10/30/2019 How The Event Unfolded The JoplinTornadoInfo Story SMEM Then and Now Rebecca Williams, Co-creator October 29, 2019 1 2 How The Event Unfolded What We Did May 22, 2011 5:41PM Central Time We created Facebook.com/JoplinTornadoInfo • We were nobody online. Status: single • It was a gorgeous Sunday afternoon, people enjoying life. • We grabbed our coffee mugs & computer. • Dinner was coming out of the oven as the sirens went off. • We created the Facebook page. • As we ate, we watched the tornado on KSN tower cam. Five hours later, we created a Twitter account. • News people took a call while broadcasting and announced • Unbeknownst to us, a friend created the website JoplinTornado.info that evening. they were taking cover and urged residents to do the same. • The broadcast switched to only tower cam. • We had no connections to any government agencies. We were just two citizens. • We lost wifi, but not power. No TV. No local signal. • We scoured the Internet so we’d have Early Situational awareness. • We felt helpless. We turned to our smartphones for info. • There was a major local information vacuum. Area power, wifi & cable were out. • We walked around asking each other “what can we do”? • People outside the area had more information than people in the disaster zone. • Genevieve got the idea to create Facebook page to share info. • Our goal was to be an information clearinghouse and to be interactive. 3 4 What We Did Connecting with Other Organizations Hands-on Learning Trust Makes it all Work • Spent time determining a name so people would find us • Social media use by governments was in its infancy in 2011, • Answered every question multiple times but becoming popular with citizens • Created our own repository of contact information so we • Organizations that worked with us could “connect the dots” • University of Missouri Extension • Decided to alternately sleep • Churches (food, freezer) to keep the page going 24x7 • Utilized volunteers from out of area to relieve us from posting duties periodically • Relied upon a foundation of sincerity, integrity and effort 5 6 1
10/30/2019 Connecting with Other Organizations Lessons Learned: Working with FEMA Benefits of Working with Others FEMA Recognized the Importance of Engaging the WHOLE Community • Created a rolodex of active organizations • Advanced planning with the WHOLE Community • We used legal pads because things were moving too fast • Don’t recreate the wheel. Use existing resources. • Assigned other organization personnel as Facebook page admins • Team Rubicon • They could push out their own information • ITDRC • Gained credibility for us • Faith‐based • Gave validity to our information • Government may fail to have sufficient communication • Broke down reporting silos resources to manage a major disaster and operate 24/7 • Grew the page’s audience as others published critical information • Hurricane Harvey; Tropical Storm Irma 40” of rain • Not only adding viewers, but adding first‐hand information • Hurricane Maria (Puerto Rico) • Provided “one stop shopping” for the public to find a broad spectrum of information • Gatlinburg Fire 7 8 Lessons Learned: What People Will do Lessons Learned: ALL Channels Need to be Used Recognize you have NO control over what people will do Prepare for them all to fail • Citizens can and will do something to help (or not). • NOAA AM/FM Radio, Ham Radio are still functional when electricity is out and cells are Manage volunteers down • Don’t recreate the wheel. Use existing resources • Don’t forget paper, WOM, bullhorns • Members of the public will communicate, repeat info • Twitter faster and where EM hangout accurate or not, and use any and all social channels • Emergency pages aren’t just for emergencies • Second wave disasters The picture can't be displayed. 9 10 Lessons Learned: Know Your Technology Lessons Learned: Become the Trusted Source Not everyone lives on Facebook Finish What You’ve Started • Twitter to Text: “Follow [twitter handle] to 40404 gets text (also, FB to text function) • During an event is no time to learn how to update social media and no time to decide to be interactive. You won’t have the personnel or skills to do so. • Twitter moves faster than Facebook and news breaks more quickly than on Facebook • Make a mistake correct it….do not delete • YouTube, Vimeo or Facebook video • Add disclaimers (for example: “This post is • Don’t forget a written synopsis or transcript being widely circulated but is an old photo • Be mindful of people with limited data not related to current conditions.”) • Be mindful of those with disabilities • Refer to vetted functional efforts • For example: which shelters are open / closed. • Young people live on Instagram • Use official current sources, not newspaper articles. • Multiple admins needed for 24/7 coverage • Share only from vetted verified sources and then proceed with caution. • Out of state admins • Check dates of all photos/videos For example, train derailment during prior flood was used during 2016 flood and widely shared) • Know the laws, records retention • Having a rolodex of contacts to verify information • If you didn’t document it, you didn’t do it: post post post. • Be in it for the long haul 11 12 2
10/30/2019 Improvements Made Since Difficulties That Exist Today We’re making progress, but… • FEMA recognizes whole community planning and response • Social Media for Disaster Recovery Guide is now listed • Citizen Communicator as a resource in FEMA’s Toolkit. • Lack of Standing without formal agency Communication Plan • https://www.fema.gov/media‐library/assets/documents/166794 • Liability and/or Insurance issues • Governments recognize they can’t do it all. (CERT, etc) • Records Retention & Open Public Records: do they apply? • Connecting with other organizations • Training is offered to public and private agencies to foster cooperation in the digital space. • Government Practitioner • Legal Issues & Applicable Court Cases • Multi‐state multi‐jurisdictional exercises take place involving • Explosion of social media channels and trying to be in all places private sector entities and civic organizations. (Morris County NJ) • Training on new popular social media channels • Trust of citizen practitioners by public sector agencies has increased exponentially. • Budgets: Who pays when the communicator is a citizen (advertising, any app costs, etc) • Technology improvements: Facebook Crisis Response, Crowdsourced maps like the LA • Managing rumors and well‐meaning citizens efforts Times fire maps, charging stations, online donation portals, mobile comm towers, virtual MARCs, Ready.gov and advanced preparedness information…. 13 14 Contact Information Rebecca J. Williams Carol A. Spencer Your Net Working, LLC Stormzero, LLC Neosho, MO 64850 Cedar Creek, TX 78612 417‐434‐0379 973‐637‐0483 YourNetWorking.net Stormzero.com rebecca@stormzero.com carol@stormzero.com Current & Past Presentations: Slideshare.net/ChazNJ 15 3
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