In Case of Emergency, Read This Blog

In Case Of Emergency, Read Blog

A Citizen’s Eye View of Public Preparedness

Two-Day California Earthquake Disaster Drill Focuses On Testing Social Media Response

September 24th, 2010 · No Comments

A two-day drill, Exercise 24 (X24), was launched today by San Diego State University’s Immersive Visualization Center in large part to test how social media would be used to respond to a crisis. According to a CNN.com article, “Fake Earthquake Disaster Drill Tests Facebook, Twitter”:
The idea is to test the speed and widen the scope of responses [...]

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Tags: Earthquake Preparedness · Preparedness 2.0 · Preparedness Events · Volunteer Opportunities

Attend Saturday’s “Global CrisisCamp Day” In DC, London, Toronto, Calgary Or Virtually

September 21st, 2010 · No Comments

On Saturday, the first-ever “Global CrisisCamp Day” will be hosted in London, Toronto, Washington D.C., Calgary, and virtually to encourage people to lead CrisisCamps and volunteer their expertise and skills to create innovative approaches, resources and tools for crisis response and global development. I would be attending the event in Washington but have a medical appointment, and [...]

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Tags: Preparedness 2.0 · Preparedness Events

“Twitter (& ‘Keynote Tweeters’) To The Rescue” In NZ Earthquake, Colorado Fires & San Bruno Explosion

September 13th, 2010 · 5 Comments

Gary Oldham from the blog, Wingineering, offers a nice case study and analysis of the use of Twitter during three recent emergencies — the New Zealand earthquake, Colorado fires and San Bruno gas explosion.
In this post, “Twitter to the Rescue: Social Media’s Evolving Role in Disasters,” Oldham highlights the role of “dedicated and thoughtful ‘keynote’ [...]

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Tags: Preparedness 2.0

New York City, Ad Council Create New “My Meeting Place” Facebook Application To Help Public Reunite With Their Families, Friends In An Emergency

September 2nd, 2010 · 4 Comments

The New York City Office of Emergency Management (OEM) and the Ad Council today launched a new Facebook application to help New Yorkers find a safe place to meet their families or friends during an emergency.
According to the press release:
Located on OEM’s Facebook page, the new interactive web mapping application allows New Yorkers to select [...]

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Tags: City Preparedness · Preparedness 2.0

Emergency Managers Say Twitter & Facebook Being Used Differently — Twit: More “Informational,” Speed, Official Audience; FB: More “Emotional,” Community-Building, Public Discussion/Feedback. Though In Crises, Both Will Be Utilized To Distribute/Gather Info For Public

August 30th, 2010 · 9 Comments

As government emergency management offices and non-profit disaster relief groups increasingly utilize Twitter and Facebook as part of their operations, I thought I would check with some leading practioners in the field to see how the two social media platforms are being employed in their work with the public.
It turns out that in most cases [...]

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Tags: Federal Emergency Management Administration · Preparedness 2.0 · Preparedness Ideas

LAFD’s Brian Humphrey, Emergency 2.0 Pioneer, Urges Responder Agencies In Video “To Get In The [Social Media] Pool” — “If It Works In LA, It Can Work In Your Town Too”

August 27th, 2010 · 5 Comments

A major highlight of the Red Cross Emergency Data Summit earlier this month for me was meeting in person someone I have known — and have learned from — remotely for the last several years, Brian Humphrey from the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD). Brian has been a pioneer in the use of personal technology [...]

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Tags: City Preparedness · Preparedness 2.0 · Preparedness Models

AlertDC Sends Out Severe Thunderstorm Watch/Flash Flood Warnings As Red Cross “Emergency Data Crisis Summit” Begins — Reminder: You Can Follow/Participate In Event Remotely Throughout Day

August 12th, 2010 · 1 Comment

I am in Washington this morning and was about to walk over to the American Red Cross’ “Emergency Social Data Summit” when – maybe appropriately considering the topic of the event — I received on my BlackBerry from the District of Columbia’s Emergency Management Agency’s AlertDC “Flood Warning” and “Severe Thunderstorm Watch” e-mail/text:
National Weather Service has [...]

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Tags: Preparedness 2.0 · Red Cross

Follow/Participate In Thursday’s American Red Cross “Emergency Crisis Data Summit” On Web

August 11th, 2010 · 1 Comment

The American Red Cross is holding a very exciting event in Washington on Thursday and is encouraging interested members of the public from around the U.S. and the world to follow it and participate through the web.
It is the organization’s first “Emergency Crisis Data Summit: Answering The Cry For Help” which will bring together government agencies, emergency [...]

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Tags: Preparedness Events · Red Cross

New Red Cross Study Finds Web Users Would Turn To Social Media In Emergencies & Expect 1st Responders To Be Listening: 74% Want Response Less Than An Hour After Their Tweet or Facebook Post

August 9th, 2010 · 9 Comments

A very interesting American Red Cross survey released this morning indicates that many web users would turn to social media to seek help for themselves or others during emergencies—and they expect first responders to be listening.
In fact, 74 percent of those polled expected help to come less than an hour after their tweet or Facebook post.
The [...]

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Tags: Public Opinion · Red Cross

Rider Tweet Helps Capture Boston Subway ‘Flasher’ — Despite The Fact That Transit Police Were Not Yet On Twitter

August 8th, 2010 · 1 Comment

I’m posting another story from today’s Boston Globe, because it is a good example of Twitter as a useful public safety tool, and it illustrates how a good number of government entities are late to the social media party.
The article explains how a Twitter tweet led to the arrest of a man accused of exposing [...]

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Tags: Preparedness 2.0 · Transportation Preparedness