Presented to Social Media in Times of Crisis National Conference 2013 Hosted by Eidos Institute 4 April 2013, State Library of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia Speaker: Eileen Culleton, Founder & CEO Emergency 2.0 Wiki (Voluntary) This presentation outlines how proactively involving the ‘whole of community’: government, business, NGOs, schools, hospitals, community groups, media and the public, in using social media in times of crisis can greatly increase its effectiveness. Showcasing New York City’s social media response to Hurricane Sandy and drawing on examples from this year’s Queensland floods and Victoria bushfires we demonstrate how engaging with the community as ‘partners’ in the emergency response, utilising social media for two way communication, amplification, collaboration and integration can powerfully assist communities to better prepare for, respond to and recover from disaster.

1. Social Media in Times of Crisis
National Conference Series
Hosted by Eidos Institute
4 April 2013, State Library, Brisbane, Australia
How a ‘whole of community’ approach
to using social media in times of crisis
increases its effectiveness
Emergency 2.0 Wiki CEO & Founder Eileen Culleton

2. Overview
 Background on the Emergency 2.0 Wiki
 What is a “Whole of Community Approach”?
 New York City response to Hurricane Sandy
 Examples from Queensland Floods
 Examples Victoria Bushfires
 Key recommendations
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3. Emergency 2.0 Wiki
www.emergency20wiki.org/wiki
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4. Vision
To help build resilient communities, empowered with the
knowledge to use social media in emergency
communications.
 Emergency agencies
 Government agencies
 Schools
 Community agencies and non profits
 Business
 Media
 The Public
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5. The impetus
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6. Where are We?
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7. Alliance Partners
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8. What is a ‘Whole of Community’
approach?
Emergency services and official agencies engaging with the
community as ‘partners’ in the emergency response:
 Government
 Schools
 Hospitals
 Business
 NGOs
 Community groups
 Media
 The public
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9. ‘Whole of Community’ approach
 Engaging with the community as partners
 Two way communication
 Integration between agencies
 Engaging digital volunteers
 Asking the community to share information from the
scene
 Business helping business
 Community helping community
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10. social media &
mobile devices
+
real-time localised
information
+
community
participation
=
lives saved
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11. NYC Response to Hurricane Sandy
“Whole of community” response
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12. NYC Response to Hurricane Sandy
Opened up its data to enable emergency maps
to be produced
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13. NYC Response to Hurricane Sandy
Crowdmaps empowered the public to share own reports,
photos and videos
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14. NYC Response to Hurricane Sandy
Public could sign
up to receive
alerts based on
geographical area
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15. NYC Response to Hurricane Sandy
Citizens downloaded emergency apps to receive alerts and
emergency preparation information
Red Cross Hurricane App
FEMA Emergency
Preparedness App
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16. NYC Response to Hurricane Sandy
Two way communication using social media
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17. NYC Response to Hurricane Sandy
Engaged digital volunteer groups
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18. NYC Response to Hurricane Sandy
Red Cross utilised digital operations centre
for two way communications
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19. NYC Response to Hurricane Sandy
Schools
 Issued preparedness messages to staff and parents
 Alerted of pending school closures
 Alerted of schools being used as evacuation centres
 Rallied for donations and volunteers
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20. NYC Response to Hurricane Sandy
Hospitals
 Alerts for cancelled
outpatients
appointments and
elective surgeries
 Alerts for pending
evacuations
 Updates to patients’
families
 Updates to staff on
reporting for work
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21. NYC Response to Hurricane Sandy
Integration between agencies
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22. NYC Response to Hurricane Sandy
Business helping Business
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23. NYC Response to Hurricane Sandy
Community helping Community
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24. QLD Floods
Local Government empowering community
to help community
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25. QLD Floods
Local Government empowering community to help
community
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26. QLD Floods
 QLD Alert
 One stop shop for live
information
 Twitter and Facebook
feeds
 Official agencies only
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27. VIC Bushfires
 Similar to QLD Alert,
Disaster Connect brings
together Twitter and
Facebook feeds of official
agencies
 Also feeds from
community groups
 And feeds from hashtags
#VICFIRES #BUSHFIRES
 Hosted by Green Cross
Australia Harden Up
program
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28. VIC Bushfires
Mobile apps to issue alerts and
to empower community to help others
 Ability to share alerts using
Twitter and Facebook
 Upload their own photos
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29. Key recommendations
1. Provide Tools and the platforms to help the public help
themselves, each other and emergency services and official
agencies eg emergency apps, crowdmaps
2. Educate the public on how to use social media to help themselves,
each other and emergency services
3. Engage in two way communication – ask the public to help
4. Engage digital volunteers
For a ‘whole of community’ approach to using social
media in times of crisis
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Together, we can save lives…

30. Thank You!
Wiki:
http://emergency20wiki.org/wiki
Blog:
http://emergency20wiki.org/
LinkedIn:
Emergency 2.0 Wiki
Twitter:
@emergency20wiki
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31. References
•http://emergency20wiki.org/wiki/index.php/Main_Page
 Photo slide 5 via Flicker Kingbob.net
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kingbob86/5342341008/sizes/l/
in/photostream/
 Graphic slide 7 via http://visual.ly/case-emergency-use-social-
media
 Twitter screenshot via Open Gov Blog
http://blog.opengovpartnership.org/2013/01/hurricane-sandy-
open-data-social-media-nyc-rachel-haot/
 All logos and brand references are copyright of their respective
owners
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