This document summarizes a webinar on using social media monitoring during emergencies. It discusses how the American Red Cross uses digital volunteers to monitor platforms like Twitter during disasters and pass along actionable information. Key points included defining digital volunteers, the activation process, sources of information to monitor, and integrating social media responses with other response efforts. Examples of hashtags and pre-written tweets for emergencies were provided. The document concludes with announcing a call for articles on using social media in emergency management.

1. IAEM Emerging Tech Caucus
Webinar Series
#IAEMETC
http://www.iaem.com/page.cfm?p=groups/u
s-caucuses/emerging-technologies&lvl=2

2. Social Media Monitoring in
Action: Napa Earthquake
Jennifer Lazo
IAEM-Emerging Tech Caucus
Secretary
Berkeley, California

3. Napa Earthquake

4. Effect on the Bay Area
Jawbone Article: https://jawbone.com/blog/napa-
earthquake-effect-on-sleep/

5. Immediately Powerful Tweets
Hashtags:
#NapaQuake
#SFQuake
#NapaEQ
#BayAreaQuake
#SFEQ

6. American Red Cross Digital Volunteers
• Definition: “When disaster strikes, the social engagement team will
call on trained Disaster Digital Volunteers to sign up for shifts.
When taking a shift, the Digital Volunteer will be expected to
monitor, engage, and report for four (4) continuous hours online.
This work can be done remotely.”
• Currently Managed Regionally
• Volunteers can be from the local area or from across the country

7. Process for Response Activation
• Volunteer is activated by Regional Headquarters
• Volunteer uses social media tools and pre-
written guidance to direct response
▫ Basic Earthquake Safety information
▫ Public Affairs talking points
▫ Emerging information from official sources
• Actionable information is passed on to
supervisor

8. Pre-Scripted Tweet Ideas: ow.ly/IDdSc
(Source: Mary Jo Flynn)

9. Sources of Actionable Information
• Twitter (Beware hashtag takeovers)
• Organization Facebook Pages
• Local Media Facebook Pages

10. The Power of a Group
• Translation Skills
• Awake and available at a variety of times
• Get to practice skills more because response isn’t
dependent on location
• Challenge- may not be used to unusual disasters
such as earthquake

11. Translation of Tweets

12. Where the information goes
• Starts with a volunteer spotting a trend
• Tweets/posts relating to trend are passed on to
supervisor who validates them and translates
them into action item
• Response staffer receives information and
determines appropriate path for action
• Information is validated on the ground and
through other trusted sources
• Action taken

13. Integrated Response
• Share your message- “live-tweet” the response
• Work with partner organizations to amplify each
other
• Social Media can’t just be Public Affairs, but that
is often a good entry into the system
• A strong base of Social Media responders makes
this possible

14. Any Questions?
• For more information on the Red Cross’s Digital
Volunteer program-
http://redcrosschat.org/disaster-digital-
volunteer-training/#sthash.KumB5gww.dpbs
• My Contact Info:
▫ Jennifer Lazo
▫ jdlazo86@gmail.com
▫ @JDLazo

15. IAEM Bulletin Call for Articles, "Social
Media and Emergency Management"
Article Submission Deadline: April 10, 2015
Examples of articles could include, but are not limited to:
• How to reach out to businesses, schools and other
groups who don't normally get involved in EM ideas and
concepts
• Lessons learned: what marketing techniques worked for
your program and what didn't work; how and who you
coordinated your marketing program with; and methods
for integrating or collaborating with stakeholders.
• Length: 750-1,500 words. Please read the Author's
Guidelines before submitting your article to Karen
Thompson, Editor, thompson@iaem.com.

16. Links Mentioned in Q&A Section
• Social Media Policy Examples:
▫ https://idisaster.wordpress.com/bibliography/handbooks-compendia-
policies-and-guidance-for-staff/
▫ http://socialmediagovernance.com/policies/?f=5
• How to do a Geocoded Search:
▫ http://thinkdisaster.com/2013/07/01/using-advanced-twitter-search-
helpful-for-smartphone-and-tablet-searches/
• Advice on starting a digital volunteer group
▫ http://vosg.us/reports-presentations/
• How to Safely Exercise/Drill with Social Media
▫ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Si8jkVVA9mQ&feature=youtu.be
• NDPTC Social Media Class Information
▫ https://ndptc.hawaii.edu/training/catalog
• Where to find these links- My twitter feed!
▫ www.twitter.com/JDLazo