Effectively integrating social media tools to meet the needs of emergency managers was the topic at a briefing held at the Woodrow Wilson International Center in Washington D.C. on October 4, 2013. Experts in the emergency management field voiced their opinions and thoughts on how social media can effectively help emergency managers.
The panel included Dr. Clarence Wardell as moderator and Dr. Yee San Su Safety both security researchers for CNA Analysis & Solutions, Dr. Sabina McCormick, Associate Professor at George Washington University School of Public Health, and Wendy Harmon, Director for Information Management and Situational Awareness for the American Red Cross.
In discussing the issues, the panel pointed out that there can be a lack of personnel to take on the additional responsibilities involved in the use of social media, distrust of the information received since the data may not be accurate, social media can’t be used in every situation, technology keeps changing, accurately finding locations mentioned in tweets can be difficult, apps aren’t always functional or helpful, standardization of equipment is needed, and there are constant worries about privacy.
The report “Social Media in the Emergency Management Field: 2012 Survey Results”, co-authored by Yee San Su, Clarence Wardell, and Zoe Thorkildsen and published by the National Emergency Management Association and CNA in June 2013, makes it clear that without sufficient staffing and expertise to handle the intake from social media, the emergency system could possibly break when stressed by larger scale events.
According to the report, even with researchers examining crowdsourcing, micro-tasking, and natural language processing, more research is needed on how to integrate new tools and advances to meet current needs in the emergency management field.
Wendy Harmon from the Red Cross told the audience that a recent survey revealed that the internet is the third most common way for people to get emergency-related information. Today, nearly a fourth of the general public and a third of the online population use social media to let loved ones know they are safe, use social media during disasters to get updates, to seek and give help, and to connect with loved ones.
Harmon discussed how the Red Cross and Dell launched the first-of-its-kind social media Digital Operations Center in 2012. The center located in the Red Cross National Headquarters in Washington D.C, operates with a robust software system and provides situational awareness in real-time.
The Digital Operations Center helps the Red Cross source additional information from affected areas during emergencies, spot trends, and connect people with the resources that they may need like food, water, or shelter.
In conjunction with the Digital Operations Center, the Red Cross created a Digital Volunteer Program. Digital volunteers from across the country are trained to respond online to questions from the public, distribute critical information, and provide comfort and reassurance during emergencies.
At the federal emergency management level, FEMA works with the Red Cross and other private partners by sharing messages on social networks on the nature of online conversations after a disaster. In addition, FEMA shares and reports on what private sector partners are doing during a disaster.
According to testimony presented on Capitol Hill in July 2013 before the House Committee on Homeland Security’s Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response and Communications, Shayne Adamski, Senior Manager of Digital Engagement at FEMA, outlined some of the ways that FEMA uses multiple social media tools to reach the public.
For example, FEMA uses social media to:
- Provide up-to-date information about the whole community emergency management team including FEMA on their response to emergencies
- Provide safety and preparedness tips
- Inform the public on the most effective ways to help disaster survivors
- Tell disaster survivors where and how they are able to receive assistance whether from FEMA or another source
- Gain valuable feedback through the potential of social media
- Hold virtual town halls using Twitter chats
As for FEMA’s larger digital presence beyond the agency, FEMA communicates via the web and uses various mobile platforms. The agency provides an app with a disaster reporter feature that enables the user to use the interactive emergency kit checklist, uses a text messaging program, uses wireless to provide emergency alerts, and FEMA has recently developed their Social Hub to enable stakeholders to view tweets from emergency managers.
Go to www.cna.org/research/2013/social-media-emergency-management-field to view the report “Social Media in the Emergency Management Field” 2012 Results”. For other emergency management information go to NEMA at www.nemaweb.org and for the American Red Cross, go to www.redcross.org.