INTERNATIONAL SAFETY RESEARCH

Engineering Risk Management Solutions

Digital Volunteers And Emergency Management

July 2014

Engineering Risk Management Solutions

Overview

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Digital volunteers and emergency management … an ongoing experiment

Types of missions/deployments Examples … case studies … a global phenomenon … rise of the VTCs The Volunteer Operations Support Team concept Integrating digital volunteers in the emergency operations centre Challenges and opportunities Questions Conclusion

Engineering Risk Management Solutions

Types of missions and deployments

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Take on all forms … organic, spontaneous, organized, sponsored

Key characteristics:

Crowdsourced … issues identification … solutions … applications Most often … distributed task assignments … no hierarchy Cloud based tools … socially-convergent tools … open source Incident-specific … core group of coordinators or liaisons with agencies

Some issues: Coordination challenges … duplication of efforts Information validation … trusted agents Mistrust from institutions … misunderstanding of SMEM

Engineering Risk Management Solutions

Types of missions and deployments

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Also vary by type of work being conducted

Social media monitoring, analysis and reporting Monitoring + crisis mapping Message amplification Public information supplementation Response and recovery coordination Logistics coordination Missing persons, family reunification Imagery/GIS analysis Others

Engineering Risk Management Solutions

Examples … a global phenomenon

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From strategic, large-scale deployments … to tactical implementation

Haiti earthquake: – Open Street Maps– Fletcher School/Tufts + Ushahidi > HUSAR/USAR teams, – crisis mapping, – donations apps

Lybia Crisis Maps: official request/activation … SBTF Christchurch earthquake:

– recovery map, – Student Volunteer Army FB coordination

Joplin tornado: recovery page on FB Four-mile Canyon Fire in Boulder: tactical implementation mapping + SM monitoring Typhoon Haiyan Next ? Drones and more

Engineering Risk Management Solutions

Virtual Operations Support Teams (VOST)

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Born in the USA … growing everywhere … different models

VOST origins: Jeff Phillips and others … NEMA barcamp 2011 First activations: Pacific northwest forest fires Hurricanes Irene and Sandy International growth: NZVost, CanVOST, VOSTespana, more

Coordination: loose, VOST leadership coalition, http://vosg.us/ Cross-team membership … outside area of ops Mix of volunteer and professional EM

Engineering Risk Management Solutions

Virtual Operations Support Teams (VOST)

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Use of open source tools: Skype, Google Docs, SMS group text, others

Roles vary for different VOSTs– Some directly support PIOs and manage SM accounts during crises– Message amplification: retweets of official posts, engage – SM monitoring:

• Identify rumours = threats to public health/safety• Calls for help: route through appropriate channels (Sandy, Moore)• Detect reputation threats = jeopardize ability of agency to respond• Validate official messaging• Situational Awareness

Geo-fenced and keywords/hashtag searches

Best when given specific tasks/requests

Engineering Risk Management Solutions

Virtual Operations Support Teams (VOST)

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Common VOST operational requirements:

Leadership and liaison Recruiting and training members … and keeping them engaged

IT pros and SM enthusiasts, community volunteers, EM/1st responders Basic IMS, basic SM tools (hootsuite, tweetdeck) + online collaborative

tools What skills are needed? Leadership cadre?

Procedures and references Need for regular exercises or activation (including support of other teams) Clear accountability/expectations

When/how to activate … for what types of incidents Internal work flows and reporting back to agency/EOC

Key: maintain balance between volunteer enthusiasm and structure

Engineering Risk Management Solutions

Integrating digital volunteers in the EOC

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First, the need to integrate SMEM into EM … from the incident command post to the EOC at all levels

Looking at the IMS structure … some examples: Command: up-to-date situational awareness … digi vols can support in

real-time, coordinated with GIS specialists PIO: VOST team can supplement SM monitoring and message

distribution Planning: Sit Unit can be augmented by digi vols doing analysis

(imagery, GIS requirements, etc) Logistics: SM monitoring by volunteers to help match offers of

assistance/supplies with needs in the field

Engineering Risk Management Solutions

Challenges … and opportunities

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Obstacles: not technology but policy/mindset … growing need for acceptance

Common issues: Digital volunteers: trusted agents? Or wannabees? SM intel validation? Why should I believe Twitter? Where to put SM (and liaison with digital vols/VOSTs) in the EOC Lack of understanding of the benefits of SMEM and digital volunteers

Engineering Risk Management Solutions

Challenges … and opportunities

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Benefits: not agency-based but community-based situational awareness

What can work for agencies: Used of enthusiastic, trained, tech-savvy volunteers in tight fiscal

environment ( Angus drone video) Integrated real-time social intelligence to support effective decision-

making and engagement with audiences Use resources that are available through different time zones and

outside the area of operations … Build community resilience and speed up recovery

Engineering Risk Management Solutions

Questions

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Engineering Risk Management Solutions

Conclusion

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EM agencies trail the public they serve in the adoption of new technology

Move at the speed of your audiences (speed of social networks) or be irrelevant … Use the tools they use (mobile tech) or don't get heard … Use the power of the crowd and the cloud Fantastic pool of volunteers available … eager, dedicated, serious It's cost efficient !