News

CAL Fire was recently featured on Fire Department Network News for the addition of their Public Information Officer marked SUV. View the video report below, and pay special attention to what PIO Mike Mohler says about his role and activities regarding Social Media:

From the associated article with my own added emphasis:

CAL FIRE’s PIO vehicles are outfitted with Tough Books. Not only can they get information on the call that they are going to, but they can update their Twitter site, blogs and other websites.

Social media plays a large part in the distribution of public information. Many of CAL FIRE’s followers are gathering information from social media before they turn on the news channel or look in their newspapers.

It’s great seeing agencies understand where information distribution is going. Taking the initiative to serve their communities where they are gathering and to use the community as an asset instead of a liability is the direction we all should be headed.

You can read the CAL Fire San Diego Blog, follow them on Twitter, or check out their Flickr Sets which are quite compelling

As the oil leak at the BP Deepwater Horizon site continues into day 43, there is a now an application available for both the iPhone and Android OS phones to help assist collecting data and sharing it to aid the cleanup and recovery efforts underway along the coastal regions affected by the oil.

Oil Reporter is a pretty simple idea. We want people to share what they see and to allow that information to be shared with everyone. We believe that if people share what they see and that information can be placed on a map, it can help organizations and communities with their response efforts. – OilReporter.org About Page

Oil Reporter takes a page from Twitter’s base question of “What are you doing?” and changes it into “What do you see?” The application provides a very basic description box for collecting a text narrative about where you are and what you are seeing as it pertains to the areas under siege by the crude oil. The application takes advantage of the multiple media creation tools that smart phones provide and promotes the attachment of photos of your location as a visual reference for your report. For those who are text shy, the application allows you to utilize a slider to rate how much oil you see. The slider asks you to rank the sight of oil from 0 (open water) to 10 (thick oil).

The application does not just ask for information about actual oil on the shores, but also about the area wildlife and what effect the oil is having on their living conditions. There is a drop down box asking for the status of the area’s wildlife and a second slider asking for the reporter to document the effect the oil is having on the area’s wetlands. Both of these more focused inquiries address the main concerns of the citizenry and can become crucial in directing clean up efforts as the situation continues to unfold.

Oil Reporter not only takes information, but reciprocates the exchange by providing an easy option to view their Twitter feed from within the application and they also provide easy access to volunteer opportunities in the four states thus far affected by the oil spill.

Overall, this crowdsourcing initiative via application is utilizing the citizenry instead of considering them as liabilities, which is something that FEMA has been pushing emergency managers towards.

Oil Reporter was created through the joint efforts of Intridea, Appcelerator, and Crisis Commons

The question “Do I Need A Social Media Policy?” is one that more and more Emergency Service Agencies are asking. Roberta Jackson answers it in the May 2010 edition of Best Practices For Emergency Services.

The simple answer is yes… in fact I advise that you must have one!
-Roberta Jackson, Best Practices For Emergency Services May 2010 Vol. 13 No. 5

The article includes the views here at PIOSocialMediaTraining.com, as expressed by Dave Konig, in that there are two key elements to every Social Media Policy:

• The purpose of the policy to address the role of the agency in Social Media
• Providing both permissions and prohibitions from an agency point of view to their providers

We have written a number of blog posts on this very subject, noted the 5 Vital Components of a Social Media Policy, briefly cover it in our free e-mail bootcamp, and have published a Social Media Policy Guide to help you along your path. One of the reasons we devote so much time and energy to the topic of Social Media Policies is because they are THAT important.

So, have we convinced you to start setting a Social Media Policy for your agency yet? If not, then why not?

Need the Social Media Policy Guide For First Responder Agencies? Click here

Click here to subscribe to Best Practices For Emergency Services

Social Media allows us to celebrate a slew of different days that we may not ordinarily recognize. There are completely random blog “Delurking” days where authors call for comments, September 19 (9/19) usually hosts Talk Like A Pirate Day, and March 15 (3/14) is traditionally Pi Day (3.14). This year geo-tagging-check-in service Foursquare has laid claim to April 16 (4/16) and declared it Foursquare Day, the first official Social Media holiday.

Foursquare is a social network that is dependent upon its users using location based applications on their mobile phones to “check-in” at venues around their city. The network awards points for every check-in a user makes and the user with the most check-ins at a specific venue over a running two month period is awarded the title of “Mayor“. This lends a tone of gameplay and creates a level of competition amongst the networks members that is fueled further by users earning badges for completing certain achievements under certain conditions.

One of the more sought after badges for Foursquare users is the Swarm badge. This badge is only earned when 50+ users are checked into the same venue within a limited time period. Business users have used the allure of this badge to increase attendance at their properties, and there is no reason why our agencies can’t do the same to reach out to our community.

Your agency can host an open house, partner with a local business for a fundraiser, or use the opportunity to provide a service such as a blood sugar check or a car seat check for residents. You can also use it as an educational opportunity. As an example, the Tampa Bay Swarm Party will be using #4SQDay to promote Don’t Twive, the “Don’t Tweet And Drive” campaign against distracted driving.

Four Quick Steps To Planning A #4SQDay Event

1. Plan an event with a set time and location that is registered in the Foursquare database
2. Create a flier featuring your agency logo and the Swarm badge to be posted both locally and on your agency hub
3. Use Facebook Events and Twitter to announce and invite your fan base to the event (a lot of businesses have had success using Twitvite, so we recommend you try it out as well )
4. Continue to promote your event before it, during it, and even after it (on Twitter use the official hashtag #4SQDay). Also make sure to submit your event to @4sqday on Twitter or at 4SQDay.com

Using Social Media to organize and promote actual events is just another way to connect with your community and help get your message out there.

Additional Resources: Case Study – How To Use Foursquare To Draw A Crowd, How To Have An Awesome Foursquare Day Swarm

One of the hot topics for both responders and agencies are their rights when it comes to Social Media. With stories coming out such as the South Carolina firefighter terminated for posting a video and the recent termination of two EMTs from Long Island College Hospital (NYC) for using Chatroulette while in their PPE gear, concern about Social Media is on the rise.

Recently Greg and I were guests on the podcast EMS Garage Episode 79: Fight For Your Right. The episode was hosted by Chris Montera and featured Steve Wirth Esq. of Page, Wolfberg & Wirth, LLC. that is a national law firm devoted to EMS law.

The show topic was the rights of an individual when it comes to Social Media and their employment by an agency. The discussion was lively and jam packed with information that can be applied to all public safety and first responders.

Here are some of the highlights from the episode that you may find very surprising:

• The First Amendment of the US Constitution protects our freedom of speech from the government, not from an employer
• Employees of private agencies have no First Amendment protections
• Employees of government agencies have some protections under very specific conditions
• Agencies should put a Social Media Policy in place because as Steve Wirth said, “You can’t expect people to follow the rules if there are no rules.”
• Due to innovations, policies should look to define behavior as opposed to current technological trends
• The employer has every right to control what you do while on duty

If you are a responder wondering what your rights are to engage in Social Media or if you are an Agency wondering what your responsibilities are when dealing with Social Media amongst your personnel, we highly recommend you take the time to listen to the entire episode.

Interested in subscribing to the EMS Garage in iTunes? Just click here and automatically get new episodes downloaded as they become available

The other participants of this podcast episode were:

• Kyle David Bates
• Tim “Rogue Medic” Noonan
• Justin “Happy Medic” Schorr
• Natalie Quebodeaux

Need a Social Media Policy? Get a copy of our Social Media Poilicy Guide to help you on your way

Early Saturday morning I read a story over at Mashable about how a New U.S. Military Policy Opens Up Social Media to the Troops. It’s important to realize that the bans in effect were only applied to access of social networking sites through the military’s internet networks and did NOT restrict personnel from using their personal computers to access these networks or create Social Media. There is in fact a very vibrant Military Blogging Community who have advocated long and hard for this sort of policy on behalf of personnel with no other options for internet access other than the Department of Defense (DoD) networks, such as those deployed overseas.

I found the policy interesting for three specific reasons:

• First, it effectively negates the current Marine Corps ban on Twitter and the longer standing US Army’s ban of Youtube and MySpace, the wording is broad enough to allow local unit commanders to restrict activity on their networks as they see fit
• Secondly, by allowing the use of DoD computers, they are allowing the use of Social Networking sites while technically at work. Now their policies do state that their use for personal reasons must be done without interfering with work duties, but it is still an interesting stance for the military to be taking
• The third and final interesting aspect of the policy is actually in Attachment 2, section 3 parts b and d which promotes and outlines good Social Media behavior through posting relevant and accurate information, and the use of a disclaimer when personal opinions are expressed

Now let’s be honest and remember that the military has been using Social Media effectively for both public relations and recruitment for awhile now. The military understands the power of both positive and negative Social Media, even to the extent that the Air Force had developed a Blog Assessment chart. These policies do not change any of those efforts.

So what does this policy really mean? It shows us that the US Military knows and understands that:

1. With a little guidance your members can be your best ambassadors and most vocal advocates for your agency
2. It is your responsibility to help educate your members as to what is acceptable and what is not acceptable behavior online
3. It is more important to focus on behaviors than on the current state of technology
4. Whether you grant them access or not, people will still connect with each other online in the privacy of their own homes
5. A well written policy today will help mold and shape your Social Media success tomorrow

Social Media is good enough for the US Military and their members… is it good enough for your agency and your members?

Let us know in the comments…

Download 09-026 – Responsible and Effective Use of Internet-based Capabilities (PDF)

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Our goal here at PIOSocialMediaTraining.com is very clear. We want to empower Agencies to effectively engage in the creation of Social Media to achieve their own unique goals. In that vein we have given you 5 Reasons and Methods to Develop and Distribute Social Media, shown you that Social Media is cheap, demonstrated how to use Twitter to spark conversation, provided a checklist method for authoring blog posts, and we’ve shared with you how the TSA effectively handled negative Social Media allegations amongst other things.

Today is not about tutorials, best practices, or the latest tech revolutionizing the world we live in.

Today I get evangelical and am going to pontificate about the absolute one duty that ALL agencies share and warrants the use of Social Media.

The Golden Rule

The Social Media PIO Golden Rule: Agencies must empower themselves to be able to tell their own stories

Having the media misrepresent or incorrectly communicate an agency’s story is a very common occurrence. The most common errors are usually minor (a name misspelled, a photo miscaptioned) but can be annoying none the less. It is also not uncommon for the media to use an unflattering angle when reporting on our stories and that is not how we originally wanted our stories told. Finally, the media also commonly omits information and details that can provide the public with a fuller understanding of the story. Traditionally, we have had to tailor our style to the media’s tendency for 250 word stories and 10 second sound bytes, however this is not something we need to continue to deal with.

We need to stop relying on the media to tell our stories the way they interpret them to our communities. I know some people will consider this “media” bashing but the truth about the media’s state of business is evident more and more every day. When we hear about media outlets such as the Seattle Post-Intelligencer stopping their print editions (after a 146 year history of doing so) in favor of online publishing, it is an omen. It is a sign that the current media model is at their own resource “Level Zero” and we need to be prepared to fill in the gap in order to continue communications with our communities.

We need to tell our stories to our communities ourselves. Now is truly the time to do so since the proliferation of Social Media will allow us to do that with few barriers in our way. We can do far better for the well being of our agencies by effectively communicating our own value, explaining our own views, and becoming a trusted source of information to the communities we serve than allowing the media to continue their stranglehold on being able to craft the public’s perception of our services.

The Case Of Pittsburgh EMS

Last week a story from Pittsburgh Pennsylvania made the national news after being featured by the local media and making the local Social Media circuits. The story centered around the death of a man who had called 911 10 times over 30 hours but no ambulance was able to reach him during the February 5-6 snowstorm.

Initial news reports included harsh criticism of the Pittsburgh EMS Paramedics failure to respond to the home and was spurred on by the city’s own Public Safety Director Michael Huss condemning the responding Paramedics for not walking the 1/4 mile to the home through the snow.

Now that more time has passed there have been more facts revealed surrounding the conditions during “Snowmageddon”:

• The city lost 25% of their EMS resources when ambulances became stuck in the snow for hours (1)
• Many streets were not plowed because drivers were diverted from their routes to try and rescue vehicles (2)
• Multiple ambulance crews were dispatched to the call and all encountered the same accessibility problem (1)
• The responding Paramedics were actually canceled off the calls by their dispatcher (3, 4)
• Response delays grew worse as the day and call volume wore on (4)

Although these new facts indicate that it was not personnel failure but more of a system wide failure, the damage to the reputation and morale of Pittsburgh EMS is done. A search at Social Mention gives us an idea of the extent of that damage:

Those results from Social Mention indicate an agency in a reputation crisis that doesn’t have to be. Pittsburgh EMS maintains a static website but has no discernible Social Media presence. The sentiment ratio of 1:1 indicates that for every 1 positive statement about the service, there is 1 negative statement. This sort of sentiment is a failure for any Agency, but it could have been different had Pittsburgh EMS had a Social Media presence.

With either a blog, or a Twitter account, or a Facebook Fan Page they could have issued Public Service Announcements to educate the community to better prepare for the storm. More importantly they could have stopped treating their community as a liability and treated them more as an asset by communicating the realistic expectations of delays in service, the challenges they were facing, and the best way to assist for mutual success.

While there is no denying that they had the sentinel event of a system failure, the Social Media presence could have been used to tell their own stories of success before, during, and after the “Snowmageddon” event. I find it hard to believe that there was nothing but failures over the course of those two days, but unless Pittsburgh EMS is willing to tell their own stories we’ll most likely never hear about those successes.

In Conclusion

Social Media is not going to disappear tomorrow, or the day after, or the day after that. It is here to stay and for that matter continues to gain momentum into being integrated into our society. Agencies that haven’t started using it are going to find themselves at a huge disadvantage when they find themselves needing it most.

To sum it up, here are the top 5 reasons that your agency should start using Social Media today:

• Empower yourself to tell your own stories directly to the community
• Share your agency’s successes with the community
• Communicate your agency’s value to the community
• Inform and educate your community to help transform them into assets instead of liabilities
• Have effective conversations with your community in order to find ways to improve your service

Need help getting started? Sign-up for our Free E-mail Bootcamp that will give you a better understanding of Social Media and actionable items to get you started.

Finally, I am going to make a special offer to Chief Robert McCaughan of Pittsburgh EMS. I will be more than happy to donate my time and services to help Pittburgh EMS set up a Social Media Presence so that they can tell their own story, share their successes, better prepare their communities, and transform that community from a liability into an asset for the organization. If you’re ready to take that step Chief, contact us.

Last week I wrote a guest post on using social media to promote a public access defibrillation program for the Cardiac Science Blog.

You read the post here: Public Access Defibrillation and Social Media: 7 Ideas You Can Use Right Now

David and I welcome inquiries for guest posting on this blog.

Last week I was intrigued by this tweet from Craig Fugate:

The link he provided was to a shared situational map and reporting center powered by Ushahidi. This open source project was intaking the crisis information through crowd sourcing in near real time locally. Since there was a lack of a centralized command and control center in Haiti to organize and direct the humanitarian efforts, the Relief Agencies were able to turn to this application to determine where there was an urgent need in proximity to their location. You can see how the Ushahidi Haitian Center may be useful to a foreign relief agency operating in the theater of the disaster.

So just what is Ushahidi you ask?

What is Ushahidi? from Ushahidi on Vimeo.

While Ushahidi is an open source project, and therefore free to use, after quickly perusing the source code it will require some moderate to advanced technological knowledge to make it work. Some other places that have deployed the Ushahidi system include MapATL – Visualizing the crime in Atlanta and the Swine Flu Outbreak.

What I really like about Ushahidi is that it centralizes your information into one place that the system updates in nearly real time, and it also offers syndication possibilities with RSS Feeds. I can think of quite a few different applications for that feature set.

For those of you who may not have the technological chops to run a Ushahidi installation, our friends at Depiction have some new software upgrades that may be what you are looking for to create a “Common Operational Picture” for all the agencies involved in an incident. While their video does not address the possibility of crowd sourcing the ability to report incidents, they will be demonstrating these features at a webinar on 1/27/10 @ 1:00pm PST where I am sure they will be willing to answer any questions about how Depiction can be used in that way.

Does your agency have the technological knowledge to install Ushahidi? If not, then what do you think the biggest challenge is to attaining that level of tech independence?

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Since the 7.0 magnitude earthquake rocked Haiti 60 hours ago it has become clear that the true first responder in both getting the word out and providing coordination has been Social Media. Here’s just a few of the developments in Haiti having to do with Social Media:

• An Advanced Twitter Search of Tweets within 50 miles of Haiti provided a filter to zone in on news from the actual area
• The first interviews to come out of Haiti aired on CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360 via the Social Media tool Skype
• Photos posted through Twitter and Facebook were the first images showing the sheer destruction from the island nation
• “Yele” was the most popular topic less than 24 hours after the earthquake struck as people tweeted and retweeted messages to make a $5 donation to singer Wyclef Jean’s Yele Haiti Foundation. This was done by sending the text message “Yele” to the number 501501, which inspired a slew of other mobile giving campaigns. The organization also uses Twitter and Facebook
• Facebook users are calling to their friends to donate to the various relief funds in lieu of the virtual gifts they usually receive and Facebook launches a Global Relief Page in response
• The American Red Cross and The Salvation Army have taken to their Twitter accounts soliciting for mobile donations.
• The calls for donations using Social Media prompted the FBI to issue a donation advisory aimed to help the good hearted avoid online scams
• The Twitter hashtag #rescuemehaiti has been used to identify locations where there are potentially trapped victims while #relativesinhaiti has been used to try and contact family members

US Responders In Haiti

The lead governmental office coordinating the relief efforts in Haiti is the Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance. FEMA’s Daily Situation Reports have included the status of deployed and standby FEMA resources including:

• US&R VA-1 Hub
• US&R VA-2 Hub and Facebook Group
• US&R CA-2 Hub
• US&R CA-5
• US&R CA-7
• US&R FL-1 Hub
• US&R FL-2 Hub
• US&R NY-1 Hub
• US&R OH-1 Hub
• US&R TX-1 Hub
• USNS Comfort Hub and Facebook Group

Unfortunately, as you may notice, the Urban Search & Rescue teams have not yet embraced Social Media.

VAFireNews is providing updates about VA-1 and VA-2

Do you want to understand what Social Media can do for your agency? Spend the 30 minutes to watch the 5 Reasons and Methods for PIOs to Develop and Distribute Social Media to see the benefits a Social Media presence will be able to provide your agency.

Mobile Giving Campaigns

Here is a list of the mobile giving campaigns via Mobile Giving Insider:

• Text HAITI to 25383 to donate $5 to International Rescue Committee
• Text HAITI to 30644 to pledge a donation to CARE
• Text RELIEF to 30644 to get automatically connected to Catholic Relief Services and donate money with your credit card
• Text HAITI to 90999 to donate $10 to the American Red Cross
• Text the word HAITI to 52000 to make a $10 contribution to The Salvation Army in the United States
• Text HAITI to 45678 to donate $5 to the Salvation Army in Canada
• Text YELE to 501501 to donation $5 to Yele
• Text HAITI to 864833 to donate $5 to The United Way
• Text CERF to 90999 to donate $5 to The United Nations Foundation
• Text DISASTER to 90999 to donate $10 to Compassion International

It was Social Media that was the actual first responder on the scene in Haiti. How ready are you to be there with it?

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