California and Nevada are Disaster Buddies

In the social arena, it is often said what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas” but when it comes to disasters, “what happens in California may well come to Nevada”, Ms. Dee Grimm, RN, JD, Program Manager, Nevada Statewide Evacuation, Mass Care and Sheltering Initiative, has said.

Some disaster management professionals like myfelf, believe that when California sneezes, Nevada catches a cold. This was very evident in the summer of last year when the Trcukee Meadows Valley was engulfed in thick smoke from hundreds of fires in Northern California.

In many ways, California and Nevada are closely related and can be seen as disaster partners, Ms Grimm explained. The program manager highlighted the fact that California and Nevada have a special geographic relationship that can not be ignored in planning for evacuations or mass fatalities.

In Western states as in Gulf states, the interstate system is of vital importance in planning for disasters because any large scale incidents can adversely spread or overspill beyond state frontiers.

Local hazard vulnerability analysis shows that the state of Nevada is vulnerable to wild land fires, floods, extreme weather andearthquakes. None of these hazards is as bad as having a population that is unprepared. “Complacency” Ms Grimm said, “will get more people hurt than any hazard we may face.”

Planning for disasters in Nevada is challenging because planners have to account not only for urban populations but also for a sparsely populated rural areas with minimal resources. In some counties there are dedicated emergency management staff, an in others, it is the the sheriffs who already have many other preoccupations.

On the issue of disclosure of evacuation routes and the locations of public shelters, the program manager said it is “tricky question”. She indicated that there are pros and cons for disclosure of shelters.

However, she believes that public shelters should be disclosed so you can decrease the change of people not knowing where to go and of exposing themselves to greater dangers of the hazard. Ms. Dee Grimm, RN, JD is the Chief Executive Officer at Emergency Management Professionals.

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Why Public Safety Authorities Must Look Before They Leap With Social Media

It is not good enough to just embrace social media without thinking through what you want to achieve it. There is no doubt that every state, county or city needs some element of social media to be able to tap into the issues that average citizens face.

I believe that public safety authorities need social media to build social capital is absolutely critical in building community. Social capital helps communities in building stronger and healthier relationships based on trust. Trust is an asset of critical survival during times of a disaster.

Learn the Tools
The best way deal with social media is to learn the tools and the way to get optimum benefits from these tools. Some social media tools require customization to give your city a unique identity. Thus, before engaging in Twitter, take time to learn how to use twitter applications that help you get the best out of micro-blogging.

Examine Competitors’ Footprints
Another option is to examine the footsteps and footprints of your competitors and collaborators. You will be amazed to see how other jurisdictions are using social media in engaging the public in a conversation. Some cities like LA are using Twitter, Facebook and blogs to get the word out about their public programs.

Ask  for Advice
It cost nothing to ask questions.  Before implementing or integrating a particular system, it is important to seek the wisdom of the crowd or those with whom you are working. Find out what most of the people in your area are using. If it is Facebook, then, it makes sense for you to set up an account that enables you to relate to them before, during and after a disaster.

Peek into Trends
It is of no point investing time and resources into a social media tool that does not have a huge following. For example, when you examine the relative levels of growth and demographics of Facebook and MySpace, you will realize that tools that support photos and videos are continuing to grow significantly.

If you fail to look before you leap, you will leap and trip and fall.

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