February 21, 2013

Strategic Use of Social MediaOn Incidents

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Strategic Use of Social Media On Incidents

Jennifer JonesPublic Affairs Specialist

U.S. Forest Service, Washington Office, Fire and Aviation ManagementNational Interagency Fire Center

Boise, Idaho

What’s the point of this?• To supplement information presented in S403

• To develop material that may be incorporated into the all risk advanced PIO training course

• February 28 Leadership: It’s Not In A Taskbook! webinar has been postponed, new date to be determined.

NIFC PIO Bulletin Board http://www.nifc.gov/PIO_bb/webinar.html

Topics for future training/webinars Evacuations & Road Closures The PAO/PIO relationship More about VOSTs & how to get one Virtual Joint Information Centers/JIS A research informed approach to

incident communications Consistent Messaging Advanced News Media Effective public meetings Stakeholder/cooperator engagement Legislative issues/politics Current issues in wildfire/incident

management Unified Command Working with multiple teams on a

fire/Area Command

jejones@fs.fed.us

Housekeeping• Download documents by clicking on pages icon on

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Housekeeping• Download documents by clicking on pages icon on

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• Questions will be taken at the end in writing or over the phone

• To submit a question in writing any time during the presentation:

• Click on Q&A on the toolbar at the top of your screen, write a message in the box that says “Type a question for the presenter” and click Ask

Michelle Fidler

NPS Fire Communication and Education Specialist

@PIOFidler@NPSFireSW@T1SWIMT

Kris Eriksen

• National Incident Management Organization- Portland Team: Public Information Officer

@kriseriksen

What We Won’t Cover:

• Why you should use social media• What social media tools to use• How to use social media tools

We begin with the assumption that we all understand the need to engage with social media at some level & that it must be part of an overall strategy.

What We Will Cover:

• How to build a Web 2.0 Unit in your PIO shop if you have the skills available.

• How to manage Web 2.0 needs if you don’t have the skills available.

• Social media transition issues – going from an IMT with a staffed SM effort to an IMT with nothing.

• Social media – can you or can’t you?!

When To Use?

• Local standard• Evacuations• National / International

Attention• Political Pressure from

Governor / President• Primary systems crash• When your story isn’t in

the conversation

Every incident is different

• Not a silver bullet• Don’t give up the traditional• Able to update from the field• Serves as a backup • Tools will come and go

• Choose the tools that meet your needs

How Does it Fit?Part of an overarching information strategy

Where to Begin? Start with a 360 review to determine the need and key partners

Sample Monitoring Template - http://bit.ly/HowToMonitor

Site(s) Type of Content / Frequency of Updates

Host Unit(s)

IMT(s)

Partner Agencies

Elected Officials

Local Media

Community Organizations

Social Media Sites

Etc.

Plan Ahead

• Establish a Protocol

• Have a Contingency Plan

Sample protocol: http://bit.ly/CommentGuidelines

Think Through Your Needs• Initial Setup

– Ordering– Organizing– Publicizing

• Daily Tasks– Pushing – Monitoring– Engaging

• Closeout– Evaluating– Transitioning

2013 PIO Incident Organizer - http://www.nifc.gov/PIO_bb/nps.html

Intel Gathering• Traditional planning cycle

doesn’t meet our needs

• We need to provide “nuggets” of info throughout the day

• Requires buy-in from entire IMT

• Can be helpful to embed a PIO in Ops

Comment Guidelines

http://bit.ly/CommentGuidelines

Building Your Organization

Lead

Gathering Writing Pushing Monitoring

Lead

E-mail Internal Texts Website Blog Twitter Photos Videos Monitoring

Task

Tool

E-Trapline

E-mail Inciweb Twitter Flickr Internal Texts to PIOs

Media Monitoring

Photo by Kari Greer

How To Structure?Wallow Fire Case Study : E-Trapline Group

Lead PIO

Community Media E-Trapline Info Center Call Center

How To Structure?The Ultimate!

Lead

Messaging Intel Monitoring Pushing

Make public

Products

Special Projects Media Community

Deputy

Tasks any PIO can do• Pushing Messages

– Post articles and announcements on Inciweb (which will be tweeted automatically from @Inciweb)

– Autopost Inciweb RSS feed to Host Unit and/orIMT account (optional)

• Monitoring– Do an initial review of partner sites to

identify key resources– Scan Icerocket.com ≥ 1x / day

• Countering Rumors– Address trending social media concerns in

Inciweb articles/announcements

I have no PIOs with Social Media skills

Engagement

Pushing Info

Monitoring

How to Ramp Up with More PIOsI have 3-5 PIOs who have skills

Cross Train Build a Backup Blog

Use Facebook as a force multiplier

Share breaking news via

Tweets as Texts

What If I Have Nothing?

You have some options:• Order• Use an off-site PIO• Ask the host unit• Use your partner agencies• Create a VOST - Trusted Digital Volunteers

How Can I Find A Qualified PIO?

Lead = Able to lead a social media group on an incident

Advanced = Regularly use social media tools for personal, office, or incident use

Intermediate = Comfortable Using a Variety of Social Media Tools

Beginner = Have Training and/or Have Tried Using Social Media Tools

Contact: Michelle Fidler520-733-5136Michelle_Fidler@nps.gov

Social Media PIO Database

Will a name request be approved?

Requesting PIO Qualification, Full Name as it’s Listed in ROSS, Cell: xxx-xxx-xxxx, Home Unit: xx-xxx, Dispatch: xx-xxx, Jetport: xxx) to report at date/time.

She/he has advanced social media skills and has the skills and experience to serve as a lead PIO for our multimedia unit. He/she will be maintaining electronic public information incident communications (Inciweb, social media, etc.) and needs to work at location with reliable power, phone, and internet.

Her/his work station may move throughout the incident to accommodate this need. Work may be performed remotely at official duty station or off-site locations as appropriate. Travel to the incident is authorized. Rental car, laptop, cell phone, handheld radio, portable printer, and digital camera are authorized.

Name Suggest Resource Order Language

Use an off-site PIO

• Ask a PIO or other person, not on your incident, to help

• Place an order for someone to work remotely– NWCG Memo on Off-Site/Remote Incident Assignments -

http://www.nwcg.gov/general/memos/nwcg-013-2011.pdf

Ask the host unit

• Twitter• Website/blog• Other standing social media accounts• Front desk or PAO staff

Use Your Partner Agencies

• Fire Departments• Chamber of Commerce• Sheriff• Other Fire Agencies

Build a VOSTVirtual Operations Support Team

• A VOST is a structured group of volunteers, who’s location is irrelevant, who have been organized by you to assist in providing virtual social media support, under your direction, for your incident.

Build a VOSTVirtual Operations Support Team cont>

1. Away from the incident2. In many time zones3. Give you distance from social media4. Give you an invisible staff that can

accomplish a huge amount of work5. Ensure the WO & other VIPs are getting info6. Can supply you with dedicated eyes and ears

Build a VOSTVirtual Operations Support Team cont>

4. Give you an invisible staff that can accomplish a huge amount of work

5. Ensure the WO & other VIPs are getting info6. Can supply you with dedicated eyes and ears

VOSTConcerns

Most common concerns about VOST:1. It’s just more people to manage.2. What if one of them goes rogue, saying

things we don’t want them to?3. I don’t want to have to make sure what they

write/say is correct.

Case Study

How We Managed• @Inciweb was on autopilot• @wildlandfireAZ autoposts

from Inciweb• AZEIN Blog/@AZEIN/FB

posted our updates• Set @T1SWIMT to autopost

from Inciweb• Monitored Google alerts

and Icerocket

Gladiator Fire – One PIO Using Existing Resources

Case Study

• 1 PIO off-site 1st few days• Relocated to ICP once stable

connections established• Pushed Messages

– Inciweb– NMFireInfo blog, FB, Twitter– IMT & Host Unit Twitter– Incident Facebook

• Monitored & Engaged– Posted consolidated responses– Mitigated Rumors

Little Bear Fire – One PIO Off-Site > On-Site

Case StudyLittle Sand Fire, CO

• Me as lead PIO• 1 Social Media PIO• 1 Deputy running day to day Ops• Other PIOs as worker bees

LeadUstream, Groupme

SMInciweb, Products,

Messages

VOST

PIOOps LO, Inciweb

PIOInciweb, photos, video

DeputyMessages, all other day to day

Transition

• This is a new issue as we move into SM because of the disparity.

• The key is communication• Document all accounts and passwords

How to Transition?

• First Type 1 IMT on-site used a VOST that disengaged with the IMT left

• We considered stopping posts when the VOST left

• We ultimately determined there was still value to feeding sites they’d started

• We only had 1 PIO to manage so we used dlvr.it to autopost

• We focused on monitoring and responding to trends

Wenatchee Complex Case Study – Transitioning From a VOST

Building Social Media Skills

• Tips - nifc.gov/PIO_bb/social_media.html• FAQ - http://www.nifc.gov/PIO_bb/webinar/WebinarQA2012.pdf

• SM Training - training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/is42.asp• How To - howto.gov/social-media• VOST questions answered - http://vosg.us/• How VOSTs/IMTs work together –1 hr webinar

https://webmeeting.nih.gov/p88541552/

There are numerous resources available – the key is getting started and using the tools yourself.

Issues that remain

1. Can you or can’t you??2. Use of Social media is not just a PIO decision.

New (er) Tools• Ustream - livestreaming of briefings

• Direct to FB livestream – available now via iPhone; streams live and posts recorded

• QR codes – allows for easy access to websites from smartphones

• Avenza Maps - download geotagged PDFs to your mobile device; GPS shows where you are

• Ipads – updated mapping from the fireline; also used to record/stream briefings / air attack footage

• Groupme – group texting to inform PIO / PAOs

• Google Voice – one number; can designate which cell and/or landlines it will ring to; transcribes voicemail; group texting feature

• Wildland Fire Apps (Red Cross, US Fires, Wildfire Info, CO Wildfire Watch) – mobile access to Inciweb and 209 information

Questions or comments?3 Ways to Ask

• Click on Q&A on the toolbar at the top of your screen, write a message in the box that says Type a question for the presenter and click Ask

• Click on the hand icon and ask your question over the phone when you are called on

• Ask your question over the phone when I ask if anyone has any questions

Contact InfoMichelle FidlerNPS Fire Communication and Education Specialist Supporting Parks in AZ, NM, OK, and TX3693 S. Old Spanish Trail, Tucson, AZ 85730(520) 733-5136 office (520) 400-2932 cell Michelle_Fidler@nps.gov

Kris EriksenPIOU.S. Forest ServiceNational Incident Management Organization(208) 869-7685 cellkeriksen@fs.fed.us

Thank you!

Jennifer Jonesjejones@fs.fed.us

(208) 387-5437

NIFC PIO Bulletin Board http://www.nifc.gov/PIO_bb/webinar.html

PIO, Little Bear Fire, New Mexico, 2012