  SMS  Photo Sharing  Video Sharing  Mobile Web and
Mobile Apps
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Social Media and Disaster Response

Social media provides the tools needed to minimize the communication gap and participate effectively in an active, ongoing dialogueMost importantly, social media is imperative to emergency management because the public uses these communication tools regularlyWe must use social media tools to more fully engage the public as a critical partner in our efforts. - Written Statement of Craig Fugate, Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, Subcommittee on Disaster Recovery and Intergovernmental Affairs: Understanding the Power of Social Media as a Communication Tool in the Aftermath of Disasters
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Benefits of Social Media for Public Safety Agencies and Officials

 Facilitate engagement  Provide rapid and real-time
situational awareness and intelligence

 Additional dissemination channels  Evaluation  Problem solving

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Examples of Social Media for Public Safety Increasing In Popularity

 Virginia Tech
(VT)

 H1N1  Joplin and

Tuscaloosa Tornadoes

 Wildfires  Virginia
Earthquake

 Hurricane Irene
and Tropical Storm Lee
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The Publics Changing Expectations and Trends in Social Media Use

 Red Cross Survey 2010  Pew Center Report 2010  Tek Group Survey 2011  Foresee Q3 2011 ACSI E-Gov Satisfaction Index

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Social Media Applications in Emergency Response

Preparedness

 Alerts and warnings  Public relations and engagement  Education  General preparedness information and resources  Training, exercise, and event notices  Volunteer recruitment  Gaming
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Social Media Applications in Emergency Response, cont.

Response

 Alerts and warnings  Community engagement  Situational awareness  Reuniting families and communities  Dispelling rumors and correcting misinformation

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Social Media Applications in Emergency Response, cont.

Recovery

 Community support activities  Monitoring  Managing community expectations  Sharing information and resources  Donation solicitation and management

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Social Media Applications in Emergency Response, cont.

Hazard Mitigation

 Education  Engagement  Information

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Social Media Considerations, Challenges, and Best Practices

General

 Familiarity with tools  Leadership buy-in  Resources  Availability and access to technology

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Social Media Considerations, Challenges, and Best Practices, cont.

Developing a Strategy

 Define goals and objectives  Assess your community  Choose and develop an engagement strategy  Select the right tools  Craft appropriate messaging

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Social Media Considerations, Challenges, and Best Practices, cont.

Operations

 Integrating social media into planning and PIO

sections as appropriate

 Rumor control  Crowd-sourcing, authoritative data sources, and

visualization

 Roles and responsibilities  Identification and allocation of resources

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Social Media Considerations, Challenges, and Best Practices, cont.

Legal and Policy Concerns

 Human resources and policies  Legal issues  IT infrastructure concerns

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Measuring Success
 Number of followers?  Number of retweets?  Meaningful engagement

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Metrics, Evaluation, and Measuring Success, cont.

Fairfax County Government

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Social Media for Public Safety Resources

 DHS First Responder Communities of Practice  DHS FirstResponder.Gov  SM4EM.org  And Many More!

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QUESTIONS

?
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