Disasters 2.0 ─ The Application of Social Media Systems for Modern Emergency Management

Emerging social media and so-called Web 2.0 technologies will continue to have a great impact on the practice and application of the emergency management function in every public safety sector. Disasters 2.0: The Application of Social Media Systems for Modern Emergency Management prepares emergency managers and first responders to successfully apply social media principles in the operations, logistics, planning, finance, and administrative aspects of any given disaster.

Using real-life examples of domestic and international disasters, the book reveals how social media has quickly become a powerful tool for both providing emergency instruction to the public in real time and allowing responding agencies to communicate among themselves in crisis. A definitive and comprehensive source, the book explores topics such as:



Social media basics
Citizen journalism
Strategic implementation
Safety and responsibility
Monitoring and analytics
Operational implementation
Geolocation systems
Crowdsourcing
Public notification
Mobile and other emerging technologies


Each chapter begins with a list of objectives and includes a collection of case examples of social media use in past events. Practitioner profiles show real people implementing the technology for real solutions. Demonstrating how to effectively apply social media technology to the next crisis, this is a must-read book for those charged with disaster management and response.

Adam Crowe, CEM, MPA, Assistant Director, Johnson County Emergency Management & Homeland Security, Kansas, USA

Section I: Social Media, Organizational Engagement, and the Impact of CitizensIntroduction to the Application of Social Media in Modern Emergency ManagementModern Emergency ManagementThe Rise of Social MediaSocial Media UsersCentralized versus Decentralized Organizational StructureSystems Fade, Concepts RemainOverview of ChaptersPractitioner Profile: Jeannette Sutton, PhD, Disaster SociologistSocial Media Systems: Overview and PurposeFoundations of Social MediaSocial NetworksBlogsMicroblogsPhoto SharingVideo SharingVideo StreamingSkype and Video CallingOther SystemsPractitioner Profile: Hal Grieb, PrevistarCitizen Journalism: The Rise and Impact of New MediaJournalism—Traditional and ParticipatoryAcceptance by the General PublicAcceptance by News MediaAvailable Tools of a Citizen JournalistChallenges to Citizen JournalismPractitioner Profile: Tom Erickson, Johnson County Sheriff’s OfficeMountains or Molehills: Engagement Challenges in the Application of Social MediaHurdles and HindrancesProgrammatic ImplementationThe Challenge of PrivacyPolicy ImplementationChallenges to ImplementationPractitioner Profile: Jason Lindesmith, Federal EmergencyManagement Agency HeadquartersThe Yellow Tape Conundrum: Citizen and Responder ResponsibilityA Change in Public ExpectationsRise of New SystemsIncident-Based RiskFirst Responder ResponsibilityCitizen ResponsibilitySocial Media "How" versus Social Media "Why"Practitioner Profile: Alisha Griswold, Medical Reserve Corps, Kansas CitySection II: Social Media Policy, Procedure, Integration, and AnalysisWho’s the Sheriff in These Parts? Monitoring and Analysis of Social Media InformationTraditional Media MonitoringSocial Media MonitoringReal-Time Instantaneous MonitoringReal-Time Collective MonitoringBasic Monitoring AnalyticsMeasuring Influence and SuccessPractitioner Profile: Ethan M. Riley, Arizona Division of Emergency ManagementWhite Hot or White Noise? Aggregation and Validation of Social Media InformationImpact of DemographicsPower of AggregationTheory of Social ValidationThe Power of the Virtual VoiceRSS and Other Aggregation ToolsIntegration with Traditional SystemsPractitioner Profile: Lee Arning, Southern Methodist UniversityWhen Status Quo Becomes Obsolete: Modern Integrated Emergency Warning and Notification StrategiesThe Fallacy of Traditional ApproachesMobility and PortabilityDynamic and Diverse Emergency Notification StrategiesNext Generation 9-1-1Limitations to ModernizationPractitioner Profile: Walt Way, Johnson County Emergency Communications CenterVolunteer and Donations Management 2.0: How Social Media Has Revolutionized the Management and Recruitment of People and SuppliesDemographics of VolunteerismContemporary Volunteer ManagementVoluntweeters and Other Crowdsourcing OpportunitiesDonations Management 2.0Measurements of SuccessPractitioner Profile: Heather Blanchard, Co-Founder of Crisis CommonsThe Elephant in the Emergency Operations Center: The Fundamental Flaw within Formal Response SystemsNational Preparedness and Response SystemsConflicts and ContradictionsTake the Filter OffContrasting OpinionsChallenges to Social Media and Exercise ManagementPractitioner Profile: Gerald Baron, Public Relations and Crisis Communications ConsultantSection III: Social Media Tools and the Power of Virtual CommunityIt Takes a Village to Raise a Prepared Community: The Power and Purpose of CrowdsourcingWhat Is Crowdsourcing?How Crowdsourcing WorksWitnessing DisasterCrowdsourcing by Virtual VolunteersOrganizational Implementation of CrowdsourcingCrowdsourcing by Impacted CitizensCrowdsourcing Usage by Governmental ResponsePractitioner Profile: Jim Garrow, Philadelphia Department of Public HealthThe Beaten Browser: The Rise of Video, Voice, and Information on the GoThe Web Is ChangingThe Rise of Mobile EngagementMobile Apps in Disaster ResponseThe Rise of User-Controlled Video InformationInformation via Voice SystemsInformation on the GoPractitioner Profile: Lach Mullin, Benton County EmergencyManagementLocation, Location, Location: The Power of Geospatial Technologies and the Environment on Social SystemsLocation-Based Social NetworkingPotential Emergency Management Uses of Location-Based Social NetworkingImpact of Geospatial ProgrammingEnhanced Information via Physical InterfacePractitioner Profile: Cheryl Bledsoe, Clark Regional Emergency ServicesGet Your Head into the Cloud: Available Tools and Systems to Improve Emergency Management FunctionsOpen Government and GamificationFunctional and Accessibility ChallengesHackers, Zombies, and Second Life: Potential Improvements to Operational EfficiencyAdditional Web 2.0 and Social Media ToolsCollaborative and Contributory SystemsPractitioner Profile: Kim Stephens, Emergency Management Researcher, Practitioner, and BloggerAppendix A: Disasters Referenced by ChapterAppendix B: Answer KeyIndex