presentation at SMILE conference March 2012 Vancouver

1. Age of Social Convergence:
What it means for
emergency managers and
first responders
March 2012
Patrice Cloutier

2. French:
phoque
To get started …

3. It’s not just about social media … tools not a
strategy …
Focus instead on what they allow: instantaneous
sharing of info, perceptions, opinions … about the
incident … about your response.
Progress: went from why to how …

4. It’s not your emergency! … it’s the public’s …
People no longer just want to be victims or
witnesses … they participate … are you ready?

5. The era of official agencies simply “pushing” out
info is over! To be relevant, organizations also
need to “pull” data in.

6. What's driving this change?
Mobile devices and technologies
+ Social media platforms and sharing
= Empowered citizens and volunteers
+ Volunteer and data mobilization
The age of social convergence

7. First vector of
change
Mobile
devices:
phones,
PDAs,
tablets

8. First vector of change: mobile technology
GIS/GPS-enabled tech + sharing functions
The age of social convergence

9. Second vector of change: social media
People sharing what they see and feel
Craig Fugate,
FEMA
Administrator:
Monitoring SM to adjust your
response to better meet local
needs.

10. First result: empowered citizenry/volunteers
Using technology to participate
• Crisis mapping, crowdsourcing,
Next Debate: how do you
integrate this in your EOC and
plans?
The age of social convergence

11. • Second result: Tech and social media
helping to mobilize people and data,
coordinating donations and recovery
• Student Volunteer Army
• Rebuild Joplin/Tuscaloosa
• Community resilience tool

12. MOBILE TECH AND DEVICES
SOCIAL NETWORKS
=
CITIZEN PARTICIPATION
DATA/PEOPLE MOBILIZATION
The social convergence equation

13. What this means for organizations
Now need to do 4 things at once
1- Respond (ops planning)
2- Warn/Alert (using mobile devices)
3- Monitor + Aggregate + Curate +
Analyze social media info
4- Communicate and engage in real-
time on social media
Impact on crisis management

14. Case studies
A look at six very
different disasters
Current trends in the use of SM in EM

15. “Haitians trapped under rubble used text messaging to send pleas
for help. Concerned citizens worldwide engaged in a variety of ways,
from sending in donations via SMS, to using shared networks to
translate and map requests for assistance.”
Ted Turner, Chair, UN Foundation, Report on Haiti for the OCHA
Haiti: tech volunteers to the fore!

16. SM as key EI tool + Twitter and pics
combined on maps
First responders dispatched based
on that data
Boulder/Fourmile Canyon Fire: tactical
applications of SM and crisis mapping

17. •Crisis mapping and data integration
•35 maps created by volunteers, media and agencies.
•info and maps linked from official agencies
• SM/volunteer-created sites often the only available info
“ … Queensland’s emergency
services and the population at
large took full advantage of
the versatility and robustness
of social media to prepare for
and combat disaster …”
The Aussie Experience: floods and a cyclone

18. Lessons learned from the September 2010 earthquake
•integrated platforms: blog, twitter feeds, local news, maps, Facebook page.
•outgoing and incoming communication, facilitating a dialogue rather than just
unidirectional information flow
SM as COOP/
BCP tools
The Christchurch earthquake, Feb. 2011

19. Twitter = only communication tool immediately after the
Kobe City
earthquake; however, Twitter helped spread rumors and
University Study
misinformation, causing people to panic in areas where
there was no reason to panic, one solution: have the
government itself use Twitter to offer reliable information.
Japan: the triple disaster

20. Legacy media realize
the impact of SM
Donations coordination
through SM
Tornadoes in the US: the SM story

21. Extensive use of SM by emergency
management agencies, governments and
NGOs.
Hurricane Irene and SM: a turning point?

22. It’s not just about social media
People want to participate, not just be victims
Move at the speed of your audience (social
media) or run risk of being irrelevant ...
Use the tools they use (SM + mobile) and have a
chance to be heard …
No longer in era of message control but message
competition
Remember …

23. Hurricane Irene Social Media After Action Report
http://www.scribd.com/doc/67689925/Hurricane-Irene-Social-Media-afte
Patrice's blog:
http://crisiscommscp.blogspot.com/
PTSC-Online.ca