NZ VOST Training Guide
12th October 2012 v1
This guide was delivered to Civil Defence volunteers in 2012 by Caroline Milligan.
Authors: Team Lead Caroline Milligan ( Twitter: @Caz_Milligan ) and NZ VOST member Scott Reuter ( Twitter: @sct_r ) for New Zealand Virtual Operations Support Team (VOST) regional training.
This guide was published in 2012 and was updated in 2015 (contact @Caz_Milligan for details regarding new digital volunteer strategy, policy, SOP's, guidelines, training, exercises and resources).
2. Copyright Caroline Milligan And Scott Reuter 2012
NZ
VOST
Training
Guide
12th
October
2012
Final
This
guide
has
been
developed
by
Caroline
Milligan
and
Scott
Reuter
for
NZ
Virtual
Operations
Support
Team
(VOST)
regional
training.
Development
This
Guide
was
prepared
in
conjunction
with
the
Wellington
Region
Emergency
Management
Office
for
the
Wellington
Region
Virtual
Operations
Support
Team
(WgtnVOST).
Special
thanks
to
Dan
Neely
-‐
Manager,
Community
Resilience
WREMO
and
Jason
Paul
-‐
Advisor,
Community
Resilience
WREMO.
This
guide
may
vary
and
be
subject
to
change
as
per
VOST
and
Emergency
Management
Agency
requirements.
Authors
-‐
Contact
Details
Caroline
Milligan
Twitter:
@Caz_Milligan
Scott
Reuter
Twitter:
@sct_r
3. Copyright Caroline Milligan And Scott Reuter 2012
What
is
a
Virtual
Operations
Support
Team
(VOST)?
............................................................................
1
Training
Outline
.....................................................................................................................................
4
Lesson
Plans
...........................................................................................................................................
4
Module
One
-‐
FEMA
IS-‐042
Social
Media
in
Emergency
Management
.................................................
5
Module
Two
-‐
Introduction
to
VOST
......................................................................................................
6
Lesson
One
-‐
Introduction
to
VOST
....................................................................................................
6
Lesson
Two
-‐
Recent
Case
Studies
.....................................................................................................
6
Lesson
Three
-‐
Recent
Case
Studies
...................................................................................................
7
Lesson
Four
-‐
IS
-‐
042
Social
Media
in
Emergency
Management
......................................................
7
Module
Three
-‐
Basic
Social
Media
........................................................................................................
8
Lesson
One
-‐
Basic
Social
Media
Search
Tools
...................................................................................
8
Lesson
Two
-‐
Advanced
Search
..........................................................................................................
9
Module
Three
Continued
-‐
The
Back
Channels
...................................................................................
10
Lesson
Three
-‐
What
is
the
Back
Channel
........................................................................................
10
Lesson
Four
-‐
The
Workbook
(MRH)
................................................................................................
10
Lesson
Five
-‐
VOST
Protocols
...........................................................................................................
11
Lesson
Six
-‐
Using
Skype
..................................................................................................................
12
Lesson
Seven
-‐
Google
Docs
.............................................................................................................
13
Module
Four
-‐
The
Public
Facing
.........................................................................................................
14
Lesson
One
-‐
Curation
methods
.......................................................................................................
14
Lesson
Two
-‐
Wordpress
..................................................................................................................
14
Lesson
Three
-‐
Facebook
..................................................................................................................
15
Lesson
Four
-‐
Storify
&
Pinterest
.....................................................................................................
16
Lesson
Five
-‐
Assessment
exercise
...................................................................................................
17
Glossary
-‐
VOST
and
Social
Media
Terminology
..................................................................................
18
References
...........................................................................................................................................
20
Appendix
..............................................................................................................................................
21
The
VOST
Instance
Cycle
..................................................................................................................
21
Additional
useful
links
.........................................................................................................................
22
4. Copyright
Caroline
Milligan
And
Scott
Reuter
2012
1
What
is
a
Virtual
Operations
Support
Team
(VOST)?
“Virtual
Operations
Support
Teams
(VOST)
as
applied
to
emergency
management
and
disaster
recovery
is
an
effort
to
make
use
of
new
communication
technologies
and
social
media
tools
so
that
a
team
of
trusted
agents
(VOSTies)
can
lend
support
via
the
internet
to
those
on-‐site
who
may
otherwise
be
overwhelmed
by
the
volume
of
data
generated
during
a
disaster.
VOSTs
are
activated
to
perform
specific
functions
in
support
of
affected
organizations
&
jurisdictions.”
A
VOST
provides
remote
support
for
emergency
responses
around
the
globe.
A
VOST
monitors
and
maintains
social
media
awareness,
collecting
and
analysing
online
information
to
inform
the
response
and
the
online
public.
A
VOST
may
be
activated
when
appropriate
in
support
of
an
agency/organisation
(if
pre-‐arranged
to
do
so).
A
VOST
uses
a
number
of
online
applications
and
platforms
to
coordinate
itself
and
liaise
with
the
Emergency
Operations
Centre
at
the
scene
of
the
event
(back
channel)
and
to
disseminate
information
and
engage
with
the
public
(public
facing).
5. Copyright
Caroline
Milligan
And
Scott
Reuter
2012
2
A
VOST
is
activated
at
the
request
of
a
specific
agency/organization.
This
could
be
a
government
agency,
NGO
or
any
organisation
that
has
an
official
function
in
a
disaster
or
emergency.
A
detailed
explanation
is
included
within
the
appendix.
On-‐going
training,
exercising
on
platforms
and
tools,
and
testing
of
emerging
tools
is
an
important
part
of
being
involved
with
a
VOST.
Social
media
platforms
are
an
ever-‐changing
landscape.
VOST
members
are
required
to
attain
a
level
of
proficiency
in
using
social
media
tools
before
they
may
be
used
during
an
activation.
6. Copyright
Caroline
Milligan
And
Scott
Reuter
2012
3
NZ
VOST
is
made
up
of
experienced
emergency
management
/
public
safety
personnel,
disaster
volunteers
and
technical
experts.
All
NZ
VOST
members
must
have
completed
training
and
proven
their
competency
before
they
may
be
part
of
an
activation.
NZ
VOST
team
members
require
a
range
of
skills
and
attributes.
VOST
Trainee
VOST
Member
VOST
Technician
VOST
Leader
VOST
Leader
/
Administrator
Basic
understanding
of
Emergency
Management
/
Public
Safety
Operations
P
P
P
P
P
Proven
proficiency
in
social
media
platforms
P
P
P
P
Proven
proficiency
in
Google
Docs
&
Skype
P P
P
P
Proven
proficiency
in
basic
and
advanced
search
P
P
P
P
Solid
understanding
of
Social
media
platforms
and
location
based
monitoring
tools
P
P
P
Strong
understanding
of
VOST
concept
P
P
P
Technical
background
in
online
applications,
computer
hardware
and
desktop
solutions
P
Solid
understanding
of
the
setup,
operations,
linking
and
maintenance
of
social
media
platforms
P
P
Capable
of
setting
up
required
systems
and
applications
for
a
social
media
response
P
Leadership
and
management
skills
P
P
Solid
understanding
and
experience
in
Emergency
Management
/
Public
Safety
Operations
P
P
Previous
VOST
activation
experience
P
7. Copyright
Caroline
Milligan
And
Scott
Reuter
2012
4
Training
Outline
Training
consists
of
four
modules.
Self-‐paced
/
learning
at
home:
Module
one
-‐
FEMA
IS-‐042
online
training
course
Class
sessions
at
the
Emergency
Operations
Centre:
Module
two
-‐
Introduction
to
VOST
(Overview,
Case
Studies),
IS-‐042
Assessment
Module
three
-‐
Basic
social
media
platforms,
Backchannels:
Skype,
Google
Docs,
Workbook
Module
four
-‐
The
Public
Face
(Curation
tools:
Facebook,
Pinterest)
and
Exercise/Assessment
Lesson
Plans
Each
module
is
divided
into
a
number
of
lessons.
The
class
sessions
will
be
run
according
to
the
following
lesson
plans.
Resources
required
for
class
sessions:
• 1
x
Trainer
• Laptop
or
Desktop
computer
• Internet
connection
• Projector
&
screen
• Suitable
training
location
• Training
Guide
• Access
to
Social
Media
platforms
unblocked
Learning
strategy:
• Demonstrate
the
skill
• Explain
the
knowledge
• Allow
time
for
trainee
to
practice
and
provide
mentoring
At
the
beginning
of
each
classroom
session
• Introduce
yourself
to
the
group
and
briefly
tell
them
about
your
background
and
experiences.
• Conduct
any
OHS
briefings
as
appropriate.
(Toilets,
First
Aid
Kit,
Exits,
Evacuation
assembly
point.)
• Participants
should
be
welcomed
appropriately,
asked
to
share
name,
organization
and
current
level
of
experience/understanding
with
social
media.
8. Copyright Caroline Milligan And Scott Reuter 2012 5
• All
lessons
offer
the
flexibility
for
training
staff
to
present
a
wide
range
of
experience
to
the
students,
including
case
studies
as
example
of
how
these
methods
have
been
used
by
VOST.
The
trainer,
rather
than
controlling
branching
towards
outcomes
desired
for
topic
specific
learning
points,
should
respond
appropriately
to
the
performance
of
the
students.
For
example
if
their
use
of
social
media
platforms
are
good,
allow
them
to
positively
affect
the
branching
of
the
lesson
appropriately.
• IMPORTANT
NOTE:
All
session
times
are
indicative
only
and
will
be
adjusted
or
paused
at
the
discretion
of
the
organisers.
Module
One
-‐
FEMA
IS-‐042
Social
Media
in
Emergency
Management
This
module
is
self-‐paced
and
accessed
online.
It
must
be
completed
before
attending
the
class
sessions.
The
assessment
will
be
conducted
during
the
class
sessions
on
paper
as
we
cannot
access
the
FEMA
online
assessment,
this
should
only
take
about
20
minutes.
The
address
to
access
this
module
is
:
http://emilms.fema.gov/is42/index.htm
The
training
is
divided
into
five
lessons:
1. Introduction
2. The
Business
Case
for
Using
Social
Media
for
Emergency
Management
3. Better
Practices
in
Social
Media
Use
for
Emergency
Management
from
the
Field
4. Your
Turn
to
Put
Social
Media
into
Action
5. Course
Review
For
the
purpose
of
NZ
VOST
training,
this
assessment
is
used
as
a
tool
to
gauge
your
current
level
of
knowledge
and
enthuse
further
training.
9. Copyright Caroline Milligan And Scott Reuter 2012 6
Module
Two
-‐
Introduction
to
VOST
This
module
is
the
first
class
based
session.
The
session
provides
students
with
context
for
the
VOST
they
have
expressed
interest
in
being
part
of,
and
solidifies
the
VOST
concept.
A
case
study
is
used
as
an
example
to
provide
further
context
and
relate
the
trainer’s
experiences
to
the
class.
Students
are
introduced
to
some
of
the
basic
tools
used
for
monitoring
and
searching
social
media.
This
session
is
intended
to
engage
and
enthuse
students
in
the
VOST
concept
allowing
them
to
make
an
informed
decision
whether
this
is
an
activity
they
would
like
to
pursue.
Lesson
One
-‐
Introduction
to
VOST
Learning
Points
Students
will
understand
• What
a
VOST
is
• The
potential
value
a
VOST
can
add
to
an
emergency
response
Explain
Slideshow
presentation
(VOST
–
The
Basics)
20min
Summary
/
Conclusion
Refreshment
/
Comfort
break
20
mins
Lesson
Two
-‐
Recent
Case
Studies
Learning
Points
Trainer
will
engage
participants
with
discussion
offering
examples
of
recent
VOST
activations
including
functions,
relationships,
actions
and
incident
outcomes.
The
intent
is
to
take
the
next
step
from
previous
input
about
what
a
VOST
can
do
and
solidify
its
capabilities
through
operational
examples.
Demonstrate
Trainer
to
lead
group
discussion
on
recent
case
studies
on
VOST
activations
.
20min
Summary
/
Conclusion
Evidence
of
value
to
EM
organisation,
and
communities
impacted
by
the
crisis.
5min
Wildfire
10. Copyright Caroline Milligan And Scott Reuter 2012 7
Lesson
Three
-‐
Recent
Case
Studies
Learning
Points
Trainer
will
engage
participants
with
discussion
offering
examples
of
recent
Crisismapping
activations
including
functions,
relationships,
actions
and
incident
outcomes.
The
intent
is
to
take
the
next
step
from
previous
input
about
what
a
VOST
can
do
and
solidify
its
capabilities
through
operational
examples.
Demonstrate
Trainer
to
lead
group
discussion
on
recent
case
studies
on
activations
.
10min
Summary
/
Conclusion
Evidence
of
value
to
EM
organisation,
and
communities
impacted
by
the
crisis.
5min
Lesson
Four
-‐
IS
-‐
042
Social
Media
in
Emergency
Management
Learning
Points
At
the
completion
of
the
FEMA
course,
participants
will
be
able
to:
• Explain
why
social
media
is
important
for
emergency
management
• Describe
the
major
functions
and
features
of
common
social
media
sites
currently
used
in
emergency
management
• Describe
the
opportunities
and
challenges
of
using
social
media
applications
during
the
5
phases
of
emergency
management
• Describe
better
practices
for
using
social
media
applications
during
the
5
phases
of
emergency
management
• Describe
the
process
for
building
the
capabilities
and
to
sustain
the
use
of
social
media
in
an
emergency
management.
Examination
• Participants
will
be
provided
with
a
sheet
of
paper
to
answer
the
questions.
• Trainer
will
collect
answer
sheets
and
mark
accordingly
before
next
course
session.
30min
Summary
/
Conclusion
Debrief
20
mins
11. Copyright Caroline Milligan And Scott Reuter 2012 8
Module
Three
-‐
Basic
Social
Media
Lesson
One
-‐
Basic
Social
Media
Search
Tools
Learning
Points
Students
will
understand
the
importance
of
Twitter
for
VOST:
• How
to
follow
people
and
conversations
on
Twitter
• Making
Use
of
Twitter
Lists
to
Listen
to
the
public,
news
media
and
public
safety
agencies
• Ways
to
search,
research
&
monitor
topics
on
Twitter
• How
to
share
information
and
identify
topics
• Understand
Twitter
protocols
Demonstrate
Trainer
to
demonstrate
Twitter
regarding:
• How
to
follow
people
and
conversations
on
Twitter
• Making
use
of
Twitter
lists
to
listen
to
the
public,
news
media
and
public
safety
agencies
• Ways
to
search,
research
&
monitor
topics
on
Twitter
• How
to
share
information
and
identify
topics
• Twitter
protocols
20min
Explain
• Scenarios
are
wide
ranging.
• Questions.
5min
Practice
• Trainees
will
be
asked
to
evidence
proficiency
in
the
above
Twitter
competencies,
followed
by
debrief.
• Repeat
time
permitting.
20min
Summary
/
Conclusion
Q
&
A
5min
12. Copyright Caroline Milligan And Scott Reuter 2012 9
Lesson
Two
-‐
Advanced
Search
Learning
Points
Students
will
understand
advanced
search
and
aggregation
tools
that
are
useful
for
a
VOST
operation
• The
trainee
will
be
able
to
independently
perform
the
following
functions:
o Using
Google
advanced
search
o Setting
up
a
Geosearch
o Setting
up
a
Meltwater
-‐
IceRocket
search
Demonstrate
Trainer
to
demonstrate
search
regarding:
• Using
Google
search
• Setting
up
a
Geosearch
• Setting
up
a
Meltwater
-‐
IceRocket
search
20min
Explain
• Scenarios
are
wide
ranging.
• Questions.
10min
Practice
• Trainees
will
be
asked
to
evidence
proficiency
in
the
above
search
competencies,
followed
by
debrief.
• Repeat
time
permitting.
30min
Summary
/
Conclusion
Q
&
A
10min
13. Copyright Caroline Milligan And Scott Reuter 2012 10
Module
Three
Continued
-‐
The
Back
Channels
This
module
follows
on
from
the
introduction
where
students
were
exposed
to
the
basics
of
VOST,
searching
and
gathering
information
from
social
media.
The
emphasis
is
on
the
tools
used
to
coordinate
the
VOST
while
active,
how
information
is
shared
within
the
VOST,
and
how
information
is
communicated
back
to
the
EOC
that
is
being
supported.
Lesson
Three
-‐
What
is
the
Back
Channel
Learning
Points
Students
will
understand
the
various
requirements
for
back
channel
communication
and
coordination.
Explain
• Scenarios
are
wide
ranging.
• Questions.
5min
Summary
/
Conclusion
Q
&
A
5min
Lesson
Four
-‐
The
Workbook
(MRH
see
reference
page
20)
Learning
Points
Students
will
have
a
high
level
understanding
of:
• Checking
in
and
out
• Updating
the
ICS
204
/
or
equivalent
• Adding
content
to
the
activity
log
• Identify
what
is
required
in
key
website/
resource
list
• Add
content
to
search
results.
• Identify
what
is
likely
to
require
escalation
to
PIO/PIM
• Adding
content
to
parking
lot
Demonstrate
Trainer
to
demonstrate
the
use
of
the
WorkBook
(MRH)
regarding:
• Checking
in
and
out
• Updating
the
ICS
204
/
or
equivalent
• Adding
content
to
the
activity
log
• Identify
what
is
required
in
key
website/
resource
list
• Add
content
to
search
results.
• Identify
what
is
likely
to
require
escalation
to
PIO/PIM
• Adding
content
to
parking
lot
15min
14. Copyright Caroline Milligan And Scott Reuter 2012 11
Explain
• Scenarios
are
wide
ranging.
• Workbook
• Trainee
will
have
the
opportunity
to
ask
any
questions
related
to
the
WorkBook
component.
• Questions.
5min
Practice
Using
NZ
VOST
Google
doc.
15min
Summary
/
Conclusion
Q
&
A
5min
Lesson
Five
-‐
VOST
Protocols
Learning
Points
Students
will
understand
• Identify
and
understand
trends
• Verify
the
source
-‐
cross
reference
with
social
media
data
(including
the
feasibility
of
speaking
directly
to
the
source)
• Integrity
check
the
source
–
social
media
history
• Use
tools
to
examine
images
posted
on
social
media
• Crowdsourced
verification
• Protocols
re
communicating
the
level
of
verification
the
information
has
received.
Demonstrate
Trainer
to
demonstrate
techniques
to
verify
information
regarding:
• Identify
and
understand
trends
• Verify
the
source
-‐
cross
reference
with
social
media
data
(incl
the
feasibility
of
speaking
directly
to
the
source)
• Integrity
check
the
source
–
social
media
history
• Use
tools
to
examine
images
posted
on
social
media
• Crowdsourced
verification
• Protocols
re
communicating
the
level
of
verification
the
information
has
received.
10min
Explain
• Scenarios
are
wide
ranging.
• Questions.
5min
Practice
Example
will
be
demonstrated
using
a
randomly
selected
twitter
post.
15min
Summary
/
Conclusion
Q
&
A
5min
15. Copyright Caroline Milligan And Scott Reuter 2012 12
Lesson
Six
-‐
Using
Skype
Learning
Points
Students
will
understand
how
Skype
is
used
by
a
VOST
during
an
operation
• Instant
messaging
(IM)
• Groups
and
chatrooms
• Joining
and
sharing
groups…
Demonstrate
Trainer
to
demonstrate
using
Skype
5min
Explain
• Scenarios
are
wide
ranging.
• Questions.
5min
Practice
• Instant
message
a
participant
• Create
a
new
conversation
(room)
• Adding
members
to
the
room
15min
Summary
/
Conclusion
Q
&
A
5min
16. Copyright Caroline Milligan And Scott Reuter 2012 13
Lesson
Seven
-‐
Google
Docs
(attendees
will
require
a
gmail
account)
Learning
Points
Students
will
understand
the
basic
functionality
of
Google
docs
• Logging
into
Google
docs
/
drive
• Opening
a
shared
document
• Sharing
a
document
• Editing
a
spread
sheet
Demonstrate
Trainer
will
demonstrate
creating
a
new
report.
Trainer
will
share
the
report
with
members
of
the
class.
Trainer
will
edit
a
spread
sheet.
5min
Explain
• Scenarios
are
wide
ranging.
• Questions.
5min
Practice
• Participants
will
create
a
Google
doc,
and
share
with
members
of
the
class.
• Participants
will
share
document
via
email,
and
by
sharing
a
link
enabling
the
document
to
be
publicly
viewable
to
others.
10min
Summary
/
Conclusion
Q
&
A
2min
17. Copyright Caroline Milligan And Scott Reuter 2012 14
Module
Four
-‐
The
Public
Facing
This
module
concludes
the
training
programme.
Students
are
exposed
to
the
curation
tools
that
are
used
to
release
information
back
out
to
the
public.
Students
then
participate
in
a
simulatory
exercise
which
can
be
used
to
gauge
their
competency,
and
if
appropriate,
be
assessed
as
a
VOST
member.
Lesson
One
-‐
Curation
methods
Learning
Points
Students
will
understand
the
purpose
of
the
public
facing
platforms,
and
the
protocols
around
what
to
share.
Case
Study
20
mins
Explain
• Scenarios
are
wide
ranging.
• Questions.
20
mins
Summary
/
Conclusion
5
mins
Lesson
Two
-‐
Wordpress
Learning
Points
Students
will
understand
how
to:
• Create
a
new
post
• Add
text
content
to
WordPress
• Add
images
to
WordPress
• Add
video
to
WordPress
• Publish
new
posts
Demonstrate
Trainer
to
demonstrate
the
use
of
WordPress
regarding:
• Create
a
new
post
• Add
text
content
to
WordPress
• Add
images
to
WordPress
• Add
video
to
WordPress
• Publish
new
posts
20
mins
Explain
• Case
Study
• Questions
10
mins
Summary
/
Conclusion
Q
&
A
5
mins
18. Copyright Caroline Milligan And Scott Reuter 2012 15
Lesson
Three
-‐
Facebook
Learning
Points
Students
will
understand
how
to:
• Create
a
Facebook
page
• Post
content
Demonstrate
Trainer
to
demonstrate
20
mins
Explain
• Scenarios
are
wide
ranging.
• Questions.
10min
Practice
• Trainer
will
demonstrate
updating
a
post
including
a
link
on
to
Facebook.
• Trainer
will
demonstrate
posting
a
photo
to
Facebook.
• Participants
will
be
given
the
password
to
a
demonstration
Facebook
Page
and
will
all
be
tasked
to
update
the
page
with
a
post.
• Participants
will
add
the
subject,
date,
and
their
initials
to
the
post.
10
mins
Summary
/
Conclusion
Q
&
A
5
mins
19. Copyright Caroline Milligan And Scott Reuter 2012 16
Lesson
Four
-‐
Storify
&
Pinterest
Learning
Points
Students
will
understand
how
to:
• Create
a
Pinterest
Board
• Create
a
Storify
• Add
content
to
Pinterest
• Search
for
content
using
Storify
• Publish
content
using
Pinterest
and
Storify
Demonstrate
Trainer
to
demonstrate
using
Pinterest
and
Storify
20
mins
Explain
• Scenarios
are
wide
ranging.
• Questions.
20
mins
Practice
• Trainer
will
demonstrate
updating
a
Pinterest
board
and
pinning
content.
• Participants
will
be
given
the
password
to
a
demonstration
Pinterest
Site
and
will
all
be
tasked
to
update
the
content
on
a
specific
topic.
• Participants
will
add
the
subject,
date,
and
their
initials
to
the
content.
10
mins
Summary
/
Conclusion
Q
&
A
5
mins
20. Copyright Caroline Milligan And Scott Reuter 2012 17
Lesson
Five
-‐
Assessment
exercise
Assessment
criteria
At
this
stage
give
details
of
assessment
scenario
to
participants.
Please
develop
your
own
simulation
that
suits
your
requirements.
Ideal
content
should
include:
1. Train
for
reality
using
gamification
to
avoid
the
possibility
that
social
networks
may
believe
the
exercise
to
be
real.
2. Always
ensure
participants
use
the
words
EXERCISE
within
pushed
content
3. Try
to
make
the
simulation
topical
and
relevant
4. Should
be
pitched
at
the
appropriate
level
for
the
audience
on
that
day.
Explain
• The
instructor
will
take
on
the
role
of
PIO
for
this
simulated
incident
and
explain
to
the
class
what
is
required
of
them.
• The
scenario
should
provide
an
opportunity
for
the
participants
to
evidence
their
ability
to
,
join
a
Skype
room
and
interact
with
other
participants
via
backchannel,
set
up
a
Facebook
page,
a
twitter
account,
a
Pinterest,
and
Storify
account,
a
wordpress
site,
a
workbook
and
be
able
to
search
for
new
information
via
the
internet.
• Questions.
10min
Exercise
Gamification:
TBD
• Participants
will
be
given
a
briefing
which
will
be
projected
on
the
screen
at
all
times
during
the
exercise.
• The
trainer
will
remain
in
the
role
of
the
PIO
for
the
duration
of
the
exercise,
and
will
not
assist
participants
with
completing
the
task
objectives.
• Participants
must
use
the
tools
we
have
covered
during
the
NZ
VOST
training
sessions
to
successfully
complete
this
mission.
A
Team
Leader
will
be
available
to
provide
direction,
leadership
and
mentoring.
30
mins
Exercise
debrief
Q
&
A
for
AAR
10min
21. Copyright Caroline Milligan And Scott Reuter 2012 18
Glossary
-‐
VOST
and
Social
Media
Terminology
Activation
A
period
of
time
during
which
a
VOST
operates.
Activation
begins
when
a
VOST
is
officially
activated
by
a
decision
that
is
taken
by
the
agency
liaison
and
the
team
lead,
or
if
pre-‐
arranged
(agreements
in
place),
a
VOST
may
self-‐activate.
The
activation
goes
on
until
officially
deactivated.
Chat
Room
Many
services/applications
are
available
that
allow
ongoing
text
conversations
in
"rooms"
that
can
be
set
up
for
specific
topics
or
groups.
Platforms,
such
as
Skype,
allow
for
voice
or
video
calling
and
group
conferencing,
file
sharing
and
screen
sharing.
Crisis
Mapping
Through
Information
collection,
visualization
and
interactive
mapping
‘Crisis
mapping’
is
a
dynamic
and
open
way
to
visualize
and
report
on
crisis
and
disasters.
#
-‐
Hashtag
Any
word
or
abbreviation
on
twitter
prefaced
by
the
"#"
(referred
to
as
a
pound
or
number
sign)
sign.
The
hashtag
makes
it
possible
to
search
all
tweets
of
interest
to
which
other
twitter
users
have
included
a
hashtag
created
for
discussion
or
information
sharing
in
regards
to
a
specific
topic
or
event.
Incident
Command
System
ICS
-‐
“Incident
Command
System”
(also
see
NIMS)
in
the
USA
or
The
Coordinated
Incident
Management
System
(CIMS)
in
New
Zealand
Social
Media
Platform
An
internet-‐based
service
with
which
users
agree
to
Interact
for
purposes
of
social
interaction,
with
varying
types
of
functionality
and
services.
Twitter,
Facebook,
GooglePlus,
Flickr
and
Pinterest
are
all
examples
of
social
media
platforms.
22. Copyright Caroline Milligan And Scott Reuter 2012 19
Public
Information
Manager
(PIM)
or
Public
Information
Officer
(PIO)
Public
Information
Manager
/
Officer
(may
be
same
contact
as
“Agency
Liaison”
or
may
be
different)
The
person
attached
to
a
specific
agency
or
organisation
or
Incident
Management
Team
who
is
tasked
with
the
public
communications
function.
#SMEM
"Social
Media
in
Emergency
Management"
hashtag
and
group
of
practitioners.
VOST
Leader
/
Administrator
The
person
-‐
or
persons
if
there
are
team
leader
alternates
-‐
responsible
for
team
activation
and
actions
taken
by
the
team.
The
VOST
Team
Leader
works
closely
with
the
Agency
Liaison
to
build
and
develop
the
VOST
team,
set
policy,
activation
protocols
and
procedures,
recruit
team
members
and
operate
the
VOST
team
in
all
phases
of
and
outside
of
activations.
24. Copyright Caroline Milligan And Scott Reuter 2012 21
Appendix
The
VOST
Instance
Cycle
Disaster
occurs
(or
a
training
event
selected)
o VOST
members
gather
in
pre-‐designated
meeting
place
using
predetermined
methods
-‐
Our
team
uses
Skype,
twitter
DMs
(direct
messages)
or
in
an
emergency,
text
messages
o in
the
case
of
an
exercise,
this
may
be
known
about
and
planned
in
advance,
or
it
may
be
an
impromptu
exercise.
Decision
to
activate,
team
commitment
o VOST
leader
and
members
discuss
need
for
deployment,
team
availability
o often
a
VOST
deployment
is
requested,
or
may
be
offered
if
members
see
need
(MOUs
would
be
helpful
here)
o decision
to
activate
made
Set
tasks,
priorities,
schedule,
tools/platforms
o VOST
leader
uses
modified
ICS
204
document
template
to
describe
incident
and
assignment,
define
tasks
o VOST
members
fill
in
availability
-‐
collaborative
ICS
204
doc,
review
incident,
goals
and
tasks,
discuss
via
backchannel
chat.
VOST
operational;
coordinate,
perform
and
log
completed
tasks
o Active
monitoring
of
social
media
and
internet
for
pertinent
data,
responding
via
all
platforms
as
appropriate,
coordinating
efforts/tasks
via
backchannel
chat
–
saving
and
sharing
of
data
as
needed
to
blog,
social
media
platforms,
curation
site,
crisis
maps,
archive,
etc…
VOST
expands/contracts
according
to
ICS
(or
equivalent)
principles
o Be
prepared
to
call
for
assistance
from
more
#SMEM
volunteers
or
other
VOSTs
as
needed
so
as
not
to
be
overwhelmed
Deactivation,
discussion,
documentation,
AAR
o After
instance
is
completed,
continue
backchannel
discussion,
discuss
what
worked
&
what
didn’t,
document
and
report,
share
with
the
#SMEM
and
#VOST
community
so
that
others
can
learn
from
it.
VOST
exercises
between
activations
to
stay
current
on
tools
and
social
media
platforms.
Note:
Please
PLAN
AHEAD
FOR
RECOVERY:
In
all
planning,
data
collection
and
social
media
work,
consider
both
immediate
disaster
needs
and
those
of
the
long-‐term
recovery
phase.
Be
prepared
to
coordinate
efforts
and
share
data
with
recovery
groups
as
early
as
possible
to
improve
the
quality
and
speed
of
the
recovery.
25. Copyright Caroline Milligan And Scott Reuter 2012 22
Additional
useful
links
These
links
are
provided
for
your
convenience
to
provide
further
information.
They
do
not
signify
that
we
endorse
the
website(s).
We
have
no
responsibility
for
the
content
of
the
linked
website(s).
o Twitter
:
The
Basics
o https://support.twitter.com/groups/31-‐twitter-‐basics#
o Facebook
:
The
Basics
o http://mashable.com/guidebook/facebook/
o WordPress
(Video)
o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9b0jzcq0C4
o Pinterest
:
Step-‐By-‐Step
Guide
o http://www.mymagneticblog.com/step-‐by-‐step-‐pinterest-‐guide/
o Storify
:
Step-‐By-‐Step
Guide
o http://storify.com/tour
o Skype
o https://support.skype.com/en/user-‐guides
o Google
Docs
o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMqdex3KDQM
Summary:
This
training
document
has
been
designed
to
meet
specific
requirments
of
WREMO,
with
regards
to
content,
and
timings
and
is
not
intended
to
encapsulate
or
represent
the
requirements
to
train
participants
in
all
areas
of
social
media
use
for
emergency
management.
Terms of Use
NZ
VOST
Training
Guide
by
Caroline
Milligan
and
Scott
Reuter
is
licensed
under
a
Creative
Commons
Attribution-‐NonCommercial-‐NoDerivs
3.0
Unported
License.
Based
on
a
work
at
http://www.smem.co.nz/training-‐2/.