Emergencity :: Blog
We have integrated Flickr photos and Twitter microblogging into our data stream. The big picture for an incident comes into sharper focus as one combines mainstream media, official news and social media into one interface. We continue to move towards providing actionable information, so it can be used to make smart decisions during a crisis.
Check out the DC Inauguration Security Watch we have going.
NationalIncidents.com is actively covering four major incidents around the world. You can sign up for mobile notifications and cell-formatted content on each of our Incident home pages. We are Twittering mainstream news, agency reports and social media for the Gaza Conflict and the Inauguration Security Watch. And please vote for our project on IdeaBlob - its a quick, free signup and thumbs-up.
We have soft-launched NationalIncidents.com, a global incident information center. Check it out.
California's AB 38, signed by the Governor in September, established the California Emergency Management Agency as a Cabinet-level entity responsible for emergency management and homeland security operations. A deadline to name the secretary of the combined agencies is the first of the year.
"The merger demonstrates the Governor's ongoing commitment to an all-hazards preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation approach," Henry Renteria, director of the Governor's Office of Emergency Services said in a statement.
Los Angeles City Councilwoman Janice Hahn on Wednesday slammed a proposed strategy that's supposed to help the Port of Los Angeles recover from a catastrophic terrorist attack or natural disaster. The plan, developed by port executives, was decried by Hahn as too vague and incomplete in detailing how to resume business the day after disaster strikes the nation's busiest port. "I must say I was extremely disappointed in what you guys turned in," Hahn told port executives. "This is no more a recovery plan than anything else. It's more like a table of contents. There was no real action plan here."
The online version of the New Zealand Herald has set up a natural disaster global news feed, tracking incidents from the floods in Venice, Italy to the California wildfires. While it is primarily after-the-fact journalism, it is quite valuable to get a sense of what the big stories are from the other side of the world.
From The Bulletin, November 3:
The Philadelphia division of Clear Channel Outdoor, in conjunction with the city, tested eight new digital billboards posting emergency preparedness messages along major roadways Tuesday. Reading “Emergency - Testing! Good Morning Philadelphia. Tune to local news stations,” the billboard messages were displayed for 10 minutes at 11 a.m. As a free public service gesture, Clear Channel agreed to post messages on the city’s behalf, in the event of an emergency.
This is an important study (Homeland Security Today), but it is the takeaways from the study which are critical to review. How do we ensure that the government at every level has the ability to communicate with the citizens of our communities in such a way that people get timely information during a crisis?
New study shows states remiss in communicating emergency plans to public.
Nearly half of US states either have no state-level emergency plan or do not provide it readily to the public, according to a new study by George Mason University Professor of Communications Carl Botan.
The study, titled "Using Sense-Making and Co-orientation to Rank Strategic Public Communication in State Emergency Operations Plans," graded and ranked the state emergency operations plans of the 50 US states and the District of Columbia on their communication components. HSToday.us obtained a copy of the study, which will be officially presented at the National Communication Association annual conference in San Diego on Nov. 22.
One of the primary functions of strategic emergency public communication is to help publics make well informed choices in chaotic situations by helping reducing their uncertainty...
"While most Americans will have access to some important state-level information during emergencies, many may not. When minutes may make the difference between life and death in an emergency situation, the population should not have to waste precious time looking for answers or who to turn to," he added, “If folks are unsure about or even completely ignorant of what their state’s emergency plan is the evidence shows what they’ll do is make emergency decisions based on myths or rumors generated by similarly uninformed people.”
Patrick Philippe Meier has a comprehensive overview of crisis mapping, where crowdsourced data, primarily submitted by GPS-enabled cell phones ("Mobile Crisis Mapping"), has the ability to rewrite how our communities engage and respond during times of crisis.
Patrick was at the forefront of the conception of these ideas, but it wasn't until technology began to catch up that we've begun to see real-world implementation.
He has three "wishes" for the direction of crisis mapping:
First wish: we need to think of maps not simply as dynamic tools for
improving situational awareness but also as communication tools.
Second wish: RSS feeds need to be an integral part of mapping platforms, much like they are for Google Reader.
Third wish: this has to do with data security and connectivity. In terms of security, Mobile Crisis Mapping (MCM) platforms should integrate encrypted SMS and email communication.
Second wish: RSS feeds need to be an integral part of mapping platforms, much like they are for Google Reader.
Third wish: this has to do with data security and connectivity. In terms of security, Mobile Crisis Mapping (MCM) platforms should integrate encrypted SMS and email communication.
Very good read and nice overview for those unfamiliar with the subject.
