Crisis & Emergency Communications

NIST Tests in New York City Suggest How to Improve Emergency Radio Communications

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 23:49:17 +0000

The study is part of an ongoing NIST project, launched in 2008, supporting the development of performance metrics and laboratory tests for electronic safety equipment with two-way radio-frequency (RF) transmission capabilities. The New York tests focused on RF-based personal alert safety systems (RF-PASS), used by firefighters as distress beacons,…

- Author: Paul PETERS

Social media : a blessing and a curse ... the Boston Marathon bombing aftermath

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 02:22:42 +0000

Reports of the Boston attacks came with lightning speed. Too fast to keep up in fact. The pictures and videos are horrific: This kind of event underscores the need to be prepared. We often worry about the big stuff: attacks against airplanes or nuclear plants. But what about the threats from within? From radicalized extremists using…

- Author: Patrice Cloutier

Part 9: Gauging your progress on the SMEM convergence continuum

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 15:55:45 +0000

This is the last post in a series which started in late 2011. It focuses on my efforts to help organizations charter their course toward integrating social media into emergency management (SMEM). The previous posts:

Series introduction (October 12, 2011)

Part 1: starting from scratch (October 23, 2011)

Part 2: Setting objectives and measurement…

- Author: Patrice Cloutier

Developing social media training for Emergency Operations Centre personnel in Canada

Wed, 06 Mar 2013 01:45:59 +0000

There's no way around it: emergency managers have to take social media into consideration when they plan how their EOC will operate during incidents ... I'd make the same parallel with the incident command post for first responders ...

We all know however, there are varying degrees of acceptance and use of social media among the emergency…

- Author: Patrice Cloutier

Putting together a social media listening operation

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 02:50:47 +0000

There are still skeptics (and thank God for them ! ... they help keep social media enthusiasts like me grounded ! ) who question the value of putting social media monitoring or listening among the priorities during an incident. I obviously beg to differ. In fact, I believe it's now a key consideration in trying to achieve a successful response to…

- Author: Patrice Cloutier

From Jodie Foster to Lance Armstrong ... and not forgetting the NRA ...

Sat, 19 Jan 2013 02:58:03 +0000

I recently wrote a blog post on what lays ahead for crisis communications professionals in 2013. While I was preparing that particular post, the headlines and blogs were all about Jodie Foster first and Lance Armstrong later. All the while, the NRA also managed to grab my attention ... but not in a good way.

Let's get started ...We're all humans.…

- Author: Patrice Cloutier

Why Social Media should be incorporated into Emergency Management and Crisis Communications

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 16:18:28 +0000

I've attached the document.....it's focus is on "why" we need to incorporate social media in Emergency Management. The next step now is to focus on the "how".

Thanks again to all who contributed. Hey....I got a passing mark!!!

Christel

- Author: Christel Ivanyshyn, ABCP CMMII (EM Professional)

A review of 2012 for social media in emergency management

Mon, 07 Jan 2013 18:41:23 +0000

As 2013 gets underway, it's important to look back at what the previous year brought in the long process towards integrating social media into emergency management (SMEM), BCP and crisis communications planning. In that regard, I have come up with a list of the top 10 SMEM events of the year. Here they are:

- Author: Patrice Cloutier

Sandy Hook Tragedy: what can we learn in terms of crisis communications?

Sun, 16 Dec 2012 19:13:51 +0000

When truly horrific incidents happen, our mettle is tested beyond our wildest imagination. In that regards, we can only attempt to define the pain felt by the families of the victims of the school shooting in Sandy Hook, CT. Also, the lasting impressions in the minds of the first responders who attended the scene will certainly haunt them for a…

- Author: Patrice Cloutier

Last Reminder: WCDM Call for Papers closes Sunday Dec. 2, 2012

Thu, 29 Nov 2012 17:33:52 +0000

The WCDM Call for Papers attracts submissions from more than 35 different countries and selected speakers are invited to this annual event which is currently in its 23rd year. The deadline to submit is Dec. 2, 2012.

We will also be looking for abstracts that deal with the impact of the global economic downturn in terms of reduced budgets and…

- Author: Amanda Patrick