Social media's role in emergency response and disaster communication

Social Media and Emergency Communications

Social Media Emergency Communications Social media popular crucial crisis emergency communications. Responders communicating public social media outlets, public communicating, responders. Individuals provide important information disaster

The pros and cons

Social media has allowed people to communicate with a large group of people in real time. The integration of social media in mobile devices has also spread its reach, which has allowed for ease of communication between individuals. In an emergency situation, people will use social media to share information with others and relevant authorities. This would allow emergency worker to better understand the emergency situation, which would allow them to make the necessary preparations White, 2011.

People are finding it easier to report emergencies using social media. Government agencies have discovered that people will first share any emergency situation on social media, and they are monitoring social sites in order to respond promptly to any disaster. Social media provides tools like video uploading, photos sharing, and information distribution, which would be very useful for any disaster agency. Social media can also be used to reach a wider audience to report an emergency. Government agencies can use social media to communicate information regarding a disaster, and they can be sure that the information will be received by a wider audience. This is because majority of people use social media on a daily basis.

Social media in a disaster can lead to panic in case the information is not communicated properly. If a person shares information regarding a disaster, there is a chance that though the disaster might not have a huge impact it can cause panic. Rumors can also be spread using social media. If the information shared is false, people would think there is a disaster and emergency teams might respond only to find it was a false alarm. Therefore, emergency teams need to verify the information they receive on social media.

Balancing social media influence with historic standardized procedures

Emergency managers can incorporate social media with their standardized emergency procedures. This way when someone in a specific location sends an update in social media they can receive this information. This way the emergency managers are able to receive distress calls from all locations. The emergency managers can also train their staff to monitor social media searching for specific keywords in order to determine when an emergency occurs. They can also use social media to prepare people in case of an emergency. By developing an online community, the emergency managers are able to receive information when an emergency occurs, and people will know what to during the emergency Crowe, 2012.

The community will also know whom to contact on social media to report any emergency. Normal emergency procedures are well documented, and by using social media, the emergency managers can educate the public on the procedures of an emergency.

Using platforms like Ushahidi, the emergency managers are able to collect information, photos, and provide interaction. The managers can use this information to monitor and communicate with the community. The system is able to gather information from different channels and this makes it very effective in crowd sourcing of information. Making use of different channels will allow the emergency manager to reach out to more people, unlike the case with depending on 911 calls. Emergency managers can also use the platform to filter the information received. This way they are able to receive relevant information and discard any other information that is unnecessary. Just like the 911 calls screening the emergency managers will be able to determine the genuine from the non-genuine emergencies. Collecting information from multiple sources allows the emergency managers to be updated instantly whenever an emergency occurs. They will also receive photos, and video of the emergency and this would allow them to prepare adequately for the emergency.