a role for cert in social media monitoring
DESCRIPTION
Montgomery County CERT (MCCERT) successfully implemented initiatives in response to a winter weather emergency in March 2013. MCCERT provided social media monitoring support at the local Emergency Operations Center and developed and consolidated situation reports (SITREPs), proving volunteers are a valuable asset in times of emergency. This presentation covered the initiatives, key takeaways, and lessons learned.TRANSCRIPT
May 13-14, 2014Walter E. Washington
Convention CenterWashington, DC
Steve Peterson, PresidentMontgomery County Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)
A Role for CERT in Social Media Monitoring
Agenda
• Share details on CERT’s role in social media monitoring and situation reporting initiatives
– Key takeaways
– Lessons learned
– Future enhancements
CERT Can Help
May 13-14, 2014Walter E. Washington
Convention CenterWashington, DC
Initiative #1:Social Media Monitoring
Weather Forecast – March 6, 2013
Pre‐Deployment Strategy
• Began contacting pre‐identified participants • Developed timeframe to monitor social media platforms (contingent upon EOC’s length of activation)
• Sought additional CERT members’ participation• Captured contact information of newly identified participants– Developed a communication thread between this small group
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provided verified info for
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GENERAL PUBLICCOMMUNICATIONSGENERAL PUBLIC
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COMMUNICATIONS
Deployment: How It Worked
with certain terms or combination of terms– E.g., snow + hospitals
How It Worked: Finding Information
• Hashtags provided a quick and easy way to follow a discussion:– #mocosnow, #mdwx, #saturn, #mdsnow, #moco, #snowquester, #snow, #dcwx, #vawx,
• Search strings provided the ability to look for tweets
How It Worked: Verification
• Is the information from a reliable source?– Was the report made by a trusted source?– Individuals’ input desired but verified more closely
• Is the information confirmed by several sources?– Retweets do not qualify
• Does the information fit into the larger picture for the snow storm?– Is this information just “noise” or does it improve your situational awareness?
Trending Topic: D.C. Snow Ball Fight
Assessment of Beneficial Posts
6am 7am 8am 9am 10am
Need information about Maryland roadways and bridges? Follow @MDSHA @MDOTNews @TheMDTAfor the latest. #MDSnow
You can also follow our live updates on Winter Storm #Saturn, including photos, storm reports, and analysis here: wxch.nl/14oZhb3
MT @MontgomeryCoMD: County's 311 Call Center is open today. Call 311 (or 240‐777‐0311 from a cell phone), bit.ly/YBQlLF. #mocosnow
The Baltimore County Emergency Operations Center will be opening at 10:00a.m. ^JW
Va state police: I‐81 northbound Exit 235 (Weyers Cave) blocked by disabled tractor trailers.
MT @AndrewFreiden: Let me be clear. Snow will be extremely heavy through 10 AM Western Hanover, henrico, Chesterfield. Don't drive #rva
Power out? Please do NOT call 911! Use 911 for true emergencies! List of power co'scontact info: ht.ly/irmTi#mocosnow
Help us filter out the noise of millions of tweets by using #MDSnow to discuss the winter storm in #Maryland. #smem
State Power Outage Map: http://ow.ly/ir5mV #MDSnow
May 13-14, 2014Walter E. Washington
Convention CenterWashington, DC
Initiative #2: Situation Reports (SITREPs)
Situation Reports (SITREPs)
• CERT members developed 29 SITREPs from home
• Provided a comprehensive picture of weather conditions
• SITREPs were readily available for decision makers within the EOC
2014 CERT SITREP Participation
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
1 2 3 4
Num
ber o
f SIT
REP
s
Tues, Jan 21 Mon, Feb 3 Thurs, Feb 13 Mon, Mar 3
113
32
125
83
Expanded County Coverage
Within one year
March 2013 SITREPs February 2014 SITREPs
2013 Honorable Mention Award
Key Takeaways
• Social Media Monitoring Initiative
– Pre‐established understanding (proactive vs reactive)
– Non‐disruptive EOC physical presence (transparent)
• Observed verbal and nonverbal cues within the EOC
• Disciplined in providing updates to EOC manager
– Overlap in shift times (debrief)
– Same computer for each shift (centralized)
Key Takeaways – cont’d
• SITREP Initiative
– Data available in real‐time at the EOC
– Complete, consolidated report provided to officials within 24 hours
May 13-14, 2014Walter E. Washington
Convention CenterWashington, DC
Future Enhancements
Enhancements: Team Participation
• Seek to expand number of CERT members who participate– Solicit participation at general meetings, social media channels, website, and email messages
– Assess skillsets before assigning to specific roles and responsibilities
• Example: Volunteers who are skilled in producing, analyzing, and organizing information would be an asset to use in the EOC for monitoring social media
Enhancements: Training Offerings
• FEMA EMI Training IS‐42a
• Red Cross webinars
• Social media basic training from a variety of sources
Enhancements: Internal Training
• Monitoring strategies– Who and What to Monitor
• EOC Standard Operating Procedures– Standardize information flows and formats– Develop standard style of handout and verbal communication
– Identify set times to report– Identify instances where immediate communication would be preferred
Enhancements: Mobile App Integration
Montgomery County CERT is pursuing the opportunity to utilize the FEMA mobile app
Conclusion: Volunteers
• Volunteers are an effective resource for providing both on‐site and virtual support to public safety agencies – They are always on standby 24/7 and are available to monitor social media traffic
– They are trustworthy, credible, trained, and experienced and flexible to changing assignments
May 13-14, 2014Walter E. Washington
Convention CenterWashington, DC
Thank You
Steve PetersonMontgomery County CERT
[email protected]@montcocert