9 -Social Media use During Disasters - Andrea Graff

Andrea Graff

Reference: Ortiz, A. (2013). Social media and disasters: when a small post can spur hope. The Christian Science Monitor.

Theme: Two different forms of social media that can be used in a disaster situation

Summary:

Social media has become a big tool in the disaster scene over the last decade. This article focuses on two.

• Sparkrelief which was founded in 2010 by Eli Hayes. The way it works is people register on the website sparkrelief.org. When you go to the website there is a map of the world which shows areas that are being affected by disasters. There is a place for you to report a disaster, a place to donate to victims, and a place for the victims to write in saying what they are in need of.

• SF72 created by the San Francisco Department of Emergency Management. This site focuses more on awareness and preparedness. It focuses on getting residents prepared for 72 hours but also allows residents to be updated during disasters and users can "share tools and resources with neighbors and friends".

Application to the lesson topic:

Social media is a big communication tool when it comes to disasters, the most common being Facebook and Twitter. There are newer sites coming available that will help residents not only plan for, but know what to do during, and also recover from when it comes to disasters.

Application to emergency services:

We need to make sure we as managers are up to date and using these social media sites on a daily basis so we are competent in the way they function.