Leveraging Social Media during disasters
Helping all generations
I experienced the power of social media with a generation who was born the year the color television had it’s first transmission. How can all generations better prepare with modern technology?
My mother-in-law passed at 86. As her friends came to visit, each asked for daily updates and wanted to know when she passed, when I planned to publish her obituary and when her Celebration of Life was scheduled. I was raised to respect my elders and wanted to meet their needs but I was only one person trying to meet the needs of my father-in-law and husband plus being respectful of her visiting friends many requests. Despite being elderly, every single visitor had a smart phone so I built my first web page (use to having a staff do this at work, its actually easy).
Within hours the site had over 200 members; sending emails, photos, requests and updates. I got more reads than all my medium posts combined. My thoughts turned to how I could use this experience to help others. Many times, this is the generation due to aging that struggles greatly during disasters. So what can be done?
LOAD AN APP: On this Father’s Day, leverage technology for homeland security. Upload the FEMA smart phone app for a loved one. This app “contains disaster safety tips, an interactive emergency kit list, emergency meeting location information, and a map with open shelters and open FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs).”[1].
ESTABLISH AN ACCOUNT: Both FEMA and local response agencies establish facebook and twitter channels during disasters to keep the public informed. Ensure your kids (I am sure they are tech saavy but may not think disaster response)and parents are aware of these sites. Share what you did with neighbors and co-workers, they all have aging parents too.
MAKE A RECOMMENDATION: If you belong to a response agency, check out your site. Does it meet the needs of the public during disasters or should it be updated? Or go visit a response agency’s site and provide feedback on ease of use.
Social media is one of the fastest growing tools during disaster response. You can choose to leverage it to your advantage and improve messaging with just a few simple steps. You will contribute to preparedness and perhaps improve individual or community resiliency. Besides, it is a great Father’s Day gift, even if you have to buy the smart phone or tablet for dad.
