In Case of Emergency, Use Social Media!

A Highlight from the upcoming NAGC Communications School.

Whether we were in the Northeast at the time or not, none of us will forget the devastation caused by Superstorm Sandy. Government agencies at all levels responded to the various emergencies and coordinated recovery efforts across multiple states. They needed to communicate with each other, to engage with citizens, share information, and maintain awareness of events and community needs. Believe it or not, response agencies and their partners turned to social media for the answers to their communications needs.

You can learn about this effort when a panel of experts comes together to kick-off the National Association of Government Communicators 2013 Communications School in April. Representative from FEMA, Fairfax County and the American Red Cross – all members of the Virtual Social Media Working Group established by the Department of Homeland Security’s Science & Technology Directorate — will share details on how they each leveraged social media to engage with their stakeholders. They’ll discuss challenges, successes, and lessons learned.

This keynote panel will be held on Wednesday, April 17 at 1:15pm, as the exciting kick-off session for the 2013 NAGC Communications School, April 16-19 at the Pentagon City Sheraton in Arlington, Va. Check out the rest of the agenda and register to attend at www.nagconline.org.