Virtual Operations Support Teams

for Disasters and RecoveryFor 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 Communit

yResources

How can VOST assist EM Agencies?

Tasked•Information finding•Spot Trends

•Information disseminationAutonomous

•Monitoring public voice•Amplifying official message

• Monitor• Curate• Amplify

VOST Instance Cycle

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.

crowdsourcinglisten – identify needs/trends – build tools to help

HelpHelp

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Coord-

inate

Coord-

inateOOOOOOO

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ListenListen

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Workflow

SkypeSkype Workbook

Workbook

Incident docs & records are in

shared workbook

Ongoing text chat is in the VOST “work

room”

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Workbook

Workbook

All major actions

tracked & logged in workbook

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Search

tools

Search

tools

Search for helpful info on social media

& net

OOOOOOOO

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OOOOOO

SkypeSkype

Communicate, collaborate, coordinate

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Info actionInfo

action

Info used according to

mission

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virtual virtual workrooworkroo

mm (chat)(chat)

monitoring/seamonitoring/sea

rch:rch:• • actionable posts actionable posts

and decision support; and decision support; watching for watching for

individual needs & individual needs & trends trends in needsin needs

• • sentiment analysissentiment analysis• •

rumors/misinformatiorumors/misinformationn

• • twitter keyword, twitter keyword, hashtag and geocode hashtag and geocode

searchessearches• • socialmention.com socialmention.com

blog & facebook blog & facebook public postspublic posts

curated stories:curated stories:• • storifystorify

• • pinterestpinterest• • twitter timelinetwitter timeline

crowdsourcing: crowdsourcing: • • google form/sheetgoogle form/sheet

• • ushahidi - crowdmapushahidi - crowdmap• • SUV coordination via blog or SUV coordination via blog or

fbfb• • crisiscleanup • recoverscrisiscleanup • recovers

• • standby task forcestandby task forceshared shared workbooworkboo

kk(google (google sheet)sheet)

twitter lists:twitter lists:• • incident-related incident-related

accounts, official or accounts, official or unofficial.unofficial.

• • local media local media accounts, social media accounts, social media and traditional media and traditional media

accountsaccountsanalyticsanalytics

• • how effective is our effort? how effective is our effort? How many people are we How many people are we

reaching and on which reaching and on which platforms?platforms?

incident!

team team lead(s)lead(s)

org. leaderorg. leader

team team activated!activated!(text/call)(text/call)

incident!

backchannel tools/resources:backchannel tools/resources:

public interaction public interaction & message & message

amplification:amplification:• • twitter • facebooktwitter • facebook

website or blog (or both)website or blog (or both)• • youtube • instagram • youtube • instagram •

vinevine• • pinterest • flickrpinterest • flickr

aar/aar/archivinarchivin

gg

disaster apps:disaster apps:• • red cross apps • FEMA red cross apps • FEMA

appapp• • local EM & public safety local EM & public safety

appsapps

public-facing/interactive public-facing/interactive resourcesresources

VOST backchannel discussions on Skype (text &

voice)

the workbook: readthe 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

google forms:VOAD coordination

reports

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 NZVOSTMarlita Reddy-Hjelmfelt of PNWVOST

Jeff Phillips of VOST

– thanks so much for all who have helped. Scott Reuter ( @sct_r )

First Virtual NVOAD effort for Hurricane

Sandy •(note: Slide to be altered for final version)

- Small virtual team supported National VOADsocial media accounts

-monitoring, responding to questions & comments,-reporting to NVOAD staff