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Are Municipal Entities Getting Social Media Message?

August 28, 2011 by

Are municipal entities around the country getting the message that social media plays an important role in communications during and after natural disasters?

My personal experience trying to get information about Long Beach Island (LBI) following Hurricane Irene where my in laws have a cottage makes me wonder. Only one island municipal entity, the Harvey Cedars Police Department, is on Twitter. None, except the Borough of Harvey Cedars, appear to be on Facebook.

As a result, most of the information about LBI on Twitter following the hurricane was from people who ignored the mandatory evacuation order to vacate the island. As I and others pressed these brave souls for information, I worried about encouraging them to continue putting themselves in danger. I also had concerns about believing and passing on their sometimes contradictory information.

If surveys have shown that almost 70 percent of Americans would turn to Twitter and Facebook for information in a crisis, why aren’t more municipal entities on them?

Good question!

What I know definitively is municipal entities can set up a Twitter account and Facebook page for free. There is a free Twitter chat every Friday from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. EST on the ins and outs of social media and emergency management using the #SMEMchat hashtag. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has posted useful information on using social media in emergency response on its website. There are also plenty of blogs, such as Crisis Comms Command Post, iDisaster 2.0, and Social Media 4 Emergency Management, providing free resources on how to use social media before, during and after a crisis.

Kudos to the Harvey Cedars Police Department for setting up and managing its Twitter account however it went out about it (without any obvious unnecessary time sinks). The information it provided following Hurricane Irene was a tremendous service to everyone who cares about the island—home owners, business people, tourists, and visitors to Harvey Cedars and the rest of the island alike.

Hopefully, more municipal entities around the country will follow the Harvey Cedars Police Department’s prudent example.

What lesson do you think we can learn from Hurricane Irene? Please share your ideas in the comments section.



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About Monica

Monica specializes in strategic communications, web and new media, and print materials with an international or multi-cultural context. She has worked on national public outreach campaigns targeting multi-cultural audiences and has conceptualized, written, and/or designed multiple websites. Monica also has written, edited, and/or designed high-profile newsletters, brochures, and reports, including some prepared in collaboration with the White House. She holds a bachelor’s in journalism and a master of international service with a focus on international communication. Monica is based in Washington, D.C.

Comments

  1. Liz Pearce says:
    August 28, 2011 at 11:06 pm

    Our family has a house in LBI but we live in Illinois. Being this far away and not knowing if the house would be standing after the hurricane passed was very anxiety-provoking. I too turned to Twitter and Facebook for my updates and was heartened to see the Harvey Cedars Police posting, along with brave (or foolish) souls who remained on the island. One twit, a complete stranger to me, even bicycled into my neighborhood in High Bar Harbor and took pictures to reassure me that all was better than expected. On Facebook, two pages, Daddy-O Hotel and Jersey Shore Hurricane News, were filled with news and ways to connect with others sharing similar concerns. What a great asset. Like you I expected to see updates from the other towns sent via social media- (Hello, Barnegat Light and Long Beach Township- are you listening?) but even their websites did not have timely updates. I agree that government bodies, especially those involved in emergency management, need to become more proactive with social media. it may even keep people from venturing into dangerous weather to check things out for themselves.

    • Monica says:
      August 29, 2011 at 10:00 pm

      Thank you, Liz, for taking the time to comment on my blog. I couldn’t agree with you more on every point! I also appreciate your tips about the Facebook pages. I was aware of Daddy-O Hotel’s page but didn’t know the Jersey Shore Hurricane News included more than Seaside Heights. Hopefully, more municipal entities will follow FEMA’s lead and show up on Twitter, especially those serving tech savvy/networked communities.

  2. John Morgan says:
    September 4, 2011 at 11:22 pm

    Thanks, that’s helpful to know for municipal social media marketing.

    One city that’s doing well in social media is Boulder, CO. They have a great Facebook page that they keep updated regularly. If you want to take a peek: http://www.facebook.com/boulder.colorado