1. Virtual Operations Support
& Digital Volunteering
“Like all technology, social media is neutral but is best put to
work in the service of building a better world.”
- @SimonMainwaring
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@Epimetra

2. What is “Digital Volunteering”?
• Based on crowdsourcing
crowd•source /’kroud,sÔrs/ verb. 1. obtain (information or input
into a particular task or project) by enlisting the services of a
number of people, either paid or unpaid, typically via the Internet
(Example: Kickstarter)
• Leverages information from general public
• Usually involves core team of trusted agents
• Can be formally organized or spontaneous
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@Epimetra

3. Example: American Red Cross
Digital Volunteers
• Digital Volunteers (“DigiVols”)
• (Soon-to-be) managed at the
chapter-level
• Track issues, answer questions and
provide resources for survivors
• National HQ – Washington, D.C.
Digital Operations Center for
Humanitarian Relief
• Staff support and coordinate
chapter operations
• Monitors for public relations issues
• Manages large social media posting
volume via Radian6
• Maintains control of main
@RedCross accounts
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Images: Red Cross
@Epimetra

4. Example: FEMA “Tech Corps”
• Announced December 17, 2013
• Goal: Develop national network of skilled, trained technology
volunteers to assist with critical technology gaps
• 2 Tech Corps Liaisons (federal positions) within national
Incident Management Assistance Teams (IMAT)
• Coordinate with state, local, tribal or territorial leaders to identify
gaps and coordinate/connect with volunteer resources
• Pilot program set to
launch in 2014
4
@Epimetra

5. Other volunteer technical
communities
• Crisis Mappers
• Humanity Road
• Standby Task Force
• CrisisCommons
• Independent
SMEM-ers &
spontaneous
contributors
Potential uses for digital
volunteers
• Message amplification
• Monitoring & situation
awareness
• Rumor management
• Reconnaissance
• Mapping
• Post categorization
• Trend identification
5
@Epimetra

6. What is a ?
• VOST = Virtual
Operations Support
Team
• Support on-site
personnel (via the
Internet)
• Ease data burden &
prioritize messaging
Key points
• Not always volunteer
force
• Team Leaders report
directly to EOC, EM,
liaison, etc.
• Maintain effective span
of control
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Image: vosg.us
@Epimetra

7. VOST Activation: CA Protests
• July 24, 2012
• Protests erupted after police
shooting of Manuel Diaz
• 9 volunteer team members
activated for VOST
VOST Mission
• Identify instigators
• Hashtag monitoring
• Identify opportunities for
safe fire suppression
• Monitor and identify
protest locations
• Inform police operations
• Communicate
intelligence to
liaison/EOC
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@Epimetra

8. VOST Activation: Moore Tornado
• EF5 tornado on May 20
• Series of tornados
followed, May-June 2013
• 5-10 volunteers activated
by OKVOST
VOST Mission
• Identify damaged areas
& life safety issues
• Skywarn criteria
• Map blocked roads and
other access issues
• Monitor trends (power
outages, questions,
misinformation, etc.)
• Search for survivors (first
documented occurrence of
victim retrieval via Twitter
Advanced Search)
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Huffington Post
@Epimetra

9. OKVOST Victim Retrieval
9
Victim identified on
Facebook, contact
initiated around
18:45, location
determined and
rescue coordinated
w/ on-scene assets
Tweet found using
geo-code search +
“trapped”
@Epimetra

10. Setting up a VOST
• Leadership
• Policies/Procedures
• Volunteer/Staff Handbook
• Application process
• Suggested training/expertise requirements
• Mobilization plan
• Team structure & accountability
• Incident reporting
• Internal communications
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@Epimetra

11. VOST Member Profile
• Expertise:
• Social media
• Information
technology
• Community leadership
• Geographic
information services
• Amateur Radio
• Archiving
• General technology
• Requirements:
• Registered disaster
response volunteer
• Background check
• Basic FEMA & VOST-
specific training
• Credentialing
• Regular meetings
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Identify these people FIRST,
then worry about this!
@Epimetra

12. VOST Structure
• Official affiliation
• Scalable
• Span of control
• Team objective
• Local and nonlocal team members
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Image: vosg.us (Caroline Milligan & Scott Reuter)
@Epimetra

13. VOST Communications
Internal channels
• Message board  team
members, EOC personnel,
liaisons (Skype, other chat-
room)
• Group text/chat  team
activation (GroupMe)
• Collaboration  team info
sharing (Google Drive),
document sharing
(Dropbox)
• Activity Log & Workbook
External channels
• Twitter (news/questions)
 general public,
responders, community
leadership
• Facebook (questions) 
general public
• Other channels as
necessary or appropriate
(match with goals)
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@Epimetra

14. SMEM
Planning “P”
Initial Meeting
EM/EOC Develop
Mission/Objectives
(Meet w/ Liaison
& Leads)
Team Leads
Brief Social
Team
Initial
Response &
Assessment
Incident Brief
Incident Event
Notification &
Alerting
Preparing
for Tactics
Meeting
Operations
Briefing
Workbook
Prep &
Organizing
Execute Plan,
Assess Progress,
Reevaluate
Monitoring & KPIs/
Objectives
New Ops
Period
Begins
Preparing for
Planning
Meeting
Planning
Meeting
Tactics
Meeting
VOST Activation
SMEM Strategy
Aligned w/ Platforms
Old Team: Brief New
Team on trends/issues;
Team Debrief
New Team: Review
Activity Log, Make
Tactical Adjustments
Workbook Created
VOST Members Given
Assignments Based on
Expertise & Priorities
(Modified ICS 204 Form)
Public Officials Briefing (EOC)
& Official Press Briefing (JIC)
Initial Hashtag &
Active Monitoring
Analysis
Passive Monitoring
(before/during event)
Reevaluation
of objectives,
monitoring,
outreach, etc.
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@Epimetra

15. Virtual Operations Support
& Digital Volunteering: Review
• Digital volunteering & crowdsourcing
• Current examples of virtual technical communities
• Virtual Operations Support Teams (VOST)
• VOST structure
• VOST recommendations
• VOST activations
• Building your support network
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@Epimetra

16. Other training/services available:
• Crisis Communications
• Emergency Management
• Technology
• Information Management
• Consulting
• Content Management
• Exercises/Evaluation

17. Christopher Tarantino, MEP CMCP
about.me/chris_tarantino
CEO – Epicenter Media & Training
christopherltarantino@gmail.com
@Tarantino4me | (585) 210-3011
THANK YOU!