Getting the Word Out – Creative Uses of Technology

Traditionally, getting the word out was one of the largest challenges in emergency management. Now our nearly ubiquitous communications devices give us a multitude of ways to both send and receive information updates during emergencies. (So long as the infrastructure holds up, but that is a topic for other times.)

There is now so much information out there, the problem has shifted to organizing and processing it all. Over the past few months, I’ve seen a marked increase in the creative use of technology and social media to both get the word out and help people organize the flood of information that is coming in.

One of the oldest initiatives is Google’s Crisis Response project. They produce the excellent Crisislanding site. I spent a lot of time watching Crisislanding during Hurricane Irene and was impressed by the depth of information available in a single location.

Twitter also played a significant role during Hurricane Irene. I appreciated how quickly Twitter provided verified account status to many of the Red Cross accounts. Having “verified” accounts made it easier to quickly identify trusted sources of information. I hope that other social media services will follow twitter’s lead.

So now we have the wildfires in Texas. I’m struggling to imagine a fire that has burned an area the size of Connecticut, but that’s what people are dealing with. Again, connecting people with information and services is of paramount importance. I came upon a public Google Docs spreadsheet that is tracking needs, offers, shelter locations, and other real-time information concerning the fire.

These are only a few examples of how the information game is changing in the context of emergency management. I’m looking forward to seeing how social media continues to play a role in getting the word out and helping those affected by disasters better communicate with friends, family and loved ones.