Virtual Operations Support Teams for Disasters and Recovery For NASEDOVOC call, 8/22/2014

The public has embraced social media and use their favorite platforms & services daily. In disasters, they go there as well.

The public no longer waits for officials/authorities to take the lead, althought they will are usually happy to support our efforts if we act as a collaborator

Virtual Operations Support Teams: a great example of how VOADs can use “The 4 C’s” in disasters

VOST teams have been operating for +3 years tested on wildfires, floods, tornadoes, earthquakes & more concept has grown from U.S. to Canada, New Zealand, France, Spain, Australia, U.K. and more virtual teams used successfully by Oregon VOAD in 2012 & National VOAD during Hurricane Sandy, Colorado floods by COVOST, midwest tornadoes by OKVOST can be very helpful for disaster recovery coordination

What is a VOST? Trusted agents organized and directed by Emergency Management agency or disaster organization. VOST will help expand the EM’s ability to engage with the public before, during emergencies, and as part of the recovery phase. Engaged Community Resources

How can VOST assist EM Agencies? Tasked Information finding Spot Trends Information dissemination Autonomous Monitoring public voice Amplifying official message Monitor Curate Amplify

VOST Instance Cycle Disaster occurs/event selected Decision to activate. Activated by EOC or self activated to ensure data is collated ASAP Set tasks, priorities, schedule, tools/platforms VOST expands/contracts according to incident command principles Deactivation, discussion, documentation, AAR Exercises between activations to stay current on tools & platforms Concept

Importance of having both local AND non-local team members Local team members have strong location & cultural knowledge, yet in times of disaster, team nonlocal members often needed & called upon to assist.

crowdsourcing listen – identify needs/trends – build tools to help Help OOOOOOOOOOOOOO Coord -inate OOOOOOOOOOOOOO Listen OOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Workflow Skype Work book Work book Incident docs & records are in shared workbook Ongoing text chat is in the VOST “work room” OOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOO Work book Work book All major actions tracked & logged in workbook OOOOOOOO OOOOOO Searc h tools Search for helpful info on social media & net OOOOOOOO OOOOOO Skype Communicate, collaborate, coordinate OOOOOOOO OOOOOO Info action Info used according to mission OOOOOOOO OOOOOO

virtual workroom (chat) (chat) monitoring/searc h: monitoring/searc h: actionable posts and decision support; watching for individual needs & trends in needs actionable posts and decision support; watching for individual needs & trends in needs sentiment analysis sentiment analysis rumors/misinformation rumors/misinformation twitter keyword, hashtag and geocode searches twitter keyword, hashtag and geocode searches socialmention.com blog & facebook public posts socialmention.com blog & facebook public posts curated stories: storify storify pinterest pinterest twitter timeline twitter timeline crowdsourcing: google form/sheet google form/sheet ushahidi - crowdmap ushahidi - crowdmap SUV coordination via blog or fb SUV coordination via blog or fb crisiscleanup recovers crisiscleanup recovers standby task force standby task force shared workbook (google sheet) twitter lists: incident-related accounts, official or unofficial. incident-related accounts, official or unofficial. local media accounts, social media and traditional media accounts local media accounts, social media and traditional media accounts analytics how effective is our effort? How many people are we reaching and on which platforms? how effective is our effort? How many people are we reaching and on which platforms? incide nt ! team lead(s) org. leader team activated! (text/call) inciden t ! backchannel tools/resources: public interaction & message amplification: twitter facebook twitter facebook website or blog (or both) youtube instagram vine youtube instagram vine pinterest flickr pinterest flickr aar/ aar/archiving disaster apps: red cross apps FEMA app red cross apps FEMA app local EM & public safety apps local EM & public safety apps public-facing/interactive resources

VOST backchannel discussions on Skype (text & voice)

the workbook: read the ICS 204 tab

key websites & resources tab: save active/relevant accounts here

shared tweetdeck account for twitter monitoring

social mention search (blogs, facebook, twitter)

social mention search

crowdmap Add your disaster locations worked to the sample crowdmap Ask others to add disaster locations worked

google forms: VOAD coordination reports

agencies/organizations who are now using virtual teams to assist with social media efforts during disasters Red Cross DigiDOC (Digital Operations Center) FEMA External Affairs Cadre now utilizes “Digital Communications Specialists” (DCSPs) Some National Forest Service PIOs have been working with VOST for 3 years on wildfires VOST teams started in U.S., followed by New Zealand, Canada, Australia, UK, France, Spain

Red Cross DigiDOC (Digital Operations Center)

FEMA social media efforts

other virtual teams: humanity road

thanks! Thanks to those who’ve volunteered their valuable time, skills and knowledge to help put this effort together, and whose material I’ve drawn from or borrowed: Especially: Caroline Milligan of NZVOST Marlita Reddy-Hjelmfelt of PNWVOST Jeff Phillips of VOST – thanks so much for all who have helped. Scott Reuter )

First Virtual NVOAD effort for Hurricane Sandy (note: Slide to be altered for final version) - Small virtual team supported National VOAD social media accounts -monitoring, responding to questions & comments, -reporting to NVOAD staff