Social Media and Emergency Response

Theoretical Background and research questions/hypothesis: As we progress from the Information to the Attention Age, new and accessible technologies provide end-users with an ever increasing quantity of information.  These rapid advances in mass communication technologies, such as social media, have allowed people to receive instant updates on events happening all over the world.  In 2009, 89% of U.S. adults subscribe to a mobile service and 77% subscribe in an Internet provider (PewInternet.org).  The usage of functions on the mobile phone has substantially increased and various age populations now rely on breaking news through media outlets.  The goal of this paper is to identify case studies where social media technology has benefited emergency response activities and provide a series of recommendations to assist with the incorporation of these technologies into emergency response plans of emergency response groups.

Methods and Results (informing the conceptual analysis): In recent years, social media has assisted emergency responders and affected citizens with creating order during national emergencies.  In April of 2007, shortly after the tragic Virginia Tech University shootings, Facebook users set up a group called “I’m OK at VT” which became an online bulletin board for Virginia Tech University students to post their locations and conditions after the shootings. The Jewish Hospital & St. Mary’s Healthcare in Louisville, KY found social media to be a valuable took during a flood in 2009 as they informed communities of health risks and available medical treatment facilities. Twitter, a free micro-blogging service with interactive updates known as tweets, has also assisted in national emergencies, such as the Mumbai Terrorist Attacks in November 2008.  Within minutes of the attack, “on the ground” Twitter users were providing “first hand” accounts of the devastation and listed emergency contact information and hospitals in need of blood donors.  In San Diego, CA residents turned to Twitter instead of traditional media outlets to follow the L.A. Fire Department and other community members’ wildfire status updates (telegraph.co.uk). On January 21, 2010, in the aftermath of the recent earthquake in Haiti, a U.S. Homeland Security National Operations Center official read a Twitter post about people buried under a building in Haiti, which lead to a successful rescue mission (USA Today).

Conclusions: As federal and non-federal emergency responders understand and benefit from the use of social media, the usage of these applications will become more widespread.

Implications for research and/or practice: New training must be developed to incorporate these social media applications into everyday emergency responder activities.  Agencies must create social media protocols to ensure the public is provided factual information during emergencies.  Where available and when it is beneficial, new emergency responder training should incorporate proper usage of using social media applications, like Facebook and Twitter.  With these training recommendations, federal and non-federal agencies will be able to develop internal social media applications that contribute to organizational missions and promote public benefit.  When used properly, social media applications can allow federal agencies and non-federal organizations involved in emergency responses to improve responder and public communication, increase the efficiency of responder activities, and contribute to the overall responder safety and health at the disaster site.