Comments on: Another Disaster Communications Tool

By: James buck

James buck — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 10:58:06 +0000

This is exactly what I’m hoping to create on a global/regional level for human rights workers and journalists (possibly through Human Rights Watch). When I was arrested in Egypt for doing journalism, a Twitter message to friends was how they got started working on my case and got me out. Anyone interested in this or who’s willing to share their expertise, shoot me an email at jameskbuck at gmail dot com. Thanks!
James Buck

By: RazRchive » Victim of Success

RazRchive » Victim of Success — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 15:39:47 +0000

[...] search!) I also helped develop strategies the American Red Cross will soon employ, using Twitter to connect with evacuees during the next big [...]

By: Gary Sherman : The world's atwitter with Twitter

Gary Sherman : The world's atwitter with Twitter — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 16:28:23 +0000

[...] Ike Pigott, who specializes in crisis communication, discusses how the American Red Cross is using Twitter as part of their Safe and Well Program. [...]

By: nomadcom.net » Twitter used to provide firsthand information in disasters

nomadcom.net » Twitter used to provide firsthand information in disasters — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 18:19:03 +0000

[...] many sources: Stephenson Strategies, Wired, KPBS and Occam Razr. Share [...]

By: The Journal of Rockett Science

The Journal of Rockett Science — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 16:33:29 +0000

[...] Ike Pigott’s blog: Safe and Well is made up of two parts: a place for evacuees to register themselves, and a search [...]

By: Kevin Toomer

Kevin Toomer — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 07:43:58 +0000

I guess I’m a little skeptical because I work in a developing country where adoption of technology is uneven to say the least. However mobile phones are making incredible inroads here and the young do seem to be the early adoptors.

I think that Red Cross t-shirts might help get the word out. Just put the instructions for following the Safe and Well feed on the back of the shirt. During emergencies everyone’s eyes are drawn to those shirts.

By: Ike

Ike — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 06:21:31 +0000

Kevin - there are two answers to that part of the puzzle.

The first is that we’re using the Twitter platform as a test, to see how readily people will accept SMS as a form of disaster messaging. I have a hunch that many will, particularly the younger the demographic.

If we can make a case that this is an effective tool, then we explore ways to employ the same functionality in an enterprise-level fashion, with our own equipment.

Now - as to how to get people to use it “now.” Twitter was the platform of choice because it requires no web component whatsoever to sign up. If my mother had only a cell phone, I could talk her through the subscription process very plainly, or even through a written step-by-step tipsheet. None of the other services allowed for seamless sign-up over SMS - and Jaiku (for now) is getting its overseas SMS messages blocked by many major US cell-service providers. The Google purchase of Jaiku will make things interesting, as I suspect Big-G will move the servers stateside and open the whole API up for business.

By: Kevin Toomer

Kevin Toomer — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 06:04:24 +0000

Great ideas! Safe and Well sounds like a good solution to a serious problem. I do wonder how you can get the general public to adopt tools like this though.

By: Wade Rockett

Wade Rockett — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 19:39:31 +0000

Ike, this is a really great idea. I’m helping to brainstorm some uses for Twitter at my company, and keeping in touch during emergencies was one idea that I’m very keen on. I had no idea that cell phone users could sign up on the fly through SMS - that’s insanely useful.

By: Gerald Czech

Gerald Czech — Sat, 21 Jul 2007 18:54:02 +0000

Hi Ike,

the “safe and well”-site sounds interesting. As I am responsible for “new media” at Austrian Red Cross, I am interested in your whole web2.0-strategy. Maybe there is a paper, you can send me?

I tried to write a short summary on our strategy in my redcross-webmaster-blog as well as an analysis on the different stakeholders for redcross-communication in desaster situations. (both in German language)

We started a new blog about our ERU-Pakistan-mission two days ago at einsatzpak.blogspot.com. Unfortunately it is in German language, like my other redcross-related blogs redcrosswebmaster.blogspot.com and redcrosssociologist.blogspot.com.

Best regards,

Gerald Czech
Vienna, Austria

By: Ike

Ike — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 19:53:29 +0000

Ideally, your friend would go directly to the website and enter your information for you. This is becoming part of the standard messaging for every family disaster plan: establish an outside contact.

Since Josh is in Florida, you could call or text him and he’s entering securely, right on the site.

This would be an option for those without a friend (or at least one with a known working computer.) There are some barriers to communicating it, but that’s been the Safe and Well challenge since the beginning. (That goes for Disaster Readiness in general.)

This is not a way to supplant Safe and Well, but rather to supplement it. Anything that gets one more platform plugged into the same database just multiplies the chances of making a crucial connection.

I’m glad Chloe is okay. She looks different than I remember.

By: Kami Huyse

Kami Huyse — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 19:40:37 +0000

At least I have a friend in this scenario. I am assuming that someone would sent a direct message to REDCROSS to keep everything secure?

I like the idea overall, but I think the issue is going to be in the marketing. How do we get the information to the people, especially in a disaster? There could be instruction sheets in shelters, but for people stuck in attics, that is a different story. It would be cool if Twtter did like Facebook and worked with the Red Cross to get a application together to better facilitate this. Great PR for Twitter too.

Also, you could add it to the Red Cross webpage with the Safe and Well info.

Okay, I am now babbling, so I will go away to listen to the thunder and lightning from the arriving storm here in San Antonio. And by the way, this is Kami Husye in San Antonio, I am safe and well, along with Chloe, who is taking a nap beside me here in her bouncy seat.