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New on YouTube: use Twitter in emergencies!
By WDavidStephenson | October 1, 2007
Of all the video versions of my “21st-century disaster tips you WON’T hear from officials” that are on YouTube I believe the one I’ve just posted, about using “Twitter” instead of voice calls in an emergency, is the most important one of all (and, BTW, the fine folks at the Twittown blog seem to agree — as well as several of their readers who chimed in about use of Twitter during the VA Tech shootings and the Minneapolis bridge collapse!).
That’s for several reasons:
- it demonstrates that a Web 2.0 application that’s in wide use, so many people are already familiar with it and wouldn’t have to learn it in a disaster, can easily switch to serving a totally different function in an emergency
- it solves a serious problem in a simple way
- it harnesses the power of existing social networks during a disaster.
- a few smart municipal agencies and relief agencies “get it,” and are already capitalizing on Twitter for emergency communication
- even if other government agencies don’t catch on, we the people can use it ourselves, without permission or government support.
As you may remember, I’ve written several times about this particular tip, and it’s created some buzz on the Web.
Using Twitter during a disaster can go a long way toward reducing or eliminating one of the biggest communication problems. During an emergency, most people automatically dial number after number to either let people know they’re ok or to try to find loved ones who may be missing. It’s a lose-lose situation: you don’t get through, because so many others are doing the same thing, AND the call volume jams the cell networks.
By contrast, if you sign up now for Twitter and GET FAMILY AND FRIENDS TO DO THE SAME (sorry for “shouting,” but this could be critical!), all you need to do in a crisis is send a Twitter message (140 characters is the limit). The message is much more likely to go through (text messeages take almost no bandwidth, route around network disruptions and stay queued until delivered).
Even better, as the video points out, is how Twitter can help when you’re searching for someone in a disaster. There’s a cool Red Cross Twitter tool: instead of the normal procedure of dialing Twitter on your cell (40404) and sending your message, once you dialed 40404, type “follow safeandwell.” You’ll get instructions on how to register with Red Cross’s nationwide unified Safe and Well database of missing and found people. I don’t know of another emergency communication system that’s as efficient and streamlined!
Here’s my request, dear reader. PLEASE:
- sign up for Twitter
- use your own social networks to pass this message on. You’ll be demonstrating the power of social networks and playing an important role in removing a major obstacle to disaster communications.
Thanks!
PS: a huge shoutout for Viper’s Video Quicktags: I’d never been able to embed a video link in a post before without it doing truly bizarre things to my templates. I’ll be sending payment!!
Technorati tags: homeland security crowd-sourcing crowdsourcing smart mobs swarm intelligence emergent behavior networked homeland security social+networks collaboration web 2.0 homeland security 2.0 disaster management 2.0 disaster management YouTube disaster planning disaster planning 2.0 TwitterSphere: Related Content
Topics: technology, empowering public, collaboration, e-gov transformation, networked security | |
