COVOST: Colorado Virtual Operations Support Team for #18CEMC

COVOST - Meeting the
Challenge and Providing Virtual
Operations Support
@COEmergency - @READYColorado - @COVOST
Presented by:
Kyle Nelson, COVOST Training Coordinator (@wxkylenelson)
Micki Trost, CO DHSEM Strategic Communications Director (@pio3micki)

Why am I here?
Kyle Nelson, M.S.
• Training Coordinator, Colorado Virtual Operations Support Team
• Instructor – National Disaster Preparedness Training Center
• Digital Media Specialist – Epicenter Deployment Support Unit
COVOST Training Coordinator: Kyle Nelson - @wxkylenelson

COVOST <> You
What can COVOST do for you?
Challenges and benefits of a worldwide, virtual team

What is a VOST?
VOST = Virtual Operations Support Team
A team of trusted agents who support those on site via the
internet who may otherwise be overwhelmed by the volume
of data generated during a disaster or event.

What is a VOST?
• Perform specific functions as
requested by affected agency
• Team reports to the VOST
Manager who is in contact with
On-Scene Liaison Officer

What is a VOST?
VOST trusted agents utilize emerging digital communication
technologies and social media tools to support emergency
management and disaster recovery.

What can COVOST do for me?
Primary Mission: Monitoring
•Emergency information
•Situational Awareness
•Rumor Control
•Trends
•Questions
Secondary Missions
•Development of Tools and Platforms for Official Agency Use
•Archiving Digital Media Content
•Analysis and Reporting of Digital Media Statistics and Trends

Colorado VOST Highlights
• 2013: Jeffco Sheriff’s Office & Colorado
DHSEM begin a partnership.
• September 2013: COVOST activates for floods
• 2014
• CO DHSEM begins managing the team
• Jeffco Sheriff provides background
checks & training resources
• 2016: COVOST adds volunteer Training
Coordinator to assist Team Manager

What COVOST is NOT
•An alternative to an internal, integrated social media communication plan
•A task force that you can order up to handle all of your social media needs
•An excuse for to use when you do not want to learn social media
•Exclusively volunteer
•Experts only
•Used just for public information needs
•Law enforcement intelligence seeking

Colorado VOST Connection:
• Colorado Virtual Operations Support Team:
• 60 members strong
• Monthly virtual trainings and team meeting
• COVOST Mission: To lead and support the State of Colorado and our local Colorado
communities through the innovative use of social media and other online tools.
• The COVOST can be activated to support any local, county or state agency
• Can request via WebEOC or through EMAC

Notable COVOST Activations
● 2013 Colorado Floods
● 2015 Planned Parenthood Shooting
● Winter X Games
● 2015 Alpine World Ski Championships
● 4/20 “events”
● 2017 Solar Eclipse
● Presidential Candidate & Dignitary Visits

How Can I Get VOST Support?
•Build your own
•May be the best option
•Build your team to meet the specific needs of your agency and community
•Not easy to build or maintain – dedication required!
•Activate the Colorado VOST
•Established, trained
•Statewide availability

Building a VOST
• Analyze your existing social media program: What are we good at / need help with?
• Ask why your team would need to activate a VOST
• Amplification? Monitoring? Analyzing? Archiving?
• Then begin recruitment for potential members
• Start with your agency & community
• Extend out to the broader virtual community
• Consider all potential contributors**
• Other timezones/regions
• Finally, build a framework for your VOST
• Policy and Procedures; Documentation; Tools; Membership Qualifications, etc

Activation Procedures
• Colorado VOST exists to aid local, county and state agencies
• To activate the COVOST:
• Familiarize yourself with the COVOST Handbook
• Determine who will be your On Scene VOST Liaison
• Complete the Activation Authorization Form
• Submit an official request through WebEOC
• * if all else fails, contact Micki Trost
• COVOST Manager has authority to approve requests
• Requests may be turned down if mission(s) are not specific

Mission Accepted;
VOST Manager contacts Agency On-Scene Liaison
VOST Manager sends activation
notice to team via Slack
VOST Members Check in on
Slack & in Workbook
Members complete mission(s) as assigned,
collaborate & coordinate using virtual tools
VOST Manager & Agency Liaison in
constant communication; Evaluate if
mission(s) are achieved/changing
Mission(s) completed; Team
Demobilized;
After Action Review completed COVOST
Activation

COVOST Training Program
• Led by Kyle Nelson (@wxkylenelson)
• 8-10 trainings per year
• No-cost tools and techniques
• Virtual (remote) Training Platform
• YouTube training video archive
• Member interest & emerging technologies dictate topics
• Members & guests lead trainings too
• Guest Topic/Tool/Technique Experts wanted!

COVOST Training - Challenges
• No team budget = no-cost tools
• Virtual (remote) training format
• Interaction & retention
• Member profiles
o Worldwide
o Varying skill levels and experience
o Volunteer time in addition to daily duties
• Digital Media Tools evolve (perishable skills)

COVOST Member Point of View
• Why did I join?
• WIIFM: What’s In It For Me?
• Learning
• Networking
• Growth
• Leadership
• Team Support

VOST Final Thoughts:
• VOST directly benefits you, your agency and your community
• Building and managing your own VOST is best
• COVOST is here to help!
• COVOST is available for activation on your incident or event
• Requests must have a defined mission with a VOST Liaison assigned
• Please understand that we are still learning as well
• COVOST is looking for additional members! Consider joining today!

VOST Resources
COVOST: https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/dhsem/covost
DHS Social Media Working Group
https://www.dhs.gov/science-and-technology/smwg-documents
Project EPIC out of the University of Colorado: epic.cs.colorado.edu
Leysia Palen, University of Colorado Boulder http://cmci.colorado.edu/~palen/papers.html
#SMEMCHAT – Every Friday at 10:30am Mountain Time
•Twitter Chat on topics related to Social Media & Emergency Management
#SMEM, #VOST, #LESM, #SM4PH, #SM4FD, #EMGTwitter

Questions?
Ask me anything!

Thank You!
Kyle Nelson, COVOST Training Coordinator
linkedin.com/in/wxkylenelson
@wxkylenelson
wxkylenelson@gmail.com
Micki Trost, CO DHSEM Strategic Communications Director
@pio3micki
micki.trost@state.co.us
Ready to Join? Want to learn more about the team?
https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/dhsem/covost

COVOST: Colorado Virtual Operations Support Team for #18CEMC

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