Another great morning here at the State of Ohio Emergency Operations Center.
Various agencies from all over the state in attendance at today’s social media class.
Special thanks to Ohio EMA Assistant Director Sima Merick for the welcome message.
Now to break down more info and tools on how effective PIOs (Public Information Officers) or PAOs (Public Affair Officers) engage on social media.
Excited to be instructing a bunch of PIOs today.
Beautiful afternoon at Ohio Emergency Management Agency – now heading downstairs into the State Emergency Operations Center.
It would be worth mentioning that the EOC has no windows to look outside.
I’m facilitating the After-Action-Review / Improvement Plan for Fulton County from the Toledo Water Contamination.
Lots of discussion from this all-hazards group of pros.
Good Emergency Management discussions today!
Most importantly, glad to see lots of engagement from everyone here.
Made the news in Wisconsin.
Looks like I’m going to owe many many root beer floats when I get back to Ohio.
Great first day in our flood course here at Ohio EMA in Columbus.
I am fortunate that the participants in this class have outstanding stories from previous declarations and experiences from local, state, and regional responses during emergency flooding.
Some have shared their 500 year flooding stories from just the past 7 years (and clearly, it’s time to revisit the categorization and re-term these floods).
Here, FEMA staff, Ohio EMA staff, Ohio National Guard, and local Fire/Rescue services collectively discuss creative options to better serve numerous vulnerable population communities during an emergency evacuation during flooding.
IMHO, I really enjoy seeing this type of All-Hazardy professionals at the table.
Collaborating early can only strengthen joint response during any disaster.
After a busy morning immersed in a contaminated water AAR, I will be submerging myself this afternoon into flood management.
Heh.
Teaching flood stuff at the State EOC on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
On Friday, I got a chance to teach one of the first Emergency Management Terrorism Courses on behalf of the State of Ohio.
Lots to add in 2014 because the class was last updated in 2005.
Also got a chance to see this weirdo too.
Happy birthday FC Steve Bosso.
Special thanks to Summa Health Training Officer Games Gish and all the crews from Summa Health for the great hospitality.
This is NOT a good evacuation plan.
Plan for routes that will be clogged with traffic.
Have your Family Communications Plan ready for everyone in your immediate family.
And don’t forget to hydrate.
Hope my Hawaii friends and family have prepared for Hurricane Iselle’s arrival today.
Looks like I’ll be presenting Public Information Officer (PIO) / Social Media stuff at the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) statewide conference in September.
Region-III baby!
http://www.pema.pa.gov/Pages/2014-Conference.aspx
or
http://www.pema.pa.gov/Pages/Default.aspx#.U-D3psJ0xJQ
Will I see you there?
| 14-002: Precise Emergency Messaging | |
| Agency: Indianapolis Motor Speedway | Topic(s): Emergency Messaging |
| Date: Summer 2014 | Platform: General |
Mass notification and public messaging about dangerous inbound weather is the latest hot button topic in emergency management because no matter the location, everyone is susceptible. This year has been especially deadly with numerous tornadoes.
You can argue the use of automatic Emergency Alert System (EAS), Integrated Public Alert & Warning System’s (iPAWS) messages, and public address systems are good enough, but successful delivery still comes down to basic messaging.
On May 25, 2014, this message was put up on the main billboard on the field during the Indianapolis 500, which had 300,000+ fans during race time. The National Weather Service (NWS) declared a Tornado Warning before the start of the race.
Race Fans? C’mon, you have a captive audience at the motor speedway. And you are addressing everyone there, not just race fans. Most likely, your audience is saying “Great, now what is a Tornado Warning?”
Clear and concise messaging is incredibly important because seconds will matter in an immediate evacuation or leading others to shelter…especially with large, open, and unprotected public venues. This particular message was unclear, poorly worded, and definitely not concise.
A more effective messaging and follow-up post should have read:
DANGER! TORNADO WARNING NOW – SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY!
Safe SHELTERS are located at AREA X and GATE X
By phrasing it this way:
1. Your message is short, sweet, and to the point.
2. Capital letters will grab the attention of your audience and convey urgency.
3. Have clearly identified safe locations IN CAPITAL LETTERS will assist those reading your message.
4. Shorter messaging could allow your followers to retweet/repost and amplify your emergency messaging.
5. It is still tornado season so make sure you are prepared by having pre-scripted messages on “what is a tornado warning” and messaging on how to “shelter-in-place”.
All concurrent Tweets, Facebook posts, Instagram posts, etc. should reflect this messaging. If a Tornado warning is issued, timing is of the essence. Do not be lax when it comes to emergency messaging because you don’t want to ruin the fun. For the sake of your constituents, it is better to error on the side of safety.
Time is valuable, so post good stuff.
***To download this as a single-page printable format, click this: Safety-PIO-SM-14-001
Where is @rusnivek? 