Social Media A Valuable Tool in Risk & Crisis Communications Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) May 21, 2014 Agenda MEMA s Use of Social Media History Platforms Preparedness, Response, Recovery Using Social Media in your Community Resources You Can Take Home Public Health & Emergency Management Coordination 1
MEMA s History with Social Media Facebook & Twitter (2010 after Haiti quake) Youtube (2012) Part of Public Information Officer (PIO) s job Started by pushing information out Severe weather Power outages Safety & preparedness tips MEMA s Facebook Page 2
MEMA s Twitter Account Twitter Feed on MEMA Website 3
MEMA s Youtube Account How MEMA Uses for Preparedness Share emergency preparedness tips Tip of the day during Preparedness Month Short stories on MEMA activities Promote MEMA s Ping4alerts app Get people engaged and following MEMA 4
How MEMA Uses for Response Pushing out information Notify people of pending hazard Provide safety and preparedness tips Keep public informed Reduce media inquiries How MEMA Uses for Response Responding to messages Try to answer general questions or messages Can t respond to all Direct people to 2 1 1 5
How MEMA Uses for Response Monitoring Twitter has lots of public information Info feed from accounts MEMA follows Twitter.com/search for keywords (don t need account) Need human filter for important information Look for key themes, rumors, hot topics How MEMA Uses for Recovery Relatively new for use in recovery FEMA assistance info, cleanup tips, where to get help, rumor control Post Marathon, MEMA shared content from Boston and other relevant agencies 6
MEMA followers & fans (& spikes during emergencies) 45,000 40,000 35,000 30,000 # of People 25,000 20,000 Marathon Twitter followers 15,000 Sandy Blizzard Facebook fans 10,000 5,000 0 Jul 12 Aug 12 Sep 12 Oct 12 Nov 12 Dec 12 Jan 13 Feb 13 Mar 13 Apr 13 May 13 Jun 13 Jul 13 Aug 13 Sep 13 Oct 13 Nov 13 Dec 13 Jan 14 Feb 14 Mar 14 Apr 14 Month Where we are Today Added assistant PIO during EOC activations Social media one of our many tools that we use depending on the situation: Press releases, MEMA website, ping4alerts smart phone app, 2 1 1 hotline, Wireless Emergency Alerts, Emergency Alert System Audience: The public 7
Social Media in Your Community Assess the landscape attitudes toward SM, policies, other departments What are your communication goals? Can social media help meet those goals? Provide day to day information? Provide emergency information? Who is your audience? Social Media in Your Community Evaluate platforms and decide course of action & platforms Develop plan for how you will use it (who, what, where, when, why) for day to day & emergencies Decide how to push content, respond, monitor Develop policy or SOPs Train staff 8
Social Media in Your Community Put into emergency plans Content during non emergencies Coordinate with other departments Coordinate messages with other tools Don t rush to be first be reliable! Keep learning tools change Social Media Isn t for Everyone You don t have a public information/education function You can t commit any time/staff Policies or attitudes against social media Coordinate to have other community accounts push your message for you Consider other ways to get your messages out 9
Resources You Can Take Home FEMA Independent Study IS 42 (Social Media in Emergency Management) Twitter.com/search (don t need an account) http://westernmasssmem.wordpress.com/ many tips to get started, and links to state legal toolkit Hootsuite tool for multiple accounts/monitoring Public Health & Emergency Management Collaboration Overview of local emergency management MEMA & MDPH collaboration at state level Local EM & Public Health coordination: Meet your colleague & learn CEMP/Planning Preparedness education/outreach Training/exercises Emergency Operations Centers 10
Stay Connected with MEMA Mass.gov/MEMA Twitter.com/MassEMA Facebook.com/MassachusettsEMA Youtube.com/MassachusettsEMA Chris Besse Contact Information Preparedness Coordinator Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency Christopher.besse@state.ma.us 508 820 2039 11